DARIEN, CT — Connecticut students made additional gains in English and math during the 2025-26 school year, continuing a yearslong recovery from pandemic-era declines, according to newly released state assessment results.
In Darien Public Schools, 81.9 percent of students in grades 3–8 met or exceeded achievement standards on the 2025-26 Smarter Balanced assessments in English language arts, the fourth-highest percentage in the state.
According to the data, 82.1 percent of students met or exceeded achievement standards in mathematics, good for second in the state behind New Canaan.
Academic performance improved across nearly every student group in English language arts, mathematics and science, according to the Connecticut State Department of Education. Math and science improved for the fourth consecutive year, while English also improved from the previous year.
The latest results also show that Connecticut has not completely erased the academic losses that followed the COVID-19 pandemic. Statewide English and math performance remains below 2018-19 levels, although math has moved considerably closer to its pre-pandemic mark.
View the full results from each school district in Connecticut and more information on test scores for 2025-2026 here.
— Hayleigh Evans, Patch Staff, contributed to this report.
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