Berlin Schools Fall in 'Transitioning' Category in Latest CMT, CAPT Performance Reports

One school in Berlin received a “progressing” grade and the town’s four remaining schools are all listed as “transitioning” schools in the recently released school performance data.

The district failed to achieve target goals in regard to diversity for both the Connecticut Mastery Test and Connecticut Academic Performance Test, according to data recently released by the Connecticut Department of Education and the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now.

According to school-by-school data released last week, Berlin had one school listed as “progressing” school, the second highest rank a school can achieve. McGee Middle School earned the recognition.

There are two ways in which a school can receive a Progressing classification: 

• An overall SPI of 88 or above and a CAPT participation rate of at least 95 percent and misses one or more of the Excelling criteria. 

• An overall SPI of 64 to 87 inclusive and a CAPT participation rate of at least 95 percent and meets the SPI target for 2012-13 and the majority of subgroup gaps are less than 10 SPI points and has a graduation rate of at least 90 percent and a Holding Power Rate of at least 93 percent. 

Berlin High School and the Hubbard, Willard and Griswold elementary communities were all listed as “transitioning” schools, the third highest level of achievement out of five possible grades.

“The reports show that if given the tools necessary to succeed, kids in Connecticut can perform at high levels regardless of race, wealth, or zip code,” said Jennifer Alexander, chief executive officer for ConnCAN. 
“However, the reports indicate that not every child in Connecticut has access to the high-quality public school options they deserve, and reinforce the need to continue investing in efforts that will ensure all of our kids have access to a world-class education that will prepare them for success in college and careers.”

The preceding comes from the Connecticut State Department of Education, which released 2013 School and District Performance Reports. The report providse a numerical rating for every school across Connecticut, titled the School Performance Index (SPI). The numerical rating for each school takes into account results from the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) or Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT).

According to the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now, key findings from an initial read of the reports include: more than half of all schools met their SPI targets, but fewer than 30 percent of schools in Alliance Districts met their SPI targets; only 35.2 percent of all schools met their SPI targets for high-needs students; and thirteen “Focus Schools,” which is the second lowest rating a school can receive, demonstrated enough progress over two years to exit from “Focus Schools” status.

For a complete list of schools and their grades, by district, see the attached PDF. For more on scores, including a breakdown by school, click the link provided.Make sure to like Berlin Patch on Facebook and follow on Twitter for breaking news, daily updates and more!