Connecticut School Systems 2nd Best In U.S.: New Report

CONNECTICUT — A new report ranking the top-performing school systems in has named Connecticut's education apparatus the second-best in the U.S.

Personal finance website WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 32 key metrics, accounting for performance, funding, safety, class size and instructor credentials.

Connecticut schools boasted the best ACT test scores in the country, and its pupil-teacher ratio was No. 5. In addition, around 7.6 percent of Connecticut public schools are in the top 700 public schools nationwide, the third-highest percentage in the country. The state has the fifth-highest share of students who received a 3 or higher on an AP exam.

Another area where Connecticut stands out is safety, according to the WalletHub analysts. It has mandatory school resource officers, and is one of only 17 states that require regular audits of school safety.

Additionally, Connecticut has the lowest prevalence of illegal drugs on school property, the third-lowest youth incarceration rate and the sixth-lowest share of students who have carried any kind of weapon on school property, according to WalletHub.

Quality & Safety of Schools in Connecticut (1=Best; 25=Avg.):

• Overall Rank: 2nd
• No. 21 – Math Test Scores
• No. 8 – Reading Test Scores
• No. 5 – Pupil-Teacher Ratio
• No. 1 – Median ACT Score
• No. 12 – Percentage of Licensed/Certified Public K–12 Teachers
• No. 11 – Dropout Rate
• No. 10 – Bullying Incidence Rate
• No. 14 – Percentage of Threatened/Injured High School Students
• No. 1 – Existence of Digital Learning Plan

The only state ahead of Connecticut in the rankings was neighboring Massachusetts, scoring 74.36 to Connecticut's 67.06.