Ledyard CMT Scores Improve, Except In Science And Math

Connecticut Mastery Test scores for the third through eighth grades released today show marginal increases and decreases of proficiency and goal achievement by Ledyard students across all grades and in all content areas, though in the past, Ledyard has made leaps by more than ten percentage points between school years. 

Ledyard students have scored far above the state's average scores since testing began in 2006 but the annual yearly progress seems to have slowed since last year.  

However, the number of students scoring at or above proficiency and goal level is more important given the federal mandate in No Child Left Behind to bring 100 percent of students at least up to the proficient level in the 2013-14 school year.  

In summary: 

In grade four, the percentage of students reaching proficiency or better decreased in math, reading and writing, compared with the 2009-10 school year. 

The percentage of fifth graders reaching proficiency or better increased in reading and science and decreased in math and writing. 

The percentage of sixth graders reaching proficiency or better increased in all content areas. 

The percentage of seventh graders reaching proficiency or better increased in all content areas. 

The percentage of eighth graders reaching proficiency or better increased reading and writing and decreased in math and science.  

In general, the Connecticut students made progress and the CMT scores are "generally better" than in 2010. 

"It's encouraging to see that our public schools are making progress by increasing the numbers of students who are moving into the proficient level of performance and from the proficient level into the goal levee," said Acting Commissioner George Coleman, in a statement. "However, our greets challenges are head of us. We must accelerate our efforts to improve the outcomes for this students who are at risk of scoring below Proficient, while at the same time challenging all students to perform at higher levels." 

All students in all grades must score 100 percent at the proficiency level in the 2013 school year, said Ledyard's Assistant Superintendent of Schools Cathy Lero Patterson. Schools that fail to meet that standard with be "deemed in need of improvement," she said.  

Ledyard schools have been continually revising its curriculum to meet this goal. Patterson said, "the Board of Education has been extraordinarily supportive of school improvements…but the whole (annual yearly progress) is going to be unmanageable in 2013-14."