Connecticut Students Continue Upward Trending in Achievement, Attendance, and College Readiness

10/30/2025

Connecticut Students Continue Upward Trending in Achievement, Attendance, and College Readiness

Statewide partnerships and targeted investments continue to drive measurable improvements

(Hartford, CT) – The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) today released the results from the 2024–25 Next Generation Accountability System, which offers a comprehensive view of school and district performance across 12 indicators. Implemented in 2014–15, the system looks beyond test scores and graduation rates to reflect the many ways schools support student learning and well-being.

Results show that Connecticut students improved on most indicators, including academic achievement, chronic absenteeism, ninth-grade students being on pace to graduate on time, postsecondary readiness, four- and six-year graduation rates, physical fitness, and arts participation. The overall Accountability Index increased again—from 70.8 in 2023–24 to 71.8 in 2024–25—marking steady statewide progress.

“These results build on the progress we shared in August, when—for the first time in a decade—Connecticut students showed higher achievement statewide in English language arts, mathematics, and science for all student groups and improved attendance for the third consecutive year,” said Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker. “By maintaining our focus on what works—strategic investments, partnerships, student and staff supports, engaging instruction, and access to postsecondary-level learning—we are unlocking lifelong potential for all 508,402 students in Connecticut.”

High Performance, Growth, and Improvement Across Connecticut

Across the state, many schools demonstrated high performance, notable academic growth, or substantial improvement. Each year, these schools are recognized as schools of distinction for excelling academically, closing achievement gaps, and creating supportive environments where every student can thrive. In 2024–25, 140 schools earned this recognition, including 34 in Alliance Districts, demonstrating that progress is taking root in communities statewide.

Statewide Trends in Next Generation Accountability Results

	Indicator	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25
1a.	ELA Performance Index – All Students (avg. achievement)	64.2	63.9	63.9	64.7
1b.	ELA Performance Index – High Needs Students (avg. achievement)	54.2	54.1	54.1	54.9
1c.	Math Performance Index – All Students (avg. achievement)	58.6	59.7	60.2	61.1
1d.	Math Performance Index – High Needs Students (avg. achievement)	47.7	48.9	49.5	50.6
1e.	Science Performance Index – All Students (avg. achievement)	61.4	61.6	61.8	62.6
1f.	Science Performance Index – High Needs Students (avg. achievement)	51.3	51.1	51.4	52.1
2a.	ELA Avg. Percentage of Growth Target Achieved – All Students	60.4%	57.2%	58.7%	60.6%
2b.	ELA Avg. Percentage of Growth Target Achieved – High Needs Students	56.2%	52.5%	54.2%	55.7%
2c.	Math Avg. Percentage of Growth Target Achieved – All Students	65.2%	61.8%	61.4%	62.3%
2d.	Math Avg. Percentage of Growth Target Achieved – High Needs Students	59.1%	55.5%	55.1%	55.9%
2e.	Progress Toward English Proficiency – Literacy	64.9%	55.3%	58.9%	58.7%
2f.	Progress Toward English Proficiency – Oral	57.4%	56.1%	55.2%	55.7%
4a.	Chronic Absenteeism – All Students	23.7%	20.0%	17.7%	17.2%
4b.	Chronic Absenteeism – High Needs Students	34.0%	28.5%	25.5%	24.8%
5	Postsecondary Preparation	84.8%	90.4%	91.5%	92.4%
6	Postsecondary Readiness	43.5%	44.3%	44.3%	47.2%
7	On-track to High School Graduation	82.7%	82.4%	84.5%	85.9%
8	4-year Graduation - All Students	89.6%	88.9%	88.4%	88.9%
9	6-year Graduation - High Needs Students	85.2%	85.6%	86.6%	87.3%
10	Postsecondary Entrance*	66.1%	66.1%	68.4%	67.0%
11	Physical Fitness	45.8%	45.5%	47.2%	49.0%
12	Arts Access	52.4%	54.5%	55.0%	55.1%
	Accountability Index	69.7	69.3	70.8	71.8

*Postsecondary Entrance data are provided by the National Student Clearinghouse and represent the values at the time of the original data match conducted one year after high-school graduation. Prior-year values may differ slightly when updated in subsequent years.

State Investments in Dual Credit Expansion Yield Dramatic Growth 

The percentage of 11th and 12th grade students earning three or more college credits with a grade of C or better prior to graduation increased from 22.3 percent in 2021–22 to 30.7 percent in 2024–25—a nearly 40 percent increase since 2021–22. During the same period, dual-credit participation expanded among all students, with especially strong gains among historically underrepresented groups:

Black/African American students: 14.5 → 23.4 percent
Hispanic/Latino students: 14.0 → 22.2 percent
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals: 14.9 → 22.3 percent

These college-level courses—taught primarily on high school campuses by faculty approved by partner institutions—make higher education more affordable and attainable while helping students build confidence and momentum toward degrees or workforce credentials.

Through targeted state investments of nearly $4 million in school districts and $5 million in institutions of higher education, the CSDE has strengthened partnerships that align dual-credit offerings with student interests and workforce needs. As a result, course completions increased by over 50 percent from 30,653 in 2018–19 to 46,344 in 2024–25.

Sector	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25
Connecticut State Universities	801	752	1,154	1,219	2,156	2,756	5,015
CT State Community College	9,979	9,811	7,138	7,746	6,722	6,063	7,551
Private Colleges/Universities	2,104	961	811	1,523	1,591	1,917	3,691
University of Connecticut	17,769	19,554	18,531	19,832	21,721	25,906	30,087
Total	30,653	31,078	27,634	30,320	32,190	36,642	46,344

The University of Connecticut’s Early College Experience (ECE) program continues to represent the largest share of dual-credit coursework statewide, while the Connecticut State Universities have experienced the most rapid growth—expanding sixfold since 2018–19.

Spotlight on Postsecondary Readiness 

The percentage of students in grades 11 and 12 demonstrating postsecondary readiness reached 47.2 percent in 2024–25, the highest level since the accountability system began 10 years ago. Students may demonstrate readiness in several ways, including achieving benchmark scores on at least one Advanced Placement (AP) exam or earning college credit through dual enrollment coursework. The share of students meeting the AP benchmark rose 5 percentage points—from 23.0 percent in 2021–22 to 28.0 percent in 2024–25—surpassing the pre-pandemic 2018–19 rate of 24.7 percent. The CSDE continues to provide funding for AP exam fees for students from low-income families.

Targeted Support for Schools in Need 

To ensure continued progress, the CSDE has identified 72 schools for state support this year: 46 Turnaround Schools receiving comprehensive assistance and 26 Focus Schools receiving targeted supports. All identified schools are eligible to apply for federal Title I, Section 1003, School Improvement Grant funding. Ten schools that were previously identified have improved enough to exit identification.

For complete accountability results, including lists of Turnaround Schools, Focus Schools, and Schools of Distinction, see the Next Generation Accountability Dashboard (ct.gov).

Looking Ahead 

The 2024–25 results demonstrate continued progress in academic performance, student engagement, and college and career readiness. Through ongoing collaboration among educators, families, community partners, and district and state leadership, the CSDE is building on evidence-based strategies—such as dual credit expansion, attendance improvement, and equitable access to rigorous coursework—to ensure that every student is prepared for success in college, career, and life. The examples below are organized by the department’s 2025–26 Focus Areas.

Elevate and Support High Quality Instructional Materials

• K-8 model curricula provide free access to high-quality curricula and instructional resources along with aligned professional development opportunities.
• Science of Reading (SOR) Masterclass—a statewide professional learning opportunity to develop local capacity for evidence-aligned reading. 
• Investments of over $20 million in evidence-aligned K-3 core, comprehensive reading curriculum models/programs, universal screening reading assessments, and associated professional learning.
• Around 300 short interim block assessments in ELA, mathematics, and science that are provided at no cost to districts to monitor student learning throughout the year and support instruction.
• New state funding of $5 million to implement a high dosage tutoring (HDT) grant to build on the successes from the $11.5 million grant program for HDT in mathematics, which showed that students receiving tutoring achieved an average increase of 10 scale score points on Smarter Balanced from one grade to the next.

Expand Our Educator Workforce

• Aspiring Educators Scholarship Program for students who graduated from a public high school and enrolled in an approved educator preparation program in Connecticut.
• A $3 million initiative in partnership with the Department of Labor to create a new teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program and expand existing high school “grow-your-own” programs.

Ensure Students Are Present and Engaged & Support Safe and Healthy Learning Environments

• Expansion of the Learner Engagement and Attendance Program (LEAP)—a supportive home visitation model that has been proven to increase student attendance. A new state budget line item of $7 million now supports this initiative.
• Talk Tuesdays—biweekly virtual gatherings that bring together educators, school staff, community partners, and leaders from across the state to explore practical, research-based strategies for improving student attendance and engagement.
• More than $4.5 million in grants to 48 districts to support the delivery of mental health services for students during the summer months. 
• More than $13 million in grants to provide summer enrichment opportunities to children during the summers of 2023 and 2024. 
• Actionable data through EdSight Secure that provides authorized district staff with longitudinal information and early warning metrics so our most vulnerable students receive the supports they need without any delay.
• The “No Matter What” campaign to highlight resources available for students experiencing homelessness and housing instability. 
• The “School is Better With You” campaign, which generated 59 million online impressions and delivered toolkits and attendance awareness materials to more than 110 districts.

Modernize and Expand Postsecondary Pathways

• $3.8 million awarded to 89 school districts and nearly $5 million to public and private institutions of higher education through the Dual Credit Expansion Grant to increase the percentage of students earning college credit in high school. 
• New annual funding of $6 million starting in 2026–27 to offset the cost of dual credit courses and programs for Connecticut students.
• A new registry of industry recognized credentials, established in collaboration with education, workforce, and business partners, to help build programs that guide students toward career pathways that align with real-world job opportunities.

Improve Outcomes for All Students

• The Dyslexia Awareness campaign launched with a focus on continued training and professional development. 
• Connecticut Special Education Data System (CT-SEDS) statewide rollout to improve the quality of individualized education programs (IEPs) aligned with grade-level standards. 
• State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) to improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities with a specific focus on mathematics. 
• Partnership with the University of Connecticut to improve ELA Performance Index Results for Students with Disabilities in grade 3. 
• Additional funding for special education through added reimbursement for excess costs, a new expansion grant, and a new grant to support in-district/regional programs.

Strengthen and Promote School, Family, Community Partnerships

• Continuation of Friday CAFÉ (Community and Family Engagement), Connecticut’s professional network for family engagement. In partnership with the Statewide Family Engagement Center, Friday CAFÉ connects over 500 education professionals through in-person sessions throughout the state, building capacity for family engagement strategies.
• Connecticut Parent Trust Fund grant ($617K for FY 2025-27)—trains parents across the state in leadership skills, equipping them to positively impact their communities and their children’s education.

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For Immediate Release:
October 30, 2025

CONTACT:
Matthew Cerrone
matthew.cerrone@ct.gov

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