Hartford, Conn. – (July 12, 2012) The test scores are in, and Catholic students in the Archdiocese of Hartford are exceeding both state and national averages in the SAT, the most widely implemented standardized test for college admission, and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), taken by elementary students.
In regard to the SAT, students from the nine high schools in the Archdiocese surpassed the average scores in all areas of the SAT, especially in the writing and reading sections. On average, they scored 523 in reading, 519 in mathematics, and 527 in writing.
In comparison, students enrolled in Connecticut public high schools scored an average of 502 in reading, 505 in math, and 506 in writing; while nationally, high school students scored an average of 497 in reading, 514 in math, and 489 in reading.
The ITBS scores are equally as impressive, indicating that students in Catholic schools in the Archdiocese, in third through seventh grades, exceed the national average in reading, math, language arts, social studies, and science. ITBS scores are reported in both grade equivalents and national percentiles.
This year, consistent with the last decade of scores, Archdiocese of Hartford students’ average performance on all subtests measured in the top 20 percent of students tested nationally, with many students performing on average in the top 90th to 99th percentile nationally.
Most notable were the test scores of seventh graders in the Archdiocese of Hartford who, on average, tested at an eleventh grade equivalency in language arts, tenth grade equivalency in science, and the later part of the ninth grade equivalency in reading, math and social studies.
Director of Curriculum Design of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese Valerie Mara noted that these scores exceed the outstanding results from the previous year.
“It’s like an Olympic Gold Medalist beating his own record,” said Mara. “These exemplary scores indicate that our Catholic school students will be prepared to tackle the challenges that lie ahead in college as well as future career aspirations.”
The high school graduation rate of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese is 100 percent, and 97 percent of the student population attend college, said Mara.
Also testament to scholastic achievement includes the fact that all students tested in grades three through seven, on average, scored in the top 90th percentile or better across the board nationally in language arts.
“I commend our students for their hard work and commitment in the classroom. It is evident that they work extremely hard in order to achieve such outstanding results,” said Superintendent of Catholic Schools Dale R. Hoyt. “I also want to express heartfelt gratitude to our teachers, principals, and school staffs who serve as excellent role models and are steadfast and conscientious about executing our mission of fostering a culture of educational excellence through critical thinking with an emphasis on moral education, community and service.”
Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford welcome students of all faiths, ethnic groups and socio-economic backgrounds.
For more information on Catholic schools and how to enroll visit: catholicschoolshartford.org and/or stvincentdepaulschool.org. Tuition assistance is available to families who qualify.
