This report provides data on the academic achievement gap that separates low-income and minority students from other students, examining how well different groups of students perform in South Carolina and noting inequities in teacher quality, course offerings, and funding. Included are tables and data that provide: a frontier gap analysis (a comparison of South Carolina to the leaders in achievement and gap closing); student profile (the demographic distribution of youth in South Carolina); state performance (academic achievement and educational attainment); opportunity (well prepared teachers, challenging curricula, special student placements, effective instruction, and annual per pupil investments); minority achievement gains, state by state; and analysis of minority-white achievement gaps by subject area and grade level. African American 8th graders in South Carolina score more than 2 years behind white 8th graders in the state in reading, writing, and math, and more than 3 years behind in science. Hispanic 8th graders in South Carolina score more than 3 years behind white 8th graders in the state in math, science, and reading, and more than 2 years behind in writing. The state's poor/non-poor achievement gap would close for 8th graders in both math and science if poor students in South Carolina scored as well as poor students in North Dakota. (Contains 24 references.) (SM)