(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) Commissioner Dianna R. Wentzell today announced that 41 high schools in Connecticut have won the 2019 College Success Award by GreatSchools, a national nonprofit organization that provides information on educational opportunities to parents. The award recognizes 1,722 schools across 25 states that have a successful track record of graduating students who later enroll in two or four-year college, are ready for college-level coursework, and persist on to their second year.
“I am determined to let businesses throughout the world know that if they are looking for a top-rated workforce that comes prepared with the skills needed to work in advanced, 21st century jobs, Connecticut is the place they want to establish a presence,” Governor Lamont said. “Connecticut has the best public school teachers in the country who are fueling their passion for excellence into results for their students, and their efforts are showing results.”
“Congratulations to these Connecticut high schools for adopting the practices necessary to prepare their students to graduate, attend college and perform and achieve at the college level,” Commissioner Wentzell said. “Together, by providing the necessary student supports and increasing student access to rigorous coursework for all students, we are delivering on our promise of equity and excellence for all Connecticut students and positioning them for success in college, career and life.”
“These Connecticut schools are providing their students with a high-quality public education that equips and empowers them with the skills to forge a path to bright futures,” Jon Deane, CEO of GreatSchools, said. “We applaud students, parents and across Connecticut for their dedication to pursuing college success.”
The recent release of the results for the state’s Next Generation Accountability System for 2017-2018 showed that the number of students demonstrating college and career readiness increased for the second year in a row. The system includes two indicators that measure students’ preparation for postsecondary and career readiness. One indicator evaluates whether students in grades 11 and 12 have participated in coursework during high school that prepares them for success in college and/or careers. Another indicator evaluates whether students in grades 11 and 12 have attained benchmark scores on at least one of the most prevalent college/career readiness exams.
The system also evaluates the postsecondary entrance rate for all students based on the percentage of students in a graduating class who enrolled in a two or four-year postsecondary institution any time during the first year after high school graduation. This indicator encourages school staff to extend their efforts beyond the school building to support student success.
Schools in Connecticut are eligible to receive the College Success Award because the state is leading the nation in collecting and making available to the public data on student achievement after high school, which is valuable information for families, educators, and policymakers given that only 25 states in the U.S. were able to provide this information. In March, GreatSchools recognized SDE as a leader in data transparency. According to the organization’s Finding the Data report, GreatSchools said that Connecticut demonstrated excellent results in its reporting of data and should be looked to as a leading example of how other states might get education data into the hands of stakeholders.
The high schools in Connecticut that have won the GreatSchools 2019 College Success Award include:
- Avon: Avon High School
- Berlin: Berlin High School
- Bethany-Orange-Woodbridge: Amity Regional High School
- Bolton: Bolton High School
- Brookfield: Brookfield High School
- Cheshire: Cheshire High School
- Darien: Darien High School
- East Hartford: Connecticut IB Academy
- East Lyme: East Lyme High School
- Fairfield: Fairfield Ludlowe High School
- Fairfield: Fairfield Warde High School
- Farmington: Farmington High School
- Glastonbury: Glastonbury High School
- Granby: Granby Memorial High School
- Greenwich: Greenwich High School
- Groton: Marine Science Magnet High School Of Southeastern Connecticut
- Guilford: Guilford High School
- Hartford: University High School of Science and Engineering
- Lyme-Old Lyme: Lyme-Old Lyme High School
- Madison: Daniel Hand High School
- Milford: Joseph A. Foran High School
- Monroe: Masuk High School
- New Canaan: New Canaan High School
- New Haven: Amistad High School
- North Haven: North Haven High School
- Old Saybrook: Old Saybrook Senior High School
- Redding: Joel Barlow High School
- Ridgefield: Ridgefield High School
- Rocky Hill: Rocky Hill High School
- Seymour: Seymour High School
- Simsbury: Simsbury High School
- South Windsor: South Windsor High School
- Stamford: The Academy Of Information Technology
- Trumbull: Trumbull High School
- Waterbury: Waterbury Arts Magnet School
- West Hartford: Conard High School
- West Hartford: Hall High School
- Weston: Weston High School
- Westport: Staples High School
- Wilton: Wilton High School
- Wolcott: Wolcott High School
More information on the GreatSchools College Success Awards can be found on the organization’s website.