Information on Education and Schools in Connecticut

Information on Education and Schools in Connecticut Education varies from state to state as individual states control much of the educational policy that governs the school districts across their state. Even still, school districts within an individual state often offer key differences from their neighboring counterparts as local control also plays a critical role in shaping school policy and implementing educational programs.   Because of this, a student in one state or even a single district can receive a drastically different education than a student in a neighboring state or district. State legislators shape education policy and reform for individual states. Highly debated educational topics such as standardized testing, teacher evaluations, charter schools, school choice, and even teacher pay vary from state to state and typically aligns with the controlling political parties views on education. For many states, education reform is in continuous flux, often causing uncertainty and instability for educators, parents, and students. Constant change can also make it difficult to compare the quality of education students are receiving in one state compared to another. This profile focuses on breaking down education and schools in Connecticut. Connecticut Education and Schools Connecticut State Department of Education Connecticut Commissioner of Education Dr. Dianna R. Wentzell District/School Information Length of School Year: A minimum of 180 school days is required by Connecticut state law. Number of Public School Districts: There are 169 public school districts in Connecticut. Number of Public Schools: There are 1174 public schools in Connecticut. **** Number of Students Served in Public Schools: There are 554,437 public school students in Connecticut. **** Number of Teachers in Public Schools: There are 43,805 public school teachers in Connecticut.**** Number of Charter Schools: There are 17 charter schools in Connecticut. Per Pupil Spending: Connecticut spends $16,125 per pupil in public education. **** Average Class Size: The average class size In Connecticut is 12.6 students per 1 teacher. **** % of Title I Schools: 48.3% of schools in Connecticut are Title I Schools.**** % With Individualized Education Programs (IEP): 12.3% of students in Connecticut are on IEPs. **** % in Limited-English Proficiency Programs: 5.4% of students in Connecticut are in limited-English Proficient Programs.**** % of Student Eligible for Free/Reduced Lunches: 35.0% of student in Connecticut schools are eligible for free/reduced lunches.**** Ethnic/Racial Student Breakdown**** White: 60.8% Black: 13.0% Hispanic: 19.5% Asian: 4.4% Pacific Islander: 0.0% American Indian/Alaskan Native: 0.3% School Assessment Data Graduation Rate: 75.1% of all students entering high school in Connecticut graduate. ** Average ACT/SAT score: Average ACT Composite Score: 24.4*** Average Combined SAT Score: 1514***** 8th grade NAEP assessment scores:**** Math: 284 is the scaled score for 8th grade students in Connecticut. The U.S. average was 281. Reading: 273 is the scaled score for 8th grade students in Connecticut. The U.S. average was 264. % of Students Who Attend College after High School: 78.7% of students in Connecticut go on to attend some level of college. *** Private Schools Number of Private Schools: There are 388 private schools in Connecticut.* Number of Students Served in Private Schools: There are 73,623 private school students in Connecticut.* Homeschooling Number of Students Served Through Homeschooling: There were an estimated 1,753 students that were homeschooled in Connecticut in 2015.# Teacher Pay The average teacher pay for the state of Connecticut was $69,766 in 2013.## Each individual district in the state of Connecticut negotiates teacher salaries and establishes their own teacher salary schedule. The following is an example of a teacher salary schedule in Connecticut provided by the Granby Public Schools District (p.33)    *Data courtesy of Education Bug . **Data courtesy of ED.gov ***Data courtesy of PrepScholar. ****Data courtesy of the National Center for Education Statistics ******Data courtesy of The Commonwealth Foundation #Data courtesy of A2ZHomeschooling.com ##Average salary courtesy of National Center of Education Statistics ###Disclaimer:   The information provided on this page changes frequently.   It will be updated regularly as new information and data becomes available.