PRESS RELEASE
August 31, 2007
Philip A. Streifer, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Bristol Public School Students Demonstrate Significant Gains in Achievement
Bristol students surpassed previous achievement targets on most of the subtest areas of the March 2007 Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) and Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT). At least 88% of Bristol 10th grade students were proficient in math, science, reading and writing, significantly exceeding state averages. Recently released CAPT data demonstrates the successful work of our teachers and students on improving not only the achievement of all Bristol students, but also for subgroups delineated by Federal “No Child Left Behind” legislation.
The Connecticut State Department of Education is required to annually identify schools and districts “In Need of Improvement” as a result of student achievement on the CMT and CAPT. The Bristol Public Schools were identified as such a district for the past three years. However, this year, due to significant improvement in our students’ achievement, we achieved ‘safe harbor’. Safe Harbor means that our students made significant gains in achievement compared to last year. Continued improvement in student achievement on the March 2008 CMT and CAPT will remove Bristol from that list.
Four Bristol schools were identified as in need of improvement; Edgewood, South Side and Northeast for subgroup performance. Subgroups include students with disabilities, English language learners, economically disadvantaged and individual race categories. O’Connell School was identified as in need of whole school improvement. Strategies are developed within each school’s Accountability Plan to address the needs of these learners. Bristol’s continued high expectations for student achievement and focus on best instructional practices will continue to raise the achievement of all learners in our schools.
According to Connecticut Education Commissioner, Mark McQuillan, one third of Connecticut schools were found to be in need of improvement. Bristol’s results must be considered within the context of the entire district’s improving performance as detailed in recent District press releases. We are confident that the reforms being implemented in Bristol schools will lead to continued improvements in all of our schools.
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Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
5 comments:
I'm interested to see what the reform actions will be to improve performance in these schools. Oconnell is one school that has a high number of "transitional" students, which means students that move from school to school usually due to living situations. This hampers their ability to progressively learn because their environment changes frequently. That type of disruption is tough for a child which reflects in their learning.
How about longer school days? Like other countries do. Kids go to school from 8 - 4:00pm, 1st -12th
Sure would improve something.
If we change Bristol and make it less of a welfare haven and a subsidized housing project our overall test scores will go up. Sad but true. Sometimes its not the teachers and administrators, it is the students. And its really unfair to blame the kids, as they are just a product of their parents and the environment their parent give them. Just food for thought---
Well I must say that the person that talks about Welfare Haven must be a very wealthy person sipping out of a solid gold coffee cup! I have to say that the Bristol Public School System is a failure! I have a son that just entered 8th grade. He has been in the SYSTEM in Bristol since he was in kindergarten. I have recently had to pay thousands of dollars to a learning center to try to get him caught up. You see my son is testing at a 3rd grade level. He has been pushed through the system all these years. i have asked for help for him only to be ignored. He has recieved special ed services and I was told at the end of 7th grade that a mistake had been made there was nothing wrong with my son. They were discharging him from the program, well guess what the kid failed and had to go to summer school. I relied on our educators and believed in the experience that they have ie DEGREE to TEACH. I suppose its my fault that my son cannot read well, he cannot write well, does not know his multiplication tables, phonics etc. I can go on and on. Oh I forgot, I am not on welfare either. Maybe you are a parent of a child that is high honors of course you are the model parent that has dedicated your life to teaching your child at home as well as teaching to be predjudice and a absolute moron. I am ashamed of you, maybe you should get off your pompous *** and be a mentor an aide or hey a teacher or go to see the kids that kive in the housing projects and look at the report cards, I bet that some are better than your own kids. Shut your mouth and talk about something that you know about! PLEASE.
take it easy there.. I do not have kids, let alone kids in the bristol school system. I am not wealthy by any means. I am working middle class American, just like I assume you are. You validate my point when you responded. If schools had to worry less about raising some of the the trashy, violent, and misbehaved kids that come from that sector of our city, maybe they would have more time to devote to education and taking care of your child's needs as well as my future children's needs. You can attack me if you want, but maybe I am a little pompous. I think that those who contribute to the whole with taxes should get the benefits of it (education being one benefit). And someone who comes and lives their entire life raising generations in the federal housing projects do not contribute to the taxroll of the city of Bristol. Unless you consider the few Denali's and BMW's that the hardworking "salesmen" have registered that is...
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