Schools

Database: Local Schools Classified from 'Excelling' to 'Turnaround'

Database and interactive map show which Connecticut schools are excelling and which are in need of review, according to the state.

After applying for and receiving a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act, the Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) developed its own system for assessing and classifying school performance.

Using the Student Performance Index (SPI) — the average of all students’ scores on Connecticut Mastery Tests (CMT) or Connecticut Academic Performance Tests (CAPT) — and several other indicators, each school in the state was assigned one of six designations.

The interactive map and database above include information on every classified school in the state. Instructions to help you use it are at the bottom of this article.

Understanding the Classifications


Excelling: Schools with an average SPI over 88, better than 94 percent 4-year graduation rate, less than an average 10-point gap for underachieving subgroups and at least 25 percent of students achieving advanced level in three of four subject areas are awarded the “Excelling” classification and are allowed to development and implement their own improvement plans.

Progressing: The second tier, “Progressing” schools, also attained SPIs over 88 but have subgroups with gaps larger than 10 or a 4-year graduation rate below 94 percent (but over 90 percent). These schools are under self-review.

Transition: “Transition” schools have a SPI between 88 and 64 and are missing either the 90 percent 4-year graduation rate, subgroup gaps under 10 or the school’s performance target for SPI. Local school districts are charged with reviewing and implementing any necessary improvement measures.

Review, Focus & Turnaround

Schools garnering a SPI under 64, 4-year graduation rates below 60 percent or have subgroups performing among the lowest in the state fall into the lower three categories: Review, Focus and Turnaround.

Review: “Review” classified schools have a SPI under 64 and are among the state’s worst performing schools but are under the purview of the local districts, which had to develop intervention plans for both the current academic year and 2014-15.

Focus: “Focus” schools are a subset of the “Review” classification specifically concerned with five major subgroups that traditionally under perform on standardized tests — students with disabilities; English language learners (ELL); Black/African-American students; Hispanic/Latino students; and students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Once determined, “Focus” schools keep that designation for up to 3 years or until the 4-year graduation rate or SPI target is met for the focus subgroup.

Turnaround: Finally, as part of the federal waiver, at least 5 percent of schools must be classified as “Turnaround.”

The majority of Connecticut schools to fall under “Turnaround” are currently receiving federal School Improvement Grants (SGI) and are actively working on improvement programs. The remaining “Turnaround” schools have the lowest CMT scores in the state but do not receive SIG funding.

Map & Database Instructions


Use the searchable database above to find information by either school district or individual school (just start typing the name and choose the right auto-fill option) or search for all schools classified under each designation.

Click the markers on the interactive map to see how each school in the state is classified (Green: Excelling; Yellow: Progressing; Blue: Transitioning; Red: Review/Focus/Turnaround), as well as the spending per pupil for the representative district. Zoom out to see all of Connecticut.

Later this week: Comparing school classifications to per pupil spending — does more money equal better performance?


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