CAPT Scores Rise, But CMT Scores Fall Hard In Branford

Standardized test scores are in for Branford, and most of the numbers have dropped significantly since last year, and in several cases dropped below the state average.

Tuesday, the Connecticut Department of Education released the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) and the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) scores for all Connecticut school districts. On the CAPT test, which is given to 10th graders, Branford students improved, with more than 60 percent of students reaching goal in math, science, reading and writing.

However, the CMTs were a different story. In third grade, the first year students take the test, there was at least a 10 percent drop in all subject areas. For example, in 2012, 82.4 percent of third grade students were at goal in math and in 2013, 64.7 percent of students were at goal in math.

The trend continued throughout the grades. In eighth grade, in 2012, 77.4 percent of eighth-grade students were at goal in math, which was 10 percent above the state average. In 2013, only 62 percent of students were at goal in math, which was 3 percentage points below the state average.

The CMTs are administered to all students from grade three to grade eight. Students are tested in math, reading and writing, and in middle school, they are tested in science as well.

Students are labeled based on their performance. The labels, in descending order, are advanced, goal, proficient, basic and below basic. 

Click here for CAPT results

Click here for CMT results