Connecticut Releases Results from First SAT School Day. Click here to view the mean SAT score for your town.
The State Department of Education today released preliminary results from the first Connecticut SAT School Day, showing that of the Connecticut 11th-graders who took the exam, 65 percent are meeting or exceeding the achievement standard in English language arts (ELA), and 39.3 percent are meeting or exceeding the achievement standard in mathematics.
The results of the first administration of the Connecticut SAT School Day show that 65 percent of 11th graders who took the exam are meeting or exceeding the achievement standard in English language arts, and 39.3 percent are meeting or exceeding the achievement standard in mathematics.
These results set a baseline year of data from which to measure future growth. With the first statewide administration of the SAT, Connecticut moved closer to its goal of equity and excellence by ensuring all public school students in 11th grade take a college and career readiness exam that is often required for admission to college.
Results can be accessed at the CSDE data portal, EdSight: http://edsight.ct.gov.
The results were released one year after Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced that Connecticut had sought and won federal approval to replace the 11th-grade Smarter Balanced assessment — or SBAC exam — with the SAT.
“These results show us that the majority of students are mastering college and career readiness in ELA, but they are continuing to struggle in math. Our commitment to equity and excellence in education means we have to double down on our efforts to raise student achievement across the board and give our students what they need to succeed,” said Commissioner Wentzell.
The results also show achievement gaps, with fewer black and Hispanic students meeting proficiency levels for ELA and math on the SAT. Only 36.4 percent of black students and 39 percent of Hispanic students met or exceeded achievement standards in ELA, compared to 77.4 percent of white students.
In math, 12.4 percent of black students and 15.5 percent of Hispanic students met or exceeded achievement standards, compared with 49.9 percent of white students. The results showed similar disparities among high needs populations of students, including English language learners, students with disabilities, and students from low income families.
“With the State Board of Education’s adoption of a five-year strategic plan focused on creating high quality education for all students, we remain fiercely committed to the work of supporting all districts — and especially our highest need districts — in their efforts to improve student outcomes and close achievement gaps,” Commissioner Wentzell said.
As part of its commitment to equity and in addition to administering the SAT to all public school 11thgraders, the State Department of Education will continue to pay for administration of the PSAT in Alliance District high schools and will continue to cover the cost differential for Advanced Placement (AP) tests for students from low-income families. The PSAT is a requirement for students applying for several key scholarships, including the National Merit Scholarship.
The results of the first administration of the Connecticut SAT School Day also reveal a dramatic increase in the percentage of students who took the newly designed 11th-grade mastery exam. While Connecticut met the overall goal of having a 95 percent participation rate on state mastery exams in the 2014-15 school year, there were pockets of decreased participation in some districts, mostly among 11th-graders taking the SBAC. This year, nearly 38,000 high school students took the state mastery exam, bringing the participation rate to about 94 percent.
While these results are preliminary, they represent a significant increase in the number of high school students taking the state mastery exam. The state’s Alliance Districts, which receive additional funding to support district improvement plans tied to greater accountability, saw a significant increase in participation rate. In 2015, 11th-graders in Alliance Districts had about an 81 percent participation rate on the Smarter Balanced exam. In 2016, the participation rate on the 11th-grade SAT for Alliance Districts increased to 90 percent.
Please click here to read the full press release including the table displaying statewide average scale scores and percent meeting or exceeding achievement standards in ELA and math.