ConnCAN News Release - July 18, 2008

Connecticut's Three Biggest Cities Buck Statewide Trend With CMT Gains
Statewide Achievement Gap Widens Between Third and Eighth Grade

Contact: Marc Porter Magee                          
Cell: 203-586-9313
Email: marc.magee@conncan.org

 Download the 2008 CMT Analysis Charts

ConnCAN's analysis of the 2007 and 2008 Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) results reveals that Connecticut's three largest districts--Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport--secured bigger gains in the percentage of students within goal range on the CMT than the statewide average, with Connecticut's capital city leading the way.

• Hartford: 2.3 point gain.
• New Haven: 2.1 point gain.
• Bridgeport: 1.7 point gain.
• State Average: 0.7 point gain.
• Waterbury: 0.7 point gain.
• Stamford: 0.5 point gain.

While Connecticut's largest urban districts are showing signs of progress, ConnCAN's analysis of the 2008 CMT results reveals not only that statewide scores were essentially unchanged, but also that the statewide achievement gap is significantly wider for students graduating from middle school in eighth grade than for students in third grade (as measured in reading, writing and math):

• The average gap between poor and non-poor students increases from 35.8 points to 42.2 points between third and eighth grade.
• The average gap between African-American and white students increases from 35.6 points to 41.9 points between third and eighth grade.
• The average gap between Hispanic and white students increases from 37.5 points to 41.7 points between third and eighth grade.

This widening gap between third and eighth grade is both a result of an increase in third grade scores of Connecticut's low-income, African-American and Hispanic students and a decrease in eighth grade:

• The average percentage of low-income eighth grade students meeting the state goal dropped 1.8 points from 34.9 percent in 2007 to 33.1 percent in 2008.
• The average percentage of African-American eighth grade students meeting the state goal dropped 0.9 points from 34.1 percent in 2007 to 33.2 percent in 2008.
• The average percentage of Hispanic eighth grade students meeting the state goal dropped 0.4 points from 33.8 percent in 2007 to 33.4 percent in 2008.

"There is still a long way to go to close America's largest achievement gap," said Alex Johnston, executive director of ConnCAN, "But the gains we have seen over the past year in Connecticut's largest urban districts are a promising sign that progress is possible when teachers, principals, and staff come together around the changes needed to raise student performance."

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The Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN) is a statewide outreach, education, and research organization working to close Connecticut's achievement gap. To learn more visit: www.conncan.org.