The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results, released late last month, reveal a distressing trend in Connecticut’s education system.
The opportunity gap between students with resources and those without has widened since 2000, with Black, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged students falling, in some cases, further behind their peers.
Connecticut’s overall performance in the 2024 NAEP, also known as the Nation’s Report Card, is as follows:
| Grade and subject | Scaled and score | National ranking |
| 4th grade reading | 219 | 9th |
| 8th grade reading | 263 | 6th |
| 4th grade math | 239 | 19th |
| 8th grade math | 277 | 18th |
However, these aggregate scores mask significant disparities when broken down by socio-economic status and race:
Connecticut is not okay. At our current pace, we will never close opportunity gaps between economically disadvantaged, Black, and Hispanic students and their White and economically advantaged counterparts. Imagine what Connecticut would look like if we got this right: An economically vibrant community where families see their children thrive. We can get there with a renewed commitment to taking on the tough questions of how we fund education, how we attract, resource, and retain teachers, and how we ensure schools have the talented leadership necessary to turn the curve.
On average, Connecticut makes an investment of approximately $275,000 per child over the course of their 13-year public education. NAEP 2024 scores teach us that the returns on that investment often hinge on the wealth, geography, and race of the student. This fundamentally goes against the promise of our public education system.
NAEP 2024 scores show that only 19% of economically disadvantaged fourth graders are on track for math, 18% for reading. Right now, we must change course. By investing in literacy interventions, high-dosage tutoring, innovative learning models, and family-driven choice, we can provide greater opportunity for Connecticut students, all of whom can and will thrive. And before we look to the basic line for comfort, when it comes to the grade we get as a state for preparing all kids for their future, basic is failing.
The NAEP results highlight the need for significant changes in Connecticut’s education system. Having failed to close the achievement gap by 2020, as promised, Connecticut has invested more in the same education system with the same results. During that time period, the gulf between Black and Hispanic students and their white counterparts has shamefully remained the same.
The gap between students with resources and those without has only widened.
Is our traditional model of education, and how we resource it, providing all students with a high-quality education? The short answer is: no. The only way to engage students is through schools of innovation, by encouraging family-driven decision-making, and by making necessary investments that allow districts to try new learning models.
All children are capable of achieving their dreams when given a fair shot, and Black, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged children aren’t getting it.
ConnCAN calls for immediate action to address these disparities and ensure that all Connecticut students have access to high-quality education, regardless of their socio-economic background or race.
Steven Hernández is the Executive Director of ConnCAN.