The State Board of Education is directed to adopt grade specific performance-oriented educational standards in the core academic areas of mathematics, English/language arts, social studies (history, government, economics, and geography), and science for kindergarten through twelfth grade and for grades nine through twelve adopt specific academic standards for high school credit courses in mathematics, English/language arts, social studies, and science. The standards are to promote the goals of providing every student with the competencies to:

(1) read, view, and listen to complex information in the English language;

(2) write and speak effectively in the English language;

(3) solve problems by applying mathematics;

(4) conduct research and communicate findings;

(5) understand and apply scientific concepts;

(6) obtain a working knowledge of world, United States, and South Carolina history, government, economics, and geography; and

(7) use information to make decisions.

The standards must be reflective of the highest level of academic skills with the rigor necessary to improve the curriculum and instruction in South Carolina’s schools so that students are encouraged to learn at unprecedented levels and must be reflective of the highest level of academic skills at each grade level.