Compliance with South Carolina's Basic Skills Assessment Program (BSAP), involving test administration and instructional monitoring, was on schedule for the 1983-84 school year. Results of readiness tests given to over 50,000 first graders showed 72.6% "ready" to begin formal instruction. Teachers were given materials for areas in which students needed additional developmental activities. Basic Skills Reading and Mathematics Tests were given in grades 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, and 11. The BSAP Writing Test was administered in grades 6, 8, and 11. A total of 72% of the 6th-grade students, 72% of the 8th-grade students, and 68% of the 11th-grade students met the writing standard. The Basic Skills Section conducted monitoring visits in 23 school districts. Two districts were rated as "in full compliance," 21 as "progressing toward compliance," and none were "not in compliance." Federal resources complemented this monitoring to improve compliance with objectives of the BSAP and instructional goals. The state also funded child development and parent education programs, as well as a number of inservice workshops and conferences. Extensive appendices present test results by grade level, school district, and ethnic groups. A four-page bibliography about education in general and about the testing program is also included. (RR)