33%+ of CT's elementary and middle schools get failing grade

August 24, 2006

DeStefano: It's time for universal pre-K, not more of the same failed policies from Gov. Rell

New Haven - John DeStefano - Democratic nominee for governor - responded today to results of the 2006 Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) which show that more than one third of the state's elementary and middle schools failed to meet the standards of the No Child Left Behind law. All told, 290 schools made the list, nearly double the amount from one year ago. According to Connecticut Voices for Children, Connecticut is one of the 10 states with the worst racial disparities in high school graduation rates.

"Gov. Rell presides over one of the worst achievement gaps in the nation," said DeStefano. "It is shameful that the gap between black and white high school graduation rates and Hispanic and white high school graduation rates is one of the worst in the U.S. and looking at these test scores it is evident that more of our children are being left behind each and every year. As governor, I would implement the tenets of my Every Child Reads by Third Grade proposal - including universal pre-k for all 3 and 4 year-olds."

DeStefano's Plan - announced last month in Waterbury and Danbury - will focus on the 19 Priority School Districts and have three major components: Universal Pre-Kindergarten for 3 and 4 year old children, Master Literacy Teachers in Grades 1 to 3, and Books for Children and Families, an initiative to create family book collections or mini-libraries in every child's home.

As Mayor of New Haven, DeStefano has helped improve student performance and the public schools have made progress in addressing the achievement gap. New Haven's high school drop-out rate is half of what it was in 1994 and more than 80-percent of graduates attend 2 or 4 year schools - higher than the state average.

At the same time, New Haven - like so many urban communities across Connecticut - continues to see a persistent achievement gap, one made worse by neglect from Gov. Rell - who has under funded public schools and paid lip service to universal pre-k. (In her 2006 Budget Address, Gov Rell acknowledged that 18,000 children don't have access to a pre-k experience yet only proposed creating an additional 500 spots).