The media often concentrates on what’s wrong with Connecticut’s public schools – but there is also plenty of positive news. Below is a small sampling of positive facts about public education in Connecticut.
- Reading Scores Are Among the Nation’s Best: Connecticut ranks 4th highest in the nation for having the largest proportion of public school 4th graders scoring at the highest two levels in reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Connecticut ranks 5th highest in the nation for having the largest proportion of public school 8th graders scoring at the highest two levels in reading in the NAEP. National Center for Education Statistics. Nation’s Report Card: Reading 2007. September 2007.
- Writing Scores Are Among the Nation’s Best: Connecticut 8th graders are among the top 2 states in the nation in writing in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). National Center for Education Statistics. Nation’s Report Card: Writing 2007. April 2008.
- High School Graduation Rate Among the Best in the Nation: Connecticut ranks among the top six states in the percentage of students who graduate high school. Education Week. Diploma Counts 2009: Broader Horizons. June, 2009.
- Among the Best in the Nation in Preparing Students for College: The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education ranks Connecticut as one of the top 2 states for how well its schools prepare students for college. National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. Measuring Up 2008: The National Report Card for Higher Education. November 2008. (See the raw scores and data available on the web site)
- Among the Best in the Nation in Sending Public School Students to College: Connecticut is among the top 5 states in the nation in the chance that ninth grade public school students will finish high school within four years and go on to college immediately after high school. National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. Measuring Up 2008: The National Report Card for Higher Education. November 2008. (See the raw scores and data available on the web site)
- College Entrance Exams Are Among the Nation’s Best: Connecticut ranks 5th in the nation in the proportion of its students scoring in the top 20% nationwide in the SAT or ACT college entrance exams. National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. Measuring Up 2008: The National Report Card for Higher Education. November 2008. (See the raw scores and data available on the web site)
- Among the Best in AP Scores: Connecticut is 2nd in the nation in the percentage of public high school students that take the AP Exam who score high enough to qualify for college credit. College Board. Report to the Nation, 5th Annual, Appendix C. 2009.
- More Students Participating in AP Courses and Scoring High Enough to Earn College Credit: The number of Connecticut public high school students taking and testing in Advanced Placement (AP) courses has nearly doubled since 2000, as has the number of students scoring 3 or higher. College Board. Report to the Nation, 5th Annual, Appendix C. 2009. College Board. Report to the Nation 2007.
- Among The Nation’s “Smartest States”: Connecticut has been named as one of the four “smartest states” in the country based on the quality of its public elementary and secondary schools. Morgan, Kathleen O’Leary and Scott Morgan (eds). Education State Rankings 2008-2009: Pre K-12 Education in the 50 United States. Seventh Edition. (CQ Press: Washington, DC). 2009.
- Leading the Country in Giving Children the Chance to Succeed: Connecticut ranks among the top 3 states in Education Week‘s “Chance for Success Index,” which measures a state’s ability to give its children the greatest chance for success and shows that it is doing more in preparing young people for the challenges they will face as adults. Education Week. Quality Counts 2009: Portrait of a Population. January 2009.
