Does Money Buy SAT Scores In Connecticut?

Students in towns that spend more money on education also tend to have higher average scores on the SAT, according to an analysis of 2009-10 data from the Connecticut Education Data and Research database. The average SAT score in Connecticut for the class of 2010 was 1,513.50, out of a possible 2,400. The average total expenditure per pupil was $14,031. Based on a random sample of municipalities across Connecticut, towns that spent more than the average total expenditure per pupil also scored higher than the Connecticut average for SAT scores, while towns that spent below $14,031 for each student had SAT scores below the state average. Greenwich spent $18,023 per pupil in the year 2010, considerably more than the total average.

Does School Attendance Affect SAT Scores?

New Haven high schools with better attendance rates score higher on the SATs, according to records from the state Department of Education. For example, Amistad High School recorded an attendance rate of 96.6 percent and scored a combined average of 1,280 on the SATs in 2011-12 academic year. While Wilbur Cross – with an attendance rate of 84.7 percent – had a combined average SAT score of 1,238, in the same year. Most high schools in the New Haven district reported lower attendance rates and SAT scores than the state average, the state data shows. Christopher Bostock, principal of Achievement First Amistad High School, said, “Attendance is extremely important in helping students achieve strong test scores.”

Amistad has strict attendance policies.