Connecticut’s fourth- and eighth-grade student performance in reading and mathematics still remains below their pre-pandemic scores, but fared slightly better than the rest of the country, according to a recent study by The Nation’s Report Card.
Out of 500 total points per category, the Constitution State scored an average 239 in Grade 4 Math; 219 in Grade 4 Reading; 277 in Grade 8 Math; and 263 in Grade 8 Reading. Meanwhile, the national averages were 237, 214, 272, and 257, respectively. (See Chart Below)
However, when compared to the other 50 states, Connecticut ranked 18th overall in Grade 4 Math; 8th in Grade 4 Reading; 17th in Grade 8 Math; and 5th in Grade 8 Reading. Massachusetts finished first in each category when assessing the 50 states — not including the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. DoDEA, meanwhile, was the top jurisdiction of all assessed areas in fourth- and eighth-grade math and reading scores.
Other top performing states were Colorado, Florida, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
As for proficiency in each category, The Nation’s Report Card has two differentiating categories: “At or Above Basic” and “At or Above Proficient.” Basic represents a “partial mastery of the knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient work at a given grade,” while Proficient represents “solid academic performance” and “competency over challenging subject matter.” Connecticut’s scores were, as follows:
The Nation’s Report Card, otherwise known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of student performance since 1969, and is administered in public and private schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the DoDEA schools, Puerto Rico (mathematics only), and in 26 urban districts. The exams were taken between January and March 2024, and more than 400,000 fourth- and eighth-graders, combined, took the reading and math tests.
Overall, the nation’s “fourth- and eighth-graders are not making the level of progress needed to regain ground lost during the pandemic, although there are some signs of progress,” according to The Nation’s Report Card’s press release. Similarly, Connecticut has still not recovered from the pandemic, one of 16 states whose 2024 average score is lower than their average score in 2019; but its scores were “not significantly different” from its averages in 2022, when the exam was last administered. (See scores below)
“In Grade 4 Mathematics, Connecticut White, Male and [National School Lunch Program] eligible students did show an improvement from 2022,” said Grady Wilburn, a statistician at the National Center for Education Statistics, in an email to Yankee Institute. “In Grade 4 Reading where the nation declined, Connecticut students showed no change. However, Male students showed a 5-point decline while Female students showed a 5-point improvement from 2022.”
Along with national test scores, The Nation’s Report Card also tracks each state’s demographics and educational information, including, number of students; per pupil expenditures; number of schools; number of school districts; number of charter schools; number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) teachers; and pupil/teacher ratio. (See below for Connecticut’s information)
As for per pupil expenditures, New York ($26,097), the District of Columbia ($25,113), Vermont ($24,050), and New Jersey ($22,784) outspent Connecticut. Meanwhile, Massachusetts was close behind, spending $21,529 per student. No other jurisdiction eclipsed $20,000.
The other top-performing states, such as Colorado ($12,233), Florida ($10,823), New Hampshire ($19,396), Utah ($9,014), Wisconsin ($13,687), and Wyoming ($18,140) varied in expenditures, highlighting that more spending does not necessarily equate to better results, which is also the case amongst Connecticut’s school districts.
According to the 2023 report Expanding Educational Opportunity, Connecticut suffers from the largest “achievement gap” between high- and low-income students, showing that there is educational inequality in the state. Moreover, the Connecticut Department of Education has found that 54.5 percent of third-graders (more than 19,500 students) are below reading-proficiency levels. This figure is worse for minority students; 68 percent of this group are not proficient.
In response to the ‘learning loss’ caused by the pandemic, the Connecticut General Assembly passed “Right to Read” to “raise awareness and build support for a state-led early literacy effort, based on the Science of Reading.” (The Science of Reading has been defined as a “vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing,” using evidence to show how students are learning to read, according to The New Teacher Project [TNTP].)
Yet, instead of throwing more money at a problem, lawmakers should consider other options like a tax-credit scholarship (TCS) program. With 26 programs enacted across the United States, TCS programs incentivize individuals or businesses to contribute to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) in their state. These entities then award scholarships to eligible students based on specific criteria, allowing them to attend accredited private schools. TCS programs empower parents to choose schools that best fit their children’s needs, focusing on educational impact, cost-effectiveness, scholarship distribution, and parent satisfaction.
But, more effectively, TCS programs have been proven to foster “measurable, academic benefits and improve performance for both public and private school students” across the country, as emphasized in a new Yankee Institute report, Tax-Credit Scholarships Across the US: A Roadmap for Connecticut to Follow. The report finds that previously “underperforming low-income children in public schools have demonstrated their potential to achieve a high-quality education when provided with a tax credit scholarship to attend private schools.”
However, for the past several legislative sessions, a Connecticut TCS program — that could help more than 150,000 students below the Federal Poverty Line while not taking any funds from public schools — has been introduced but has failed to pass the General Assembly. This year, there is another TCS bill that would “establish a tax credit for donations made to nonprofit entities that provide educational access and opportunity scholarships,” which was proposed by Sen. Ryan Fazio (R-36th).
To boost the state’s overall performance, Connecticut lawmakers should enact a TCS program that would benefit both low- and high-income students. And who knows — if student performance improves, maybe so will our scores in the next iteration of The Nation’s Report Card. But will lawmakers give our students that chance?
Want to Take Action? Tell your legislator to pass the Tax Credit Scholarship Bill, here.
