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“Our new accountability system will tell a deeper, truer story of how well a school is preparing its students for success,” Commissioner of Education Dianna Wentzell said.
The schools and districts were graded on a traditional scale of 0 to 100.
Here are the grades for the district and for each school, supplied by the CTMirror.org website:
- Darien School District: 93.1
- Darien High School: 85.5
- Ox Ridge Elementary School: 87.6
- Royle Elementary School: 90.6
- Tokeneke Elementary School: 90.8
- Holmes Elementary School: 92.5
- Hindley Elementary School: 93.7
- Middlesex Middle School: 94.2
Darien also had four "Schools of Distinction," according to the state. That means they rank among the top 10 percent overall in Connecticut: Tokeneke Elementary School, Holmes Elementary School, Hindley Elementary School and Middlesex Middle School.
The schools were ranked using the state's Next Generation Accountability System. It rates schools on the following factors:
- academic achievement on state assessments
- academic growth
- assessment participation rate
- chronic absenteeism
- coursework
- exams
- ninth-graders on track to graduate
- four-year graduation rate for all students
- six-year graduation rate for high needs students
- college enrollment rate
- physical fitness
- arts access.
Connecticut’s Next Generation Accountability System "tell the story of how well a school is preparing its students for success in college, careers and life."
The new system moves beyond test scores and provides a "more holistic, multifactor perspective of district and school performance and incorporates student growth over time," the education department said in a statement.
The new system measures academic achievement and focuses on student growth over time. It also includes additional key indicators, such as chronic absenteeism, physical fitness and arts access.
"Research tells us that students who attend school on a daily basis and maintain a healthy lifestyle are more likely to graduate and succeed in college," the state said.
"Access to an engaging arts curriculum creates a more well-rounded educational experience."
To learn more about the system, visit the performance and accountability section of the state Department of Education’s website .
For another Daily Voice story on this topic, click here.
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