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12/23/2022 04:10 PMDespite the effects of the pandemic and test scores that have dropped across the State as a result, Guilford Public Schools were recently ranked among the best performing by the Connecticut Department of Education (CSDE) in several specific demographics. The rankings were calculated via a number of “indicators” that purport to provide a more nuanced and encompassing rank of how a particular K-12 school system is performing, by which Guilford’s schools were ranked fifth best in Connecticut.
According to the CSDE, the Accountability Results are part of a system, “…where schools and districts earn points on a broad set of 12 indicators that help tell a story of how well a school is preparing its students for success in college, careers, and life. The system moves beyond test scores and graduation rates to provide a more holistic, multi-factor perspective of a district and school performance…”
According to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Freeman, the data show that Guilford’s schools rank extremely well across the various indicators in comparison to demographically similar towns with K-12 schools. Freeman said he doesn’t ordinarily put much stock in ranks and ranking organizations, but since this data is supplied by the State, it can be an excellent rubric in determining how well the town’s schools are actually performing.
“This Accountability Index has 12 total indicators and boils it down so that every district gets one number. Our number this year that was calculated by the State is 84.7. The good news when you look at that total Index…this number is a better gauge because it is the most holistic number. It tries to look at the whole student the most precisely, so when you look at that whole number it is very exciting,” Freeman said.
According to the supplied data from the CSDE, Guilford ranks number two in the state in the 2021-'22 B Demographic Reference Group (DRG), of 15 towns. A DRG is a grouping of towns via demographics such as the number of students, geography, and medium income, that allow for schools to compare themselves in a more nuanced manner than full-state aggregate rankings.
“Out of all the K-12 districts in the State there are only four districts that outperform us,” said Freeman. “That’s exciting.”
More revealing for Freeman, the data show that Guilford not only held its ground against the effects of the pandemic but actually showed a slight increase from their 2018-'19 score, (84.7 vs. 84.4).
According to Freeman, one of the most telling aspects teased out of the numbers is Guilford’s Accountability Index vs. Per Pupil Spending. Guilford spends approximately $19,000 per year per student, yet its Accountability Index scores are on par with towns that spend thousands more per year on their students. Only Trumbull’s school system gets a bigger return on student investment, according to Freeman.
“When you take the performance on that assessment and compare it to the amount we spend per student, we are fifth in the State. But when you look at our per-student spending, we are 79th or 80th in the State. So, we’re investing right around average in the middle of the pack, but we're performing in one of the top fives. There’s only one district that outperforms us and spends less, and that is Trumbull, but they are also twice our size. So, for me, the story that comes out of this is Guilford does best when you look at the whole student. The more holistically you look at it, the better we perform. The last time they calculated this performance was in 2018-'19 before the pandemic, and our calculation then was 84.4. So, we haven’t gone down in the pandemic. We’ve held flat. In fact, we’ve gone up. Less than half a point, but we’ve actually crept up a little bit rather than falling during the pandemic. And when you factor in the money, we are a really good return on investment. To me, that is just good news.”
The Index that collates an aggregation of all Connecticut schools reveals some contradiction between improvements and declines; a drop in certain performance scores, on-track graduation rates, attendance, and physical fitness, however, it also showed that across the board, schools in the state improved in their growth targets in math, English proficiency, and four-year graduation rates.
Overall, according to the aggregate State rankings, and not specific demographic groups, Guilford’s schools ranked as the fifth best as measured by this Accountability Index.
“For all K-12 School districts in the State we are the fifth highest performing school in the State,” said Freeman. “There are only four other K-12 districts that outperform us on that particular measure. There are a number of ways to measure the performance for a school, but this measure tries to be the most comprehensive and most objective measure. The State created this system where they take 12 indicators and they boil down it down to one number. And three of the districts that outperform us are within one point of our number. The only districts that significantly outperforms us is Wilton. And three of those four districts that outperform us, significantly outspend us.”
Freeman was careful to note that Guilford’s ranking is K-12, there is one school also rated above Guilford, technically making Guilford sixth best in the State, but it only has K-8 programming.
Drilling down into Guilford’s specific data, Baldwin Middle School and Leete Elementary both received “High Performance and High Growth” distinctions in the Index report.