DORCHESTER SCHOOL DISTRICT FOUR
Department of Communications
August 12, 2026
On August 10, 2026, the South Carolina Department of Education released the 2025–2026 school year performance results. Dorchester School District Four (DD4) posted meaningful year-over-year growth across the district, with nine of fourteen reported grade-and-subject measures improving and several schools narrowing the gap with state averages. These results reflect the district's ongoing commitment to student achievement and the work happening in classrooms across DD4.
Highlights
DD4 improved in 9 of 14 reported grade-and-subject measures on SC READY, the state's English Language Arts (ELA) and math assessment for grades 3–8.
Biggest gain, districtwide: Grade 8 math led all measures, climbing 18.2 percentage points from 2024–25.
Grade 8 ELA also posted a large gain, up 17.3 percentage points, narrowing DD4's gap with the state by 14.1 points.
Grade 5 math rose 15.0 percentage points, narrowing the state gap by 14.0 points.
Every school in the district posted at least one double-digit gain in a tested ELA or math measure.
Woodland High School saw more students move into the A and B performance bands on Biology, English 2, and U.S. History end-of-course exams.
SC READY: English Language Arts and Math
The South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Assessments (SC READY) evaluate students in grades 3–8 in ELA and math. Students are scored at one of four achievement levels: Does Not Meet, Approaches, Meets, or Exceeds Standard.
Districtwide, DD4 improved in 9 of 14 reported grade-and-subject measures from 2024–25 to 2025–26:
Grade 8 math: up 18.2 points, from 15.7% to 33.9%
Grade 8 ELA: up 17.3 points, from 37.1% to 54.4%
Grade 5 math: up 15.0 points, from 20.8% to 35.8%
Grade 7 math: up 10.0 points, from 18.5% to 28.5%
Grade 5 ELA: up 7.8 points, from 47.8% to 55.6%
Grade 4 ELA: up 6.9 points, from 51.0% to 57.9%
Grade 3 ELA: up 4.7 points, from 45.6% to 50.3%, moving above the 50% threshold
Grade 4 science: up 2.4 points, from 41.7% to 44.1%
DD4 also narrowed its gap with the state average by 14.1 points in Grade 8 ELA and by 14.0 points in Grade 5 math.
School-by-School Bright Spots
Harleyville Elementary
Harleyville improved in every reported ELA and math measure across grades 3–5. Grade 5 math rose from 0.0% to 26.7%, a 26.7-point gain, and Grade 3 math more than doubled, increasing 23.2 points from 21.2% to 44.4%. Grade 5 ELA increased 20.3 points, from 21.9% to 42.2%, and Grade 3 ELA rose 10.8 points, from 36.4% to 47.2%.
Williams Memorial Elementary
Williams Memorial improved in ELA at every tested grade level. Grade 4 ELA rose 8.7 points, from 51.7% to 60.4%, and Grade 5 ELA climbed from 58.3% to 62.5%, finishing just one percentage point below the state average. Grade 5 math increased 10.4 points, from 27.1% to 37.5%. The school's Grade 4 ELA, math, and science results all landed within nine percentage points of the state.
Clay Hill Elementary
Grade 3 math increased 9.7 points, from 17.2% to 26.9%, and Grade 3 ELA rose 4.0 points, from 34.5% to 38.5%. Grade 4 science reached 50.0%, just 1.7 percentage points below the state and the strongest elementary science result in DD4. Grade 4 math reached 46.2%, placing Clay Hill only 6.2 points below the state.
Woodland Middle School
Woodland posted double-digit gains in three measures: Grade 7 math (up 10.0 points, to 28.5%), Grade 8 math (up 18.2 points, to 33.9%), and Grade 8 ELA (up 17.3 points, to 54.4%). The Grade 8 ELA gap with the state narrowed by 14.1 points, leaving Woodland just 4.5 points behind the state average. Grade 6 science reached 42.9%, within nine points of the state.
Woodland High School: End-of-Course Exams (EOCEP)
The EOCEP provides tests in gateway courses, including Biology, English 2, and U.S. History and Constitution. Woodland High School's strongest story this year is not simply overall pass-rate performance — it is the consistent movement of students into the higher A and B performance bands across all three tested courses.
Across Biology, English 2, and U.S. History, the share of students earning an A or B rose by approximately six percentage points in every course.
Biology's A–B rate increased from 25.5% to 31.4%, a 5.9-point gain, while the percentage earning an A rose from 12.5% to 19.0%. Biology's mean score climbed from 64.23 to 69.07, and the percentage earning an F fell 8.2 points, from 44.8% to 36.6%.
English 2's A–B rate increased from 36.5% to 42.2%, a 5.7-point gain, with the percentage earning an A rising from 16.9% to 23.2%.
U.S. History's A–C rate rose 3.0 points, to 32.7%, and its A–B rate rose 5.8 points, to 25.5%.
Mean scores increased in all three courses.
Algebra 1 note: Beginning in 2025–26, Algebra 1 moved from ninth grade to tenth grade. As a result, this year's EOCEP results reflect a smaller, select cohort of students repeating the course or the assessment, and are not directly comparable to prior years.
“These results reflect the hard work of our students, teachers, school leaders, and families. We are proud of the progress across our district and remain committed to building on these gains and providing every student with the support they need to succeed.” ~ Mr. Jeffrey Beckwith, Superintendent.
“It is exciting to see the tremendous strides our district has made over the past year. These accomplishments demonstrate what the intentional efforts and dedication of great educators can produce. I am also incredibly proud of what our scholars have achieved. We are confident that we will build upon this foundation of productive struggle and reach even greater heights in the years ahead.” ~ Mr. Michael White, Interim Chief Academic Officer.
To see all the results, visit the South Carolina Department of Education website.