State Accountability Results Show Growth at EHPS
Posted on 12/09/2022
O'Brien students

State accountability results show academic gains overall for East Harford Public Schools and exceptional performance or growth at three district schools.

On Thursday, the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) released results from the 2021-22 Next Generation Accountability System—a system where schools and districts earn points on a broad set of 12 indicators that help tell the story of how well a school is preparing its students for success in college, careers, and life. The system is designed to move beyond test scores and graduation rates to provide a more holistic, multifactor perspective of district and school performance and incorporates student growth over time.

Three of East Hartford’s schools were named “Schools of Distinction” based on their performance in these indicators in the 2021-2022 school year.

Connecticut IB Academy (CIBA) was one of 66 schools statewide that earned this distinction for its high overall performance. CIBA earned a total of 91.7% of the total possible points available across indicators.

Langford Elementary School and O’Brien Elementary School were two of 100 schools statewide who earned the “School of Distinction” recognition for their high academic growth. Langford was recognized for its high academic growth in math for all students earning 89% of the growth target compared to a state-level average of 65.2%. O’Brien reached “School of Distinction” status for its high academic growth in math specific to its high needs population. O’Brien’s growth indicator in this area shot up from 54.1% in 2018-2019 to 84.4% in 2021-2022. The state-level average was 59.1%.

Across the district, East Hartford Public Schools are exceeding state-level growth numbers in the areas of ELA and Math for all students, including individuals with high needs. These results also show East Hartford students are well-rounded, demonstrating higher than state-average rates of arts access, physical fitness and participation in Physical Education.

“We are incredibly proud of our students for their hard work and efforts that are so evident in the Next Generation Accountability System data,” said Superintendent Nathan Quesnel. “Their academic growth is a reflection of the educators who work tirelessly to accelerate achievement for all students in East Hartford.”

East Hartford Public Schools also recognizes the areas in which it needs to improve. Unfortunately, the pandemic led to increases in chronic absenteeism and a decrease in the percentage of students on-track to high school graduation. The district will continue to lean on supports put in place to help bridge these gaps and keep students on track to succeed.