South Carolina Educators’ Ultimate Guide to Prepare for SC READY, SCPASS, and EOCEP Testing

It’s hard to believe that the SC READY, SCPASS, and EOCEP are just a few months away! Between making sure that you are staying on pace with curriculum guides, practicing test-taking procedures and strategies, and providing the targeted preparation and reinforcement individual students need, this time of year can quickly begin to feel overwhelming for educators. The good news is that a little research and planning can go a long way toward ensuring that you’re able to provide the support students need to be successful on their assessments. We’ve gathered all the most useful, detailed, and relevant resources out there on South Carolina’s assessments to help put your mind at ease and to help you put an outstanding test-preparation program into action.

Testing Resources from the South Carolina Department of Education

When it comes to the SC READY, SCPASS, and EOCEP assessments, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is the authority. And, the SCDE has a great collection of free resources for educators! We’ve done the legwork of combing through the SCDE library to find its best materials.

Testing Calendar
Check out a compiled list of dates for all assessments offered by the SCDE.

South Carolina College-and Career-Ready Assessments (SC READY) Resources
These online assessments for grades 3–8 ELA and math will kick off before you know it. Examine details for test administration, understand performance level scale score cuts, and review testing blueprints and sample items.

South Carolina Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS) Resources
For students in grades 4, 6, and 8 science and students in grades 5 and 7 social studies, these assessments are required. Get comfortable with the format, items, scoring, and procedures associated with these tests.

End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) Resources
This online information hub offers testing dates, blueprints, sample items, and scoring guidelines all in one place.

Additional Quick Links for Teachers
In a pinch, this page is your go-to resource for quick access to test blueprints, 2018 sample release items, and test data review reports for all of South Carolina’s assessments, all in one place. You’ll also find the Online Tools Training (OTT) portal and SCPASS science performance tasks for grades 5 and 7. 

South Carolina Test-Preparation Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices for Classroom Teachers

Assessment prep doesn’t have to dominate your classroom agenda this spring. By getting started early, utilizing formative assessment strategies, and making the most of practice testing, teachers in the classroom can provide students with individualized support without sacrificing time from the standard curriculum (and of course, some fun!). Check out these resources to get started.

5 Proven Ways to Get the Most Out of Practice Testing
The old adage “practice makes perfect” is a familiar turn of phrase for a reason. Ensure that you’re getting the most out of every minute your students are spending on practice testing.

3 Ways Online Practice Can Support Your Test-Prep Program  
As you are considering different options to ensure that your students have achieved standards proficiency, it’s critical that you have a program that’s aligned to the South Carolina standards. Consider this and other benefits of using an online program.

4 Best Practices to Use Midyear Benchmark Assessment Data
Like any assessment, midyear benchmarks are only as valuable as the strategies you employ using the data. Here are four ways to make these assessments a truly valuable exercise for you and your students.

Marzano-Validated Best Practices for Online Practice
The Edmentum research team was honored to have Marzano Research peer review a research project that we conducted for our classroom practice and assessment program, Study Island. Through that review, Marzano confirmed our findings about the effectiveness of Study Island, and we also uncovered four best practices to help students get the most out of online practice.

General Test-Prep and Test-Taking Tips for Educators

No matter the exact situation, testing is a stressful process. But successful test taking, beyond content knowledge, is also a skill that can be taught, acquired, and mastered. Here are some of our best resources on general test prep and test taking to help the testing process go smoothly at your school.

10 Classroom and School Tips to Improve Test Scores
Helping South Carolina students achieve success is about much more than targeted practice in the classroom. Check out these 10 holistic tips to make sure that your students are ready for their assessments in all ways.

8 Last-Minute Steps Districts Can Take to Improve Test Scores
Administrators may not feel like they have a direct hand in making sure that students are well-prepared for assessments. But, there is no shortage of steps administrators can take to ensure that their teachers and students have what they need for a successful testing season—even when it’s down to the wire.

6 Tips for Teachers to Help Students Manage Stress
Testing season inevitably means classroom stress will hit a new high. So, how can you keep anxiety levels in check and help your students stay cool, calm, and collected when test day rolls around? Here are six tips for a low(er) stress testing season.

8 Tips for Parents to Help Your Child Prepare for High-Stakes Tests
Parents and other caregivers are critical to every student’s education journey. So, get them involved in the preparation process! Share these eight simple tips with parents to help them support their learners on testing days.

Ready to take your SC READY, SCPASS, and EOCEP assessment preparation program to the next level? Check out Study Island, Edmentum’s online solution for classroom practice and assessment, and our extensive library of programs designed exclusively for South Carolina educators and students. You can even start your FREE trial of Study Island today!

This blog post was originally published on February 19, 2019.