SMS Reports Wins on Accountability Index
- Theresa Cramer
- 2 hours ago
- 1 min read
Stafford Middle School (SMS) Principal Tim Kinel reported at the December 8, 2025, Board of Education (BOE) meeting that SMS scored 70.4 out of 100 points on the Next Generation Accountability Index. This represents a significant increase for the school, according to Kinel. He attributed these gains to three key areas: chronic absenteeism, physical fitness, and high-needs math scores.
According to the State, “Connecticut’s Next Generation Accountability System is a broad set of 12 indicators that help tell the story of how well a school is preparing its students for success in college, careers, and life. The system moves beyond test scores and graduation rates and instead provides a more holistic, multifactor perspective of district and school performance and incorporates student growth over time.”
In the 2023-2024 school year, SMS had 75 students who qualified as chronically absent. In 2024-2025, that number went down to 38.
Kinel said the whole building has gotten behind improving the physical fitness scores for the school. SMS even installed exercise bikes in the library to allow students to read while riding. The result of these efforts is that 71.2% of students passed all four physical fitness tests, up from 47.7%
Math scores for the high-needs student population – which includes economically disadvantaged students, students in special education, and students in Section 504 classes – have also increased dramatically. That is measured by the yearly SBAC scores, which increased nearly 20% year over year.
“We are incredibly excited and proud of this data, and we’ll shout it from our hilltop,” said Kinel.
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