2013 School Report Cards Introduction · visit: www.reportcards.conncan.org

What does an ‘A’ mean?

The state assigns each school a number between 0 and 100 to represent how many students on average are performing on grade level. ConnCAN’s Report Card grades are based on that number.

• A - 88-100: The school meets the state goal. Nearly all students are on grade level

• B - 79-87: The school performs above the state average, but below the state goal

• C - 67-78: The school performs at or near the state average

• D - 51-67: The school performs below the state average

• F - 0-50: The school is far below the state average, most students are significantly below grade level

What data does ConnCAN use?

Our data comes from the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) School Performance Index (SPI) reports. We use a school’s SPI, along with student enrollment data from the CSDE, to rank and grade all public schools in Connecticut. We also use the state’s student performance and enrollment data for specific groups of students, including:

• African American

• Hispanic

• Low-Income

• English Language Learner

What are ConnCAN’s Report Cards?

ConnCAN’s School Report Cards assign letter grades to every school in Connecticut, to measure if our schools are providing kids the education they deserve. Every child deserves access to a high-quality education, no matter where they live, but how do you define “quality?” ConnCAN developed standards based on the State Department of Education’s new performance measure in order to accurately assess the level of student performance at every school. Here’s how we arrived at every school’s Report Card grade.

REPORT CARDS

INTRODUCTIONTO SCHOOL

REPORT CARDS

What is a ‘Top 10’ school?

We rank several high performance measures: the top overall schools, the schools with the greatest improvement, and the schools with the best outcomes for each subgroup. Some lists have fewer than 10 schools because there were less than 10 schools in the state that met our standards. Every Top 10 school must:

• Enroll more students than the state average for that group

• Receive a grade of “C” or higher for that group

• Perform among the top 10 schools in the state for that group

What is a ‘Success Story’ school?

Success Story schools serve students in low-income communities and communities of color. Students at these schools, with high percentages of minority or low-income students, are doing better than the state average. To qualify, a school must:

• Enroll more minority students and more low-income students than the state average

• Perform above the overall state average for least one student group (for example, African American, Hispanic, or low-income students)

• Maintain a grade of “C” or higher overall, and for African American, Hispanic, and low-income students

Wait! I don’t see a grade for my school!

There are a few reasons why there might not be a grade for your school or for a specific group within your school. For privacy reasons, the state only reports a score for a group of students that is comprised of more than 20 students. This includes the different student group scores as well, which is why some schools do not have grades for all categories.

We also do not report an “improvement grade” for schools with an overall grade of “A,” because these schools are already meeting the state’s benchmark for success. If a school is new in 2013, it won’t have an improvement grade in 2013 or any information for 2012.

For more information, please visit: www.reportcards.conncan.org.

www.conncan.org · (203) 772-4017 · 85 Willow St. New Haven CT 06511