Nearly half of Connecticut students are meeting the Connecticut State Department of Education’s (CSDE) benchmark for postsecondary readiness on college placement test like the SAT and ACT or International Baccalaureate (IB) exams.
CSDE officials announced on October 27 that 49.9 percent of Grade 11 and Grade 12 students across the state meet at least one college readiness benchmark, one of 12 indicator’s in the agency’s Next Generation Accountability System, which measures how well schools are preparing students or post-graduation life.
To hit the postsecondary readiness benchmark, 11th and 12th graders must score at least 480 on the SAT’s reading and writing portions and 530 on the math portion, meet the proficiency benchmark on three of four ACT subject exams, score a 3 or higher on Advanced Placement (AP) exams, or a 4 or higher on an IB exam
The new data, which covers the 2025-2026 school year, marks the highest level of postsecondary readiness recorded since the metric was first introduced in 2014-2015. During the 2024-2025 school year, 47.2 percent of students met the postsecondary readiness benchmark.
According to CSDE, the biggest gains were among students with high needs, Hispanic/Latino students, and Black/African-American students. During the 2025-2026 school year, 301. percent of high needs students met the postsecondary readiness benchmark, up from 27.3 percent the previous year. Proficiency in Hispanic/Latino students rose from 30.2 percent in 2024-2025 to 33.9 percent in 2025-2026 and from 30.2 percent in 2024-2025 to 33.2 percent in 2025-2026 among Black/African-American students.
Additionally, CSDE reported that the number of students who met the benchmark for AP exams also increased to 30 percent in 2025-2026.
Another metric of the postsecondary readiness benchmark applies to students who earned three or more college credits. CSDE reported 34.6 percent of 11th and 12th grade students statewide hit this benchmark in 2025-2026, an increase from 30.7 percent in 2024-2025. Students must earn a grade of at least a ‘C’ to receive credit.
According to the data, while every student group saw gains, students with high needs, Hispanic/Latino students, and Black/African-American students had the largest gains.
The state’s target benchmark for postsecondary readiness is 75 percent of 11th and 12th grade students.
“Through these opportunities, students can earn college credits before graduating from high school, reducing future college costs and helping them build confidence as they prepare for education and careers beyond high school. Most courses are offered at high schools and taught by instructors approved by partnering colleges and universities.” CSDE said in a press release announcing the updated data.
According to agency officials, the number of college-level courses completed by high school students has grown by more than 70 percent between 2018-2019 and 2025-2026.
As part of the announcement, CSDE also recognized 138 schools as Schools of Distinct for high academic performance, improvement, or student growth. 28 of the schools recognized are in Alliance Districts
CSDE also said there has been improvement in other metrics on the accountability dashboard, including academic improvement in English, math and science, and a decline in chronic absenteeism for the fourth year in a row. According to the data, chronic absenteeism fell to 16.4 percent in 2025-2026, down from 17.2 percent the previous year.
Despite the increases, schools across the state still fall below the overall target, a percentage of total points that can be earned across all indicators. Schools cumulatively earned 72.2 points in 2025-2026, below the target 0f 85 points or higher.
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