School District of Newberry County Reports Five-Year Academic Growth, Narrows Achievement Gaps
NEWBERRY, S.C. — October 12, 2026 — The School District of Newberry County (SDNC) has released its five-year state assessment trend data, highlighting continued academic growth across multiple grade levels and subject areas. The results demonstrate meaningful progress in student achievement, including record-setting district performance and significant movement toward closing achievement gaps with the state.
English Language Arts Shows Strong Growth
English Language Arts (ELA) continues to be an area of significant progress for SDNC.
The percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations increased from 38.9% in 2022 to 53.2% in 2026, representing a five-year high and an increase of 14.3 percentage points.
The percentage of students scoring “Does Not Meet” decreased from 31.5% in 2022 to 21.5% in 2026.
The achievement gap between SDNC and the state narrowed from 6.1 percentage points in 2022 to 3.8 percentage points in 2026.
Mathematics Continues Positive Progress
Mathematics results also demonstrate continued improvement across the district.
Students meeting or exceeding expectations increased from 34.5% in 2022 to 39.5% in 2026.
The percentage of students scoring “Does Not Meet” decreased from 35.1% in 2022 to 31.7% in 2026.
Third-grade mathematics performance reached a three-year high, with 50.5% of students meeting or exceeding expectations in 2026.
These results reflect positive momentum as the district continues to strengthen mathematics instruction and support students across grade levels.
Science
In fourth-grade science, 49% of students met or exceeded expectations in 2026, placing SDNC within just 1.8 percentage points of the state average.
In sixth-grade science, 36.1% of students met or exceeded expectations. The district has identified sixth-grade science as an area of continued focus and will target instructional support and resources to accelerate future growth.
End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP)
Algebra 1: In 2026, 61.1% of students passed the Algebra 1 End-of-Course assessment. SDNC performed just 3.47 percentage points below the state average, cutting the achievement gap by approximately half over the past three years.
English 2: The percentage of students passing the English 2 End-of-Course assessment increased from 77% in 2025 to 78.8% in 2026. The district also narrowed its performance gap with the state by 3.7 percentage points compared with the previous year.
Biology: In 2026, 51.8% of students passed the Biology End-of-Course assessment. This represents a 3.4 percentage-point decrease from 2025, making Biology a priority area for targeted instructional support during the 2026–2027 school year.
U.S. History: The percentage of students passing the U.S. History End-of-Course assessment reached 52.9% in 2026. Performance increased from 2025, while the achievement gap with the state narrowed from 14.82 percentage points in 2022 to 9.64 percentage points in 2026.
Multilingual Learners Make Significant Progress
SDNC has made substantial progress in closing achievement gaps for multilingual learners.
The percentage of multilingual learners meeting annual growth targets is now just 0.4 percentage points below the state, compared with a gap of 10.6 percentage points in 2024.
Similarly, the percentage of multilingual learners achieving proficiency is now only 0.7 percentage points below the state, improving from a 4.9 percentage-point gap in 2024.
These results demonstrate significant progress toward ensuring multilingual learners have the instructional support and opportunities necessary for academic success.
Superintendent’s Statement
"We are proud of the progress our students and teachers have made over the past five years,” said Dr. Chan Anderson, Superintendent of the School District of Newberry County. “These results reflect the hard work of our educators, the dedication of our families, and the resilience of our students. While we celebrate areas of exceptional growth, we remain focused on strengthening instruction where gaps persist to ensure every child reaches his or her fullest potential.”
Our progress is credited to a sustained focus on high-quality instruction, and consistent instructional practices across schools. Likewise, our progress is credited to a commitment to continuous improvement by all of our district stakeholders.
Building on the Progress
As SDNC looks ahead, the district will continue building upon areas of success while strategically addressing opportunities for growth. Priorities for the 2026–2027 school year include continued implementation of high-quality instructional materials, expanded professional learning for educators, targeted support in identified content areas, and enhanced services for multilingual learners.
Through these efforts, SDNC remains committed to academic excellence, equitable opportunities for all students, and continuous improvement across every school and classroom.
About the School District of Newberry County
The School District of Newberry County serves approximately 5,500 students across 14 schools. The district’s mission is to nurture an environment in which every child flourishes academically, socially, and emotionally so that they become positive, contributing citizens in our community and beyond.
Each public school in South Carolina receives an overall school report card rating and sub-category ratings. Schools receive ratings from Unsatisfactory through Excellent. Complete data may be found at https://screportcards.com/