ConnCan gives Oliver Ellsworth School 'B' Report Card

Connecticut schools have been graded, and Windsor's new Superintendent and Board of Education have some work cut out for them. ConnCan released their report cards on over 1,000 schools in 160 school districts on Thursday.   

"We hope [school districts] will use the information to have an honest conversation about performance in the district," said Jessica Bloom, ConnCan's Communication Manager, "particularly in terms of improvement over time and of the achievement of groups of students that have too often been left behind in Connecticut's schools - low-income students and students of color," she said. "The report cards remove any ambiguity about student performance on these measures and provide transparency that can't be found elsewhere in the state."

Windsor's grades are mixed, beginning with positive news for Oliver Ellsworth Elementary School. In a letter sent to Interim Superintendent Ernest Perlini, dated November 23, 2011, ConnCan congratulated the district on making one of their "Top Ten" lists. Oliver Ellsworh Elementary ranked tenth in African-American Student Performance. 

"We recognize the contributions of ConnCan in shedding light on the need of the State and its local school districts to improve academic achievement for all students," said newly elected Board of Education President Doreen Richardson. "Windsor Public Schools are committed to the same goals: improving achievement for all our students.

Yearly, the firm assigns a letter grade to the schools based on their students' academic performance on CMT and CAPT scores in the following areas: Overall Student Performance, Student Subgroup Performance, Performance Gains, and Achievement Gap.

Under the category of Performance Gains evaluated from 191 schools, Clover Street School was 105 (3.2 % and a grade of C+), Oliver Ellsworth was 118 (2.0 % and a grade of C+), and Poquonock School with a perforance gain of only .2 percent, putting it at 135 out of 191 with a grade of C.

Overall Student Performance was another opportunity for Oliver Ellsworth to shine.  At 133 out of 385 schools, Ellsworth scored 73.6 % and a solid grade of B. 

Other schools in Windsor had a harder time staying above the ConnCan's state average of 63.8 percent.

Clover Street was 44.8% at a D+, Poquonock School was 63.2%, a C+, John F. Kennedy was scored at 47.8, a  D+. Windsor High School scored 34.8 % and was given a grade of D- for ranking at 118 out of 170 high schools in Conn.  Sage Park Middle School received a C+.

"We use a variety of data including CMT/CAPT results to measure our
effectiveness," said Richardson. "The Board, on an annual basis with its Superintendent, reviews and analyses CMT/CAPT results. Strategies to enhance overall student achievement are enhanced/revised and incorporated into the District's and each school's Improvement Plan which is filed annually with the SDE."

"Districts can also use this information to identify bright spots, either in their district or elsewhere, to draw lessons from and elevate achievement for all students," added Bloom.

Oliver Ellsworth school will be receiving a plaque of recognition for their achievement in the near future.