Florence County School District 5 cites early test gains, expands reading and math training

The Florence County School District 5 superintendent reported on curriculum, professional development and early assessment results at the board's August meeting. The district will continue K–8 use of i‑Ready and expand HMH ELA materials, add additional "letters" (science‑of‑reading) training for K–4 teachers and pursue state math‑standards training this fall.

"We are still using i‑Ready," the superintendent said, describing it as an important source of diagnostic data and professional development. She said teachers completed fall formative testing after recent storms and are already using the results to plan instruction. The district also will continue Edgenuity for middle and high school credit recovery and virtual course options, she said.

The superintendent highlighted the district's work on new ELA standards and the HMH curriculum rollout, calling HMH a "turnkey curriculum" that helps new teachers with ready‑to‑use lesson materials. The district will provide multi‑session reading training and has enrolled two 4K teachers in a year‑long state training in the science of reading.

On math, the superintendent said the state has changed course sequencing (moving to a more algebra‑based progression) and the district is sending staff to state trainings to prepare. She credited increased instructional time and grade‑level collaboration with recent growth: "more math time, and that's what research shows."

Preliminary assessment figures shared at the meeting included improvements in ELA and math across several grades. The superintendent cited a 12% increase in Algebra I pass rates at the high school and smaller gains in biology and US history EOCs; English II pass rates were reported at about 79%, roughly flat year over year.

Principals described school‑level strategies that support those results. The middle school is moving to 80‑minute blocks for reading and math to permit deeper small‑group instruction; teachers will use i‑Ready diagnostics to form targeted groups. Elementary principals emphasized daily phonics instruction and weekly newsletters to strengthen home‑school communication.

The superintendent also described the transition from the district's prior special‑education case‑management system to the state's EdPlan platform, calling the first year challenging for teachers but necessary to meet state requirements. The district's elementary school was noted as leaving the ATSI (targeted support) designation depending on spring test scores.

Why it matters: those curriculum and training investments, paired with diagnostic assessments and schedule changes, are the district's primary strategy to sustain early gains and close remaining gaps in reading and math. The board asked questions about implementation and will receive further updates in subsequent meetings.

What's next: the district plans to report more comprehensive test data at future board meetings and continue professional development tied to HMH and new math standards.