Wilton Students on Par With Peers in CAPT, Grade 8 CMT Tests

With the exception of a few categories, Wilton scored near the top when compared to school districts considered its peers this year in both Connecticut Academic Performance Test scores and scores for the Connecticut Mastery Test for Grade 8 students.

Both CMT and CAPT scores were released Thursday by the Connecticut Department of Education. The department said the results overall were generally encouraging, although not much different from 2011.

"The results of the 2012 Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) were mixed," the department said in a news release. "While student performance increased in all content areas when compared to the CAPT baseline year of 2007, it decreased in some areas when compared to last year. As compared to 2011, performance increased slightly in writing, remained relatively constant in science and reading, and decreased in mathematics."

State Education Commissioner Stephen Prior said in the news release:

"We’re pleased to see that there are signs of progress in our schools. That said, while schools are moving more students into Proficient- and Goal-level performance, significant gaps in achievement continue between economically disadvantaged students and their peers. So there is reason for optimism regarding our system’s ability to advance, as well as cause for continuing concern. We need to work together to implement the reforms and initiatives we’ve recently launched in order to build on areas of progress and remedy the persistent problems in our schools."

Connecticut Academic Performance Test Results

Here are this year's CAPT results for Wilton in four different areas, with comparisons to scores for several similar school districts. (The districts chosen are each in the District Reference Group A, a state classification of districts with similar resources and students of similar social and economic backgrounds):

For mathematics, Wilton scored near the top when compared to other towns:

Group2012 CAPT: Mathematics Total Mathematics Number TestedAverage Scale Score% At/Above Goal% At/Above Proficiency State 39756 255.3 49.3 78.8 Wilton 300 290.9 81.7 97.7 Darien 331 287.4 82.5 96.4 New Canaan 333 289.9 83.8 98.2 Ridgefield 455 289.8 83.7 98.2 Weston 187 289.2 84.5 96.8 Westport 455 291.8 85.9 96.7

Wilton was almost at the top when it came to percentage of students who had achieved or exceeded a certain testing goal:

Group2012 CAPT: Science Total Science Number TestedAverage Scale Score% At/Above Goal% At/Above Proficiency State 40928 260.3 47.3 80.2 Wilton 302 299.3 81.5 98.7 Darien 331 288.7 73.1 95.2 New Canaan 336 293.9 78.9 97.6 Ridgefield 456 296.7 80.0 99.1 Weston 187 299.7 83.4 100.0 Westport 457 294.6 79.4 96.9

 

Reading scores were on the lower end when compared other districts:

Group2012 CAPT: Reading Across the Disciplines Total Reading Number TestedAverage Scale Score% At/Above Goal% At/Above Proficiency State 39985 245.8 47.5 80.9 Wilton 302 277.3 80.5 97.0 Darien 332 272.8 75.0 97.0 New Canaan 334 293.9 88.9 98.5 Ridgefield 457 282.2 81.0 96.9 Weston 186 280.3 86.0 98.9 Westport 456 288.9 83.6 97.8

 

Again, Wilton is near the top:

Group2012 CAPT: Writing Across the Disciplines Total Writing Number TestedAverage Scale Score% At/Above Goal% At/Above Proficiency State 40703 266.7 63.1 88.8 Wilton 304 305.5 93.1 99.3 Darien 331 300.2 90.9 98.5 New Canaan 335 306.6 93.1 98.5 Ridgefield 458 309.5 93.9 98.9 Weston 186 303.0 93.0 100.0 Westport 459 303.8 91.3 98.9

 

Connecticut Mastery Test results: Grade 8

Here are Connecticut Mastery Test results for eighth grade students in Wilton and similar towns:

Group2012 CMT: Mathematics Eighth Grade
Number TestedAverage Scale Score% At/Above Goal% At/Above Proficiency State 40277 264.7 67.4 87.1 Wilton 338 294.2 92.3 97.6 Darien 384 302.5 95.3 98.4 Easton 119 292.7 88.2 99.2 New Canaan 275 291.8 91.3 98.2 Redding 151 305.9 96.7 100.0 Ridgefield 429 296.7 93.0 98.1 Weston 211 283.1 86.3 98.1 Westport 450 300.0 94.2 99.6

Wilton's scores reading test results were high:

Group2012 CMT: Reading Eighth Grade
Number TestedAverage Scale Score% At/Above Goal% At/Above Proficiency State 40133 265.7 76.8 86.2 Wilton 334 300.4 96.1 98.8 Darien 384 297.8 94.8 97.7 Easton 119 296.0 97.5 98.3 New Canaan 276 291.9 93.1 98.6 Redding 149 300.0 98.7 100.0 Ridgefield 429 299.3 95.8 98.4 Weston 211 289.7 92.4 96.7 Westport 448 289.0 93.8 97.1

 

But when it came to writing, Wilton scored lower when compared with these other school districts:

Group2012 CMT: Writing Eighth Grade
Number TestedAverage Scale Score% At/Above Goal% At/Above Proficiency State 41701 255.6 68.4 86.2 Wilton 344 282.3 89.8 95.9 Darien 384 293.5 95.8 99.0 Easton 119 288.9 93.3 99.2 New Canaan 277 288.8 96.0 99.3 Redding 152 280.3 96.7 98.7 Ridgefield 431 290.3 93.7 98.4 Weston 211 278.4 91.5 98.1 Westport 452 288.9 94.9 98.5

 

In terms of percentage at or above proficiency, Wilton was near the top the group of eighth graders tested, but it was closer to the bottom in terms of percentage of students who were at or above the goal:

Group2012 CMT: Science Eighth Grade
Number TestedAverage Scale Score% At/Above Goal% At/Above Proficiency State 41698 255.9 62.1 77.1 Wilton 344 291.2 89.0 95.6 Darien 384 284.7 89.8 95.8 Easton 119 285.1 89.9 96.6 New Canaan 278 294.4 91.7 97.1 Redding 152 283.8 88.8 97.4 Ridgefield 431 280.4 85.2 94.0 Weston 211 279.9 84.4 95.3 Westport 451 284.2 87.4 96.5