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Horry County Schools reports higher college-and-career readiness and strongest graduation rate since 2008
Summary
District staff reported a 2024 college-and-career readiness (CCR) rate of 77.6% and an on‑time graduation rate of 86.3%, the highest the district has recorded on state report cards. The board accepted the R7 monitoring report and asked staff for clarifications on data baselines and presentation.
Lee James, a district staff member, presented the board with the R7 monitoring report on college-and-career readiness, citing multiple measures of student preparedness and notable year‑over‑year gains. "I'm proud to say that in 2024, Horry County Schools recorded its highest CCR rate of 77.6," James told the board, adding that the on‑time graduation rate for 2023–24 reached 86.3 percent — the district's highest figure since that metric first appeared on statewide report cards.
The report walks the board through multiple measures used to determine CCR, including composite SAT and ACT scores, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate pass rates, WIN career‑readiness certificates, Career and Technical Education (CTE) completer counts, and work‑based learning internships. James noted district improvements on several fronts: AP pass rates well above state and national averages, an IB pass rate for district IB participants of about 68 percent versus the state at 59.1 percent, and a major increase in students completing CTE majors (from about 390 in 2022 to roughly 845 in the most recent year).
James also flagged assessment trends: the district saw a modest dip in SAT composite average of about 21 points year‑over‑year but an increase in the number of SAT test takers; conversely the district's ACT composite rose slightly. He attributed part of the national decline in aggregated test volumes to more colleges adopting test‑optional admissions. On career readiness, Horry County Schools reported 40–56.9 percent of students earning a silver or higher WIN certificate in 2024 compared with 44.9 percent statewide (presented as a district‑to‑state comparison in the slides).
Board members asked for additional detail and clarification. David Cook requested more information about the WIN test components and the employers participating in work‑based internships; James said he would provide a list of local business partners and further breakdowns. Janet Graham and others questioned how the report's multi‑year charts align to the board's strategic baselines; the board asked staff to work with the policy committee to reconcile chart spans and reporting baselines with governance policy.
The board accepted the R7 monitoring report and directed staff to return with requested attachments and clarifications. The acceptance included a request that staff synchronize the metrics and chart spans with the district's established consolidated goals and strategic plan.
