Over the past 10 years, Connecticut has made significant progress in providing equitable school funding to all students, including committing an additional $770 million in state dollars for K-12 public education. Reforms and investments made over the last decade have provided school districts across Connecticut with greater resources to support their students’ learning needs and implement, expand, and strengthen programs and services to improve student academic achievement and long-term outcomes.
While the benefits of these investments do not appear overnight, recent statewide assessments show improvements in student achievement across all student groups.For the 2024-25 school year, academic performance in English/Language Arts, mathematics, and science all improved while the Next Generation Accountability Index increased statewide. Although student performance has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, these gains reflect meaningful progress in student outcomes and achievement. The full impact of recent investments will take time to materialize and require sustained resources and commitment to ensure long-term academic improvements.
Along with time, additional challenges experienced by Connecticut school districts may mask or delay the benefits of school finance reform. Improvements to student outcomes are often limited by the timing and magnitude of investments, as well as external factors impacting students’ learning. These factors are further exacerbated by the fact that Connecticut’s school finance reforms are built on years of unequal and inadequate funding that have disproportionately affected higher-need districts and the students those districts serve.
This policy briefing summarizes Connecticut’s recent education funding reforms and explores how various factors impact student achievement, including disruptions to learning, growing student needs, and the state’s ability to adequately fund schools. Lastly this briefing examines the critical roles accountability and a district’s use of funds play in improving student outcomes and how the State can better assist districts in raising student achievement as they receive greater financial resources.
Citation
School and State Finance Project. (2025). Understanding the Impact of School Finance Reform on Student Achievement & Outcomes. Southington, CT: Author. Retrieved from https://files.schoolstatefinance.org/hubfs/Reports/School%20Finance%20Reforms%20and%20Student%20Outcomes.pdf.