The Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills, Form U, measuring achievement in reading, spelling, language, mathematics, reference skills, science, and social studies, were administered to fourth-, fifth-, seventh-, ninth-, and eleventh-graders from all 92 South Carolina school districts, in Spring, 1986. Results were compared to national norms and to state and district scores from previous years. While only fourth-grade students scored above the national median in all seven areas, South Carolina's scores were above the 50th national percentile in most skill areas except reading. The median national percentile for the total battery was 57 for grade 4, 51.1 for grade 5, 52.6 for grade 7, 48.2 for grade 9, and 51.3 for grade 11. The achievement scores for grades 4 and 7, which have been tested since 1983, have risen every year; the fourth-grade total battery median has climbed from 43.6 percentile in 1983 to 57 percentile in 1986. The achievement scores for grade five showed gains in all areas in 1986. Also, in 1986, more school districts had greater than half of their students above the national median than in 1985. (More than three-fourths of this document consists of data tables and graphs). (JGL)