At the Sept. 17 meeting, the Granby Board of Education received test score results from the prior year’s Smarter Balance (SBAC) tests. These results, coupled with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) assessment and the PSAT and SAT scores provide guidance to the board—and more importantly the administration and the teachers—of what additional work or changes need to be implemented to help our students achieve their best.
The 2024-25 results paint an encouraging picture of continued growth for Granby students. While there is always work ahead, the data reflects year-over-year gains in student achievement, strong comparisons to state performance, and many reasons to celebrate.
English Language Arts Performance
In grades 3-8, nearly 70 percent of students achieved proficiency in ELA as measured by the Smarter Balance Assessment. Several grade levels posted standout results: 8th graders reached 75 percent proficiency or higher, while 7th graders saw a remarkable 14-point jump over the prior year. Four grades are now performing in the 70s, a sign of strong literacy growth across the district.
At the high school level, ELA performance continues to shine. 80 percent of juniors met or exceeded benchmark on the SAT, keeping Granby among the top districts in our peer group and more than 20 percentage points above the state of Connecticut average performance.
Math Focus
Mathematics remains an area of both growth and opportunity. Across the state and country math scores have been at record lows since the pandemic. In Granby, district wide proficiency for grades 3–8 rose by three points this year and year-over-year performance has maintained a steady incline since 2020. Third graders performed with the second highest percentage of student proficiency since pre-pandemic data at 66 percent. Fifth graders improved by 10 points to 62 percent at or above proficient, while 6th graders grew by more than 23 points compared to two years ago.
At the high school level, 53 percent of juniors achieved proficiency on the math portion of the SAT, a modest improvement over last year and 22 points above the state average. While these results are encouraging, math outcomes are less consistent across grade levels, and improvement remains a district priority.
Science Success
Granby students excelled in science. On the Next Generation Science Standards assessment, 73 percent of students in grades 5, 8, and 11 achieved proficiency, far surpassing the state average of 50 percent. Notably, 8th grade students scored 77 percent proficient, a strong upward trend.
Celebrating Growth, Aiming Higher
This data is one snapshot of student performance and many other data points are also used across the school year to guide students and teachers with a focus on individual student growth and grade level achievement. Looking ahead, Granby Public Schools plans to take clear steps to sustain ELA and Science growth and accelerate progress in mathematics. The district is responding with targeted steps, including more small-group math interventions, emphasis on fact fluency and problem-solving, enhanced use of data to track progress, and examining practices for consistency.
The Granby Board of Education is proud of our students’ achievements and encouraged by the steady upward trend in performance. These outcomes reflect the dedication of our teachers, the support of our families and the commitment of our students. To see the results in detail or view the September 17 presentation by Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Parsons please visit the district website at granbyschools.org