Clinton Avenue School students practice tech skills to prep for test in May.
New Haven Public Schools scored below the state average on the Common Core-aligned test this year, with less than a third of students meeting expectations for reading and math.
The state Department of Education released scores Friday showing that 29 percent of New Haven students are on track for literacy and 14 percent for math, compared to 55.4 percent and 39.1 percent statewide. Students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 spent five weeks taking various parts of the test this past May.
Connecticut is one of 45 states that have agreed to adopt the Common Core, national academic standards that set benchmarks in English and math for students from K to 12 — aligned to the standardized Smarter Balanced Field Test. The Achievement First (AF) charter network and New Haven Public School district decided to switch to Common Core two years before the state requirement of 2015.
Local and state officials have said they expected scores to be low for the tougher test.
“These results do not mean that our students are learning less, rather it reflects that we raised the bar. We are confident that our students will continue to build upon the new baseline they set this year and will rise to meet the challenge of the more rigorous material, as they always do,” state Education Commissioner Dianna Wentzell stated in a release.
New Haven Superintendent Garth Harries said he expects to see more students meeting and exceeding the expectations next year.
“The results provide important baseline data that we can use to create a stronger educational experience for all students in every school, reflecting the high standard of college, career, and life success,” he said in a release.
Click here for a school and district-level breakdown of the scores on the CT Mirror site and here to access an Excel list on the state Department of Education site.
I find the statewide scores to be unbelievably low. Meaning I don't believe that it's a reasonable standard if one of the wealthiest states in the nation has only half of its students tracking for literacy. Tell us teachers, am I wrong?