A Quantitative Look At Waterford’s Schools

For years, people have decried standardized testing ruling as the downfall of the education system. But for Superintendent Jerome Belair and for Waterford’s school administrators, it makes for a useful tool.

“It gives you some very useful information,” Belair said. “It can make an excellent planning tool.”

Recently, Waterford Public Schools created its Strategic School District Profile for the 2009-10 school year and submitted it to the board of education. The information in the profile is largely based off of information collected from standardized tests, allowing the district to see what is working and what are some areas of “continued improvement,” Belair said.

The highlights were the Connecticut Mastery Tests, which were “very strong,” Belair said. The numbers show a large increase in test scores as students get older, a sign that the curriculum is working, he said.

The Connecticut Mastery Test tests students in third, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades in math, reading, writing and science. At least 80 percent of the eighth-graders were proficient in the four tests. That is a high number, Belair said.

“You are talking about probably 20 kids in the whole grade that weren’t proficient,” Belair said, referring to a population that includes special education students. “That is very strong.”

The areas that can be improved are in CAPT testing, which tests 10th-graders in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Around 50 percent of the students were proficient in reading, mathematics and science, with 60 percent of the students proficient in writing; numbers that are higher than the state average but can be improved, Belair said.

Ironically, SAT scores are strong in the high school. That test is taken by 11th- and 12th-graders, Belair said. The district is looking into why CAPT scores would be low, but SAT scores would be high, he said.

The Waterford school district, at least until eighth grade, does not require technology classes, as the state average is two hours per student. However, Waterford integrates technology into subjects like science and English all the time, Belair said.

The only test that showed below average results was the athletic test, where Waterford students scored 49 percent, compared to a 50 percent state average. The difference between the state average and Waterford is negligible, Belair said.

Elementary schools had vast disparities in the athletic test. For example Quaker Hill Elementary School had over 60 percent of students pass the test, while Oswegatchie Elementary School students had fewer than 35 percent.

Overall, the tests do give the administration insight into how the education system is working, Belair said. However, there are other ways to judge performance as well, and relationships count, he said.

“Its just one piece of the puzzle, the key being one piece,” Belair said.

Some Interesting Stats From The Strategic Student Profile From 2009-10:

Average SAT score: Math: 528, Critical Reading: 534, Writing: 526

Homeless students: 26 (higher than normal because of Waterford Country School)

Students on free/reduced-price meals: 363, 13.3 percent

Juniors and seniors working more than 16 hours a week: 67, 16.9 percent

Total minorities: 513 (17.9 percent), 183 blacks (5 percent), 174 Asian American (5.9 percent), 183 Hispanic (6.6 percent)

Graduation rate: 95.1 percent

Students pursuing higher education: 89.7 percent

Expenditures per pupil: $12,916; state average: $13,386

*Waterford spends more on its instructional staff per pupil on average than other towns, and less on administration