Milford's Platt Technical High School Scores High on Closing Education Achievement Gap

 

Reprinted with permission from the New Haven Register

By Pamela McLoughlin, Register Staff

 

NEW HAVEN - Platt Regional Technical High School is one of two New Haven-area schools that made it into ConnCAN's Top 10 high schools in closing the achievement gap between white and African-American and Hispanic students.

Connecticut has the highest achievement gap in the nation, said Patrick Riccards, chief executive officer of ConnCAN.

Closing the gap is "an economic imperative for Connecticut," he said, because the only way to improve the economy is to give everyone access to a good education so they can fill skilled jobs that otherwise will go to people who were educated in nearby states.

He said the goal is to "ensure every child regardless of race, family income or ZIP code has access to great public schools."

ConnCAN, or Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now, seeks to change education policy at the state level in an effort to close the achievement gap and give students access to better schools.

In the category of average percentage of African-American students meeting state goals across all subjects, New Haven's Amistad Academy is No. 1 with 61.3, and Platt is No. 6 with 39.

In Hispanic student performance, Mark T. Sheehan High School in Wallingford is sixth, with 50.6 percent, and Platt is 10th, with 44.9 percent.

Overall, New Haven high schools scored poorly, but gains were made at the elementary school level, Riccards said.

"New Haven continues to be a struggle," Riccards said. "You see there are possibilities, but there's still a lot of work New Haven has to do."

He said that generally, closing the gap at the high school level presents the greatest challenge.

Platt's new principal, Pat DeCoster, said it's a great honor to be in the Top 10 and gives credit to her predecessor, Eugene LaPorta, for this year's success.

DeCoster said making the list is an indication the school is providing educational opportunities for everyone to "succeed on a level playing field."

She believes one of the reasons for Platt's success is that students choose to be there, and parents are generally committed to seeing their children succeed. She said the school has wonderful teachers and curriculum. It accepts students from more than 20 towns, and the number seeking admission is usually triple the number of openings.

"That's not to say we don't have a gap, but we're making progress," DeCoster said.

Riccards said the top schools are taking specific steps to close the gap, rather than either denying there's a problem or relying on the trickle-down effect of improvement in overall educational programs.

There are generally a few qualities at high-scoring schools, Riccards said, including a greater sense of accountability, better attention placed on test performance, effective teachers and better parental involvement.