Every fall, school districts receive the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) and SAT test scores and use them to measure both the previous year’s success and the long-term trends of their schools. Sadly, Granby did not fare well again. Just 62 percent of students in grades 3–8 met or exceeded the mandated state testing math goal and only 73 percent met or exceeded the English Language Arts (ELA) goal. These results put Granby close to the bottom of our formal state peer group for math and in the bottom third for ELA, well behind Simsbury, Avon, Farmington and Glastonbury. The SAT scores were equally disappointing with a 22-point drop in math scores and a 24-point drop in ELA scores. Meanwhile, the Hartford Courant reported Simsbury, Avon, Farmington and Glastonbury made the “top 20 districts with the SAT highest scores.” Granby can do better.
Unfortunately, Granby’s scores reflect a consistent downward trend over the past six years. The school administration and Republican-led Board of Education are accountable for these results and should no longer ignore it. Granby schools are not stagnant; they are in full decline. Now parents need to engage with administrators and the BOE to ensure that our students’ needs are met and our property values don’t plummet.
To impact the schools’ future, parents need to be informed and share our concerns about the district’s failures. We also need to encourage the leadership to actively pursue program evaluation and focus on student growth and outcomes. Perhaps we could start by looking at the successful strategies employed by other districts. Together, we can strengthen our schools.