Catholic Transcript Online

BLOOMFIELD – The average Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores of students attending Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Hartford are above those of Connecticut’s 2009 public school graduates and the national average in all three tested areas, according to Dale R. Hoyt, superintendent of Catholic schools.

The archdiocesan Office of Catholic Schools released its numbers in a press release circulated on Aug. 27, a day after a story in the Hartford Courant said state education leaders are concerned that the scores of public school graduates are "stagnant."

"We are happy to announce that this continues a legacy of high testing data in our schools which speaks to the academic excellence we offer," said Mr. Hoyt.

Significant differences are reflected in the scores for Catholic school students in the areas of math, critical reading and for writing.

In the spring of 2009, high school students in the Catholic high schools of the Archdiocese scored an average of 526 in critical reading, compared to the Connecticut average of 503 and the national average of 496. In the area of math, Catholic secondary students earned an average of 518, ahead of the state average of 508 and the national score of 510. The average score of Catholic high school students in writing was 530, as opposed to the state score of 506 and the national score of 487.

In addition, 77 percent of the Catholic high school students taking the SAT’s scored higher than 600 on at least one subtest, a score considered to be above average and preferable for choice college admissions.

"The scores reflect the emphasis placed on academic innovation and the standards-based curriculum offered in our schools," Mr. Hoyt said. Students are challenged to achieve at their highest potential and given the instructional support to do so."

Data released on Aug. 25 by the College Board, which produces the SAT college entrance exam, indicated that the scores of public school graduates in Connecticut remained the same in reading and writing. And although their scores rose by one point in math, they still lag behind the national average.

The high school SAT scores complement the testing data produced by the Catholic elementary schools where the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) is administered. The ITBS test is administered in the seventh month of each school year, and a minimum of one grade level of growth is expected each year. Students taking the test consistently score grade equivalents one to two years beyond expectations, producing increasingly greater growth with each cumulative grade. For example, this spring seventh graders scored at the level of ninth graders in the fifth month of the year.

"Although testing data is only one measure of educational quality, we are proud that our scores, on the secondary and elementary levels, demonstrate the exceptional academic preparation that Catholic school students experience," Mr. Hoyt said. "A Catholic school education certainly gives students an advantage as they prepare for college and for future career success."