Windsor Elementary, Columbia SC - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Windsor Elementary

Windsor Elementary is a regular public school in Columbia, South Carolina, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of Richland 02, one of the two main school districts serving the state capital. Columbia itself is a city shaped by three large institutions: state government, the flagship campus of the University of South Carolina, and Fort Jackson, the Army’s largest Basic Combat Training installation. The school is located in the northeastern part of the city, in an area that is more suburban than the downtown core.

The student body is diverse. The largest share of students is Black, followed by a substantial Hispanic population, with smaller groups of white students, students of two or more races, and Asian students. Every student at the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which means the school serves a population where economic need is universal. This is a significant characteristic of the school’s context, and it shapes the resources and support systems a family should expect.

On the state’s SC Ready assessments, Windsor Elementary’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Richland County. In English language arts, just over a third of students scored proficient or above in third and fourth grade, with a slightly lower share in fifth grade. In math, the pattern is similar: about a third of third graders met the bar, while the share was about three in ten in fourth grade and roughly a quarter in fifth grade. Science proficiency, tested at fourth grade, was lower, with about a quarter of students reaching the proficient level. The state changed its cut scores in both ELA and science in recent years, which means direct comparisons to prior years are not straightforward. The school’s social studies data comes from before the pandemic and is not a current measure.

A parent looking at these results should consider them within the school’s context. A school where every student qualifies for economic support often faces challenges that are not captured by test scores alone. Families may want to ask the school directly about how it supports students who are below grade level, what interventions are in place, and what progress the school has made over the last few years. The district brief did not turn up any recent major changes or initiatives at the district level that are publicly documented, so specific programming or strategic priorities are not available from this data.

The housing market in the school’s area reflects broader trends in the Columbia region. Home values are below the state average, and rents are moderate relative to the national median household income. The area has seen modest home value appreciation. For a family considering moving into the attendance zone, the affordability is a practical point, but it is important to pair that with a clear picture of the school’s academic profile.

Windsor Elementary is a neighborhood school in a high-poverty community within a mid-sized capital city. Its test results are lower than those of many other schools in Richland County, and the universal free-lunch qualification tells a family that the student body is one where economic need is the norm. A parent who values a diverse, urban-suburban setting and wants to engage directly with the school’s support systems may find this a workable match, but the academic outcomes as measured by state tests are a clear soft spot that warrants direct conversation with the school staff.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 57% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 55% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 48% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 337%

School 37% · District 58% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 437%

School 37% · District 61% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 57% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Science

Grade 423%

School 23% · District 49% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 567%

School 67% · District 73% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

This schoolRichland 02, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.