Goal 1 indicators for student achievement / aptitude are High School Assessment Program (HSAP) scores, SAT and ACT scores, AP Exam data and eligibility for Gifted and Talented programs. Table 7 reflects the HSAP, SAT, and ACT scores and expands upon them for assessment of student achievement by district/county. State and national data are offered for comparison where available.

The High School Assessment Program (HSAP) is required by the S.C. Educational Accountability Act (EAA) of 1998 and is commonly known as the high school exit exam. Students are required to take the exit exam in 10th grade for the first time and are given five opportunities to pass in order to receive a diploma. The 2007 state rate for passing on the first attempt (10th grade) was 71.1%, and all districts examined exceeded this percentage except Richland District 1. District level passage rates for first attempt are reported in the Annual School District Report Card.

HSAP data provided in Table 7 reflects passage rates for all students, regardless of grade level, who took the test by spring 2007. A portion of students self-select out of taking the HSAP as a result of dropping out of school during the years intervening between 10th and spring of 12th grades. The average score for Spartanburg County schools was higher on the HSAP exam by spring 2007 than the score for any other comparison county.

Table 8 shows the district/county HSAP passage rates for select demographics by race, gender, and low socio-economic status (SES), as defined by eligibility for free or reduced lunch. In every district, white students pass HSAP at rates higher than black/African-American students. Hispanic students pass at rates higher than black students in every county but Charleston County. In every district except Spartanburg Districts 3 and 4, females passed the exit exam at higher rates than males. Among these demographics, low socio-economic status is the strongest predictor of non-passage of the exit exam.