K-12

The state has seen a drastic increase in participation in AP courses among Connecticut students from low-income families and — most notably — among Hispanic students. Nearly 2,000 more Hispanic students in Connecticut took at least one Advanced Placement exam last school year compared to five years ago – a 79 percent jump.

In the three years since, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has given away millions to groups working to “personalize” learning, reshape teacher training, and diversify the ranks of education leaders, the full scope of that giving hasn’t been clear. Now it is.

New research finds that a program lengthening the school day really did boost reading scores for students from low-income families. It’s new evidence that lengthening the school day, an approach being taken at schools across the country, can make a difference for students who stand to benefit the most.

In recent years, there’s been an increased push to get more teachers of color into the classroom, often highlighting large gaps between student and teacher demographics. National data shows the problem isn’t just recruiting those teachers, but retaining them as well.

Latino students in Connecticut are suspended from school at twice the rate as their white peers even though they are vastly outnumbered by white students, according to a report released Thursday by Connecticut Voices for Children.

With a shout of “Yes we can!” and the toss of some dirt, politicians and New Haven city officials launched the building of what will be the Barack H. Obama Magnet University School on the Southern Connecticut State University campus.