Accountability test results

Results of two statewide education tests which have been given for the last time have been released by the Oconee County public schools. The Palmetto Assessment of State Performance (PASS,) a major accountability test for students in grades 3-8, produced results for Oconee students that, for the most part, trended upward from last year’s mixed results, according to Dr. Michael Thorsland, superintendent of education. Oconee’s PASS results were down in English, Language and Arts, but higher in writing, mathematics, science and social studies. But, at the school level, the results were mixed. A second test that is being phased out is H-SAP—the “Exit Exam” given for the first time to 10th graders. As a whole, the Oconee district saw a decline. Thorsland says the testing will change next year.