Handful of city schools among Top 10 for student improvement 
Maria Garriga, New Haven Register, October 30, 2007

In a new ranking of Top 10 schools for student improvement and closing the achievement gap, surprises came from magnet schools in New Haven and traditional schools in East Haven and Hamden.

Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now, a nonprofit agency dedicated to closing the achievement gap between poor and "non-poor" students, issued its 2007 Report Card on 1,000 Connecticut Schools and a set of Top 10 lists for schools that raise student achievement.
 
New Haven’s Amistad Academy and Elm City Preparatory School made their usual strong appearance in the Top 10 lists for middle schools. New Haven’s magnet schools, including Lincoln-Basset International Baccalaureate Magnet School and Troup Magnet Academy of Sciences in New Haven, also won spots.

Troup’s eighth-graders narrowed the achievement gap by eight points. A full 61 percent of Hispanic eighth-graders reached goal level on tests, compared with a state average of 62 percent.

"That means Troup has closed the achievement gap for Hispanic students," said Marc Porter Magee, research director for ConnCAN. "We often judge schools on their scores, but we want to encourage people to look at schools based on how much progress students make."

Among elementary schools, New Haven’s Lincoln-Bassett school ranked second for most improved school in the state. Students made an 11 point gain over the previous year. Inner ring suburb schools such as Church Street School in Hamden, Joseph Melillo School in East Haven and Harry M. Bailey School in West Haven also ranked among the top 10.

ConnCAN ranked schools on five measures: performance gains, most improved scores, highest scores for low-income students, highest scores for African American students and highest scores for Hispanic students.

"A number of outstanding educators in a variety of public schools across Connecticut are blazing a trail and delivering dramatic gains in student achievement," said Alex Johnston, ConnCAN’s executive director. "These Top 10 Schools are a great place to start in looking for broader solutions in the effort to close our state’s achievement gap."

In Connecticut, 37 percent of African American, Hispanic and low-income students score at goal level on Connecticut Mastery Tests; the state average is 62 percent. ConnCAN and growing numbers of educators describe this achievement gap as a civil rights issue in which students from low-income families receive inadequate educations.

The report noted Connecticut’s 40-point achievement gap, the widest in the country, increased in reading. Among middle schools, the Elm City ranked third-highest for achievement among low-income students, while Amistad took eighth place in the category. Joseph Melillo in East Haven was the fourth-most improved middle school, tied with Elm City for eighth place in ranking for Top 10 middle schools for student performance gains.

Elm City school took first place for highest African American scores among middle schools, with 76 percent scoring in goal range. Amistad, took first place for Hispanic test scores in middle schools, with 83 percent scoring in goal range.

Church Street School in Hamden ranked fourth for African American test scores in elementary schools, Savin Rock Community School in West Haven ranked seventh in that category.

To see the full report go online to www.conncan.org or www.ctreportcards.org.