Third graders in Lancaster County Schools achieved significant progress on state standardized testing, climbing to sixth in South Carolina for English Language Arts in 2026.

The improvement represents a substantial move up from 2024, when the district's third graders ranked 24th statewide in the subject.

State testing results released this week highlight a three-year turnaround in reading proficiency across the county.

Nearly 75% of Lancaster County third graders met or exceeded English Language Arts standards in 2026, compared to about 54% who reached that benchmark in 2024.

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Lancaster County third graders also made noticeable gains in mathematics performance on the state assessments.

The district's third graders ranked second in South Carolina for math in 2026, climbing from 13th place in 2024.

District leadership attributed the widespread score increases to targeted academic strategies and resource allocation.

Norris Williams, who was named superintendent of Lancaster County Schools in 2025, emphasized that maintaining a clear focus on student needs drove the progress.

"Yeah, we were strategic about focusing on helping the students to achieve specific goals," Williams said. "We were very targeted in reference to the students that needed support, making sure that we had that support available. Students that were thriving continued to find ways to enhance their learning and move them forward."

Individual educators implemented tailored classroom approaches to support academic growth alongside curriculum instruction.

Justina Smith, a third-grade teacher in Lancaster County, focused on building student confidence throughout the school year leading up to state examinations.

"I was like, wow, because we knew at the beginning we can do it," Smith said. "We can do it. Don't doubt ourselves. We can do it. And that's what we instill in our kids at the beginning of the year, all the way up until it was time for state testing."

Smith noted that she hopes the district's academic progress encourages parents and students to maintain diligence when encountering learning challenges.

Overall, the Lancaster County School District has achieved its highest performance levels to date on the 2025-2026 SC READY assessments, with students demonstrating significant gains across all tested grade levels and subject areas.