Derby Middle School (contributed photo)
DERBY — On August 25, 2022 the Connecticut State Department of Education released 2021 – 2022 state assessment results for the SBAC assessment highlighting the learning loss as a result of the pandemic.
In Derby, our students experienced a different outcome.
Of the 16 schools across the state in the Commissioner’s Network of schools, Derby Middle School students had the highest percent of target achieved in both English Language Arts and Mathematics scores. Derby Middle School Students also had the highest English Language Arts year over year growth from 2018 – 2019 to 2021 – 2022 with a 5.5 point gain.
Principal Rachael Caggiano stated, “This improvement along with our continued partnership and collaboration with the Connecticut State Department of Education ensures that Derby Middle School continues to be on the rise.”
As with our accomplishments and performance in SAT scores, this accomplishment is a tribute to the resilience, perseverance and GRIT of the staff and students, who despite the pandemic, returned to full in-person at the beginning of the 2020 – 2021 school year as well as staff simultaneously supporting students remotely who were otherwise quarantined, isolated or exposed to COVID. According to Lisa Russo, Literacy Instructional Coach at Derby Middle School “We have made a concerted effort to have our students engaged in text and tasks more deliberately to increase student achievement.”
Derby Board of Education Chairman Jim Gildea shared “The Derby school system was happy to see the recent increases and success in the area of our scores. While we are never satisfied, it is rewarding to see that the investment we have made in curriculum, instructional support and staff development is paying dividends. Each employee within the Derby public school system plays a key role in the education of our students and to see their efforts payoff is rewarding.”
