New Canaan Students Receive High Marks In State Testing

NEW CANAAN, CT — New Canaan public school students in grades 3 through 8 achieved outstanding results in recent state English Language Arts and Mathematics testing, officials announced this month.

This year, the district earned consistent high marks and increased overall numbers in virtually all achievement levels, according to Dr. Jill Correnty, the district's Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum. New Canaan Public Schools earned the highest achievement levels in the state in ELA and the second-highest in Mathematics. In these and several other areas, NCPS assessment results ranked highest in its District Reference Group (DRG), consisting of Darien, Easton, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport, and Wilton public school districts.

"We have a lot to be proud of, and I think it’s everything that has been developed here throughout the district that makes it all come together and allow our students to achieve," Correnty told the Board of Education during a 2018 Student Assessment Review presentation on Oct. 22. The district's high school scores were strong, also.

State testing results are based on a four-level rating system:

• Level 4 - Exceeds the achievement standard
• Level 3 - Meets the achievement standard
• Level 2 - Approaching the achievement standard
• Level 1 - Does not meet the achievement standard

"Our data meetings are where we have conversations about the individual students and how they’re performing," said Correnty. "I am so in awe of the administrators, coordinators, and the reading, writing, and math specialists at the building levels, for having such a good handle on the students, and in many cases, already having action plans for those that might be performing at the lower levels."

From the district:

The district’s ELA 2018 Comparisons of 88.3 percent marked a continuing increase from 2016 (83.3 percent) and 2017 (87.9 percent). The district’s Math 2018 Comparisons also showed a continuing increase at 87.8%, compared to 2016 (79.1 percent) and 2017 (85.1 percent).

ELA results by level for NCPS students Grade 3-8 showed strong results. Those achieving Level 3 or
above: Grade 3 (86.2 percent); Grade 4 (91.3 percent); Grade 5 (90.6 percent); Grade 6 (88.7 percent); Grade 7 (87.1 percent); Grade 8 (86.2 percent).

The NCPS’ 2018 ELA Comparisons by DRG also scored high. NCPS Overall Results in Level 3 or 4 were
the highest in the DRG and in the state (88.3 percent). NCPS Overall Results in Level 4 were also the highest in the DRG (59.6 percent).

Math results by level this year were equally strong. NCPS students Grade 3-8 achieving Level 3 or above:
Grade 3 (90.2 percent); Grade 4 (92.6 percent); Grade 5 (88.8 percent); Grade 6 (87.4 percent); Grade 7 (81.9 percent); Grade 8 (86.6 percent).

The NCPS’ 2018 Math Comparisons by DRG also scored high. NCPS Overall Results in Level 3 or 4
were the highest in the DRG and second highest in the state (87.8 percent). NCPS Overall Results in Level 4
were also the highest in the DRG (64.3 percent).

Connecticut Alternate Assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics are available to all NCPS
students with significant cognitive disabilities in grades 3-8 and 11; Connecticut Alternate Science
Assessments are also available to all students with significant cognitive disabilities in grades 5, 8 and 11.
The Next Generation Science Assessment was administered as a field test last year. It will be
administered next year for students in grades 5 and 8, with a testing window of March 25 through June 7;
2019. The testing window for Grade 11 students will be February 4 through June 7, 2019.

Image via Shutterstock

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