(Rock Hill, SC) York Preparatory Academy, a National Blue Ribbon Award-winning public charter school located in Rock Hill, is excited to announce how our school continues to excel academically. We believe that every student deserves a meaningful, purpose-driven education – one that prepares them not just for graduation, but for the future they choose. Our Pathways-Focused K–12 model is designed to guide students through a thoughtful, developmentally aligned process that helps them discover their strengths, explore their interests, and graduate with confidence, direction, and real-world readiness. Rather than waiting until high school to make major decisions about college and career, York Prep students begin building the foundation early. From the first day of kindergarten through senior year, students participate in an intentional life skills journey that supports academic growth, personal development, and long-term planning.
The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) has released the latest SC READY test scores for schools and districts across the state. And, while we only use them as reference points along the pathway, it can also, by default, yield some great end of the year test results: Here are some highlights from last year.
SC READY & Student Growth Highlights to Celebrate
Middle School reached a six-year high in both ELA and Math, demonstrating strong academic achievement and continued growth.
7th Grade had an exceptional year. ELA jumped from 64.6% to 78.7% and Math from 35.4% to 52.8%—increases of 14.1 and 17.4 percentage points in a single year.
3rd Grade delivered outstanding results in both subjects. Students reached 74.6% in ELA and 75.4% in Math, with Math increasing 16 percentage points from last year.
Elementary and Middle School Math both made year-over-year gains of more than 7 percentage points, reflecting strong progress across both divisions.
Our newest results show broad-based progress. Across grades 3–8, 10 of the 12 grade/subject results improved year over year, including improvement in all six Middle School results.
Nearly 75% of students schoolwide met their annual growth targets, demonstrating meaningful academic progress across our student body
The total amount of student growth significantly outpaced national norms. Elementary School growth ranked in the top 12% nationally, while Middle School growth ranked in the top 21% nationally
These results are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, teachers, and staff, and it reflects the high standards we set for academics at York Prep. However, these results aren’t our only focus. Our eyes are on a much bigger outcome which is the progress of each student along the K – 12 Pathway that leads to success along their journey with the end result being college or career ready. We also pride ourselves with our 95% graduation rate over the last 10 years.
York Prep is made up of almost 1,700 students grades K – 12. Full statewide, district, and school-level SC READY data, including ELA, math, and
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
