Academic Growth

Academic growth is about student progress over time. It measures how much each student improves in ELA and Math from one school year to the next (Grades 4–8). This gives schools credit for helping all students grow academically, regardless of their starting point. It also helps recognize schools where students are making strong progress, even if they haven’t yet reached proficiency.

Also included in this measure is progress toward English proficiency for English Learners.
This part tracks how quickly and effectively students learning English are improving their skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. It ensures we are helping all learners access and succeed in their education.

Smarter Balanced Assessment

What is the Smarter Balanced Assessment?

The Smarter Balanced Assessment is Connecticut’s state test in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics for students in grades 3 through 8. It is designed to measure how well students are meeting grade-level expectations based on the Connecticut Core Standards.

These online assessments go beyond multiple-choice questions. They include writing tasks and performance-based activities that require students to:

Think critically
Solve real-world problems
Use evidence to support their answers

The results help teachers and families understand how students are progressing and where they may need additional support. The goal is to ensure all students are on track for success in high school, college, and future careers.

Smarter Balanced Growth, ELA

The metric presented here is the Average Percentage of Target Achieved (APTA) for ELA. It tells you how much of the growth target was achieved, on average, by students.

Smarter Balanced Growth, Math

The metric presented here is the Average Percentage of Target Achieved (APTA) for Math. It tells you how much of the growth target was achieved, on average, by students.

LAS Links Assessment

What is the LAS Links Assessment?

LAS Links is Connecticut’s English Language Proficiency assessment for students in Grades K–12 who are learning English. It is designed to measure how well students are growing in English across four key areas:

Listening – Understanding spoken English
Speaking – Using English to communicate verbally
Reading – Interpreting written English
Writing – Expressing ideas in written English

The assessment ensures students are prepared for success in both academic classes and daily interactions.

LAS Links Achievement Trends

The LAS Links mastery report provides information about Multilingual Learners achieving English langauge mastery.

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