Image by Flickr user melanieburger

The Post and Courier has yet another report on the sorry state of South Carolina's high school students who are reading far below their grade level.

There has been lots of talk in the past year about creating a literacy policy centered around prohibiting promoting struggling readers to the next grade if they refuse to participate in programs designed to improve their reading. Charleston County schools Superintendent Nancy McGinley has been the driving force behind the program since it's inception in November of 2009.

The Post and Courier got ahold of Charleston County high school's 2008-09 state English language arts exit exam scores and found that out of the 2,949 students who took the exam, 447 failed. Of the 447 who failed, eight-grade reading scores were drudge up and it was discovered that over 70 percent of the students were reading above a fourth grade level before entering high school.

Through enrichment programs, basic reading courses, exit-exam preparation classes and encouragement, McGinley promises said that the district is directing its time, energy and money to improving students reading and writing.

Hop over to The Post and Courier for the article.