HARTFORD Conn.
Students continued to fare poorly in reading on the 2007
Connecticut Mastery Test, though they improved in math and writing, according
to results released Friday.
Students in grades three through eight take the standardized
tests.
The proportion of third-graders who were proficient in
reading was 69 percent, unchanged from last year. In writing, 82 percent of
third-graders were proficient, the same as in 2006.
Third-grade reading performance is key as state education
officials focus on reading instruction in the early grades, said state
Education Commissioner Mark McQuillan.
“As a state, we should be making more meaningful
progress,” McQuillan said in a statement. “We should all be
disappointed with reading performance across the board, even though some districts
and schools have made significant gains.”
Third-grade students improved in math, with 80 percent
proficient, up by 2 percentage points from 2006. Eighth-grade students also
improved 2 percentage points, with 81 percent proficient.
