ROBERT
MONNIE
Staff
Reporter
The
scores from the 2009 Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) test battery
for the Chesterfield County School District were slightly below the state
average in all grades and all subjects tested according to data released by the
state department of education Thursday.
South
Carolina and federal laws require end-of-the-year accountability tests for
grades 3-8 that are based on state academic standards. PASS results are
comprised of scores in the five subject areas of writing, English language arts
(reading and research), mathematics, science and social studies for grades 3-8.
Beginning
last year, PASS replaced the 10-year-old Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test.
In
2009’s baseline (first-year) PASS testing, students continued statewide scoring
trends exhibited in the final years of PACT testing – with the highest
performance generally coming in English language arts and social studies and
the lowest in science. Eighth-grade PASS results were generally lower than the
other grades, which also was similar to PACT trends.
Significantly
exceeding the state average in passing percentages on different subjects were
several grade levels at various schools throughout the district.
The state
passing percentage is listed in parentheses after each district result by grade
and subject.
Cheraw
Intermediate: fourth grade mathematics - 83.8 (76.8); Chesterfield-Ruby: sixth
grade social studies - 84.6 (79.6); Edwards Elementary: fourth grade
mathematics - 87.2 (76.8); Jefferson Elementary: fourth grade social studies -
86.5 (79.8); Long Middle: eighth grade social studies - 81.7 (69.6); McBee
Elementary: fourth grade mathematics - 88.5 (76.8), fourth grade social studies
- 90.4 (79.8), sixth grade social studies - 84.6 (79.6); McBee High School:
seventh grade mathematics - 88.7 (69.4), seventh grade science - 84.5 (71.1),
seventh grade English - 76.1 (67.5), seventh grade writing - 79.2 (66.2) ;
Plainview Elementary: fourth grade mathematics - 87.2 (76.8), fifth grade
English - 100 (80.0); Ruby Elementary: fourth grade social studies - 92.5
(79.8), fifth grade English - 89.5 (80.0).