This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

A Problem with Numbers

The first step in any recovery is first to admit that there is a problem. So let’s look at some of the most recent data on neighboring high schools and see how Haddam-Killingworth High School (H-K) compares as presented in the Connecticut Department of Education’s School Profiles report.

H-K, with more than 25 percent of the students not taking the SATs, was ranked fifth in average student scores as compared to Madison, which was first; Guilford, which was second; the Chester, Essex, and Deep River Regional District 4, which was third; and Durham, which was fourth. Madison had 90 percent taking the exam; Guilford had 89 percent; Chester, Essex, and Deep River had 80 percent; and Durham had 90 percent—and yet their average student scores were higher than those of H-K’s students.

Now another interesting group of statistics from that same report is the enrollment numbers in those school systems for the past five years. H-K Regional District leads with a 11.5 percent decrease, followed by Westbrook with a 7.7 percent decrease, Guilford with a 7.3 percent decrease, Regional 13 with a 1.7 percent decrease, Madison with a 1.4 percent increase, and Region 4 with a 1.5 percent increase.

Does Killingworth have a problem with these numbers? If so, this is an election year so the issue requires answers.

Philip Stull

Killingworth