BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) – Some parents in the Berkeley County School District are seeking answers after what they say is a lack of communication and transparency when it comes to district formative assessments.
These assessments are given to kids in third through eighth grade, in multiple classes with material they are supposed to have learned per state standards.
School has been in session for a little over a month, and students are seeing multiple DFAs in their classes as part of the district’s new pacing guidelines; however, parents are saying it’s unfair and are asking questions.
Two parents who have children in Hanahan schools say they were not told or informed of these assessments in the first place until their child came home crying after failing the DFA.
“He came home crying hysterically because he’s a straight-A student and gifted and talented. He doesn’t even get B’s hardly ever, much less a 50, and he was hysterical and saying he’s never even heard of most of this information on this test,” parent Summer Dukes said.
Dukes took this problem to social media to see if others were experiencing the same challenges, and found that it was a district-wide concern.
“I had principles reach out to me. I had teachers. I’ve had many of students, many of parents, you know, saying, ‘We just think this is not fair to our students. Why are they being punished?’” she said.
District spokesperson Katie Tanner says that these assessments are essentially unit tests as part of the school district’s new pacing guideline, so teachers may be moving at a faster pace than what students and parents can handle.
Parent Adrienne Serpe said her son, who has ADHD, has been struggling to keep up early on in the school year.
“You’re throwing things at them in two or three days, quizzing them and testing them on it, and then moving on from it. Week one, he had a quiz. He has had so many quizzes and tests every single week that I feel overwhelmed just trying to help him study for everything,” Serpe said.
“These pacing guidelines are ridiculous. Let the teachers teach,” Dukes said.
A South Carolina Department of Education proviso for the 2025-2026 school year says formative assessments are not allowed to be calculated for part of a student’s final grade, but there is one exception. The exception is if teachers have taught the material and are aware of this “well in advance.” Tanner said these formative assessments are not the same as those outlined in the memo, which could be creating confusion.
Serpe said the track at which they’re teaching is not a one-size-fits-all format, and Tanner recognizes that as well, but says these are state standards.
“When you are assessing them on material that they haven’t had time to grasp, it truly is unfair to these kids. You’re setting them up to fail from the very beginning. These grades are being weighted. They are being put in the grade book, and even if they’re allowing test correction, imagine the weight that’s being put on those kids’ shoulders,” Serpe said.
Tanner says if you have concerns about these DFAs and the pacing guideline, she encourages you to reach out to the district for a conversation.
She also says that although pacing guidelines vary across the school districts, they are set by state standards in terms of required material.