OLR Report
2016-R-0026 analyzes recent data on Connecticut's educational achievement
gap. Connecticut primarily measures
student performance using the Smarter Balanced Assessment, commonly called SBAC
because it was developed by the multi-state Smarter Balanced Assessment
Consortium.
The
consortium created SBAC to align with Common Core State Standards, which
Connecticut adopted in 2010. According
to the State Department of Education, SBAC scores reflect both the degree to
which the new standards are implemented and the degree to which students have
learned them.
The SBAC
data shows that Connecticut continues to have significant disparities in test
scores between (1) racial groups, (2) high-needs and non-high-needs students,
and (3) students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch and those not eligible.
