CAPT, CMT Tests: Norwalk Students' Results 'On Par,' Says Superintendent Rivera

The performance of Norwalk students on recently released Connecticut academic tests shows room for improvement but was “on par” with the rest of the state, according to new school Superintendent Manuel Rivera.

On the 2013 Connecticut Mastery Tests (CMT), Norwalk students improved in reading, writing and math in grades 4, 5, 7 and 8 when compared to 2012, but at grade 6 results did not meet the city's goals, officials said.

“I am not surprised by the performance of Norwalk’s students on the CMT tests, given Norwalk’s transition to Common Core State Standards that began more than a year ago,” said Rivera in a statement. “I believe that it is important for parents to note that the CMT tests will cease to exist at the end of this school year (Spring 2014), and the entire State will transition to new assessments that will be aligned with Common Core Standards. The results of these new assessments (in 2015) will become a new baseline for us with which to track our progress as a school district.”

Norwalk education officials are still in the midst of drilling down and analyzing various aspects of the tests, so Rivera, who started his new job a month ago, is withholding comment on specific moves he and the district will make to improve scores.

On the 2013 Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT), Norwalk students improved their results in math and science compared to 2012, but held steady in reading and writing compared to last year. Less than 43 percent of Norwalk students reached the math goal, less than 36 percent hit the science goal and less than 37 percent achieved the reading goal. Fewer than 53 percent reached the writing goal.

“Norwalk’s results are generally 'on par' with results across the State and as reported by the Commissioner,” said Rivera.

At the state level, CAPT scores were generally up in 2013, but on the CMT there were decreases in all areas, which Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor also attributed to the older tests being out of sync with the new curriculum.