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Connecticut Grade 8 ELA: what your child's Smarter Balanced score means

On Connecticut's Smarter Balanced, Grade 8 English Language Arts (ELA) is reported on a scale from 2288 to 2769, and each score falls into one of 4 performance levels. Reaching Level 3 (at 2567 or above) is the state's grade-level, on-track benchmark.

Score ranges by performance level

LevelScore rangeWhat it means
Level 12288–2486The lowest level, well below grade-level expectations
Level 22487–2566Approaching grade-level expectations
Level 32567–2667Meeting grade-level expectations (the state proficiency line)
Level 42668–2769The highest level, above grade-level expectations

How Connecticut students scored (2025)

27%23%33%17%

Statewide in 2025, about 50% of Grade 8 students reached Level 3 or Level 4 in ELA. The bar above shows the share at each level (left = lowest).

Is a particular score good?

A score's meaning depends on where it lands in the ranges above, and on how it compares to other students. Our free tool turns a score into an estimated percentile versus the child's school, district and the whole state, so you can see exactly where a score stands, not just its level.

Look up your child's exact percentile →

Other grades & subjects

Grade 8, other subjects:

ELA, other grades:

State Test Scores is an independent tool, not affiliated with or endorsed by any state education department or agency. Percentiles are statistical estimates from public performance-level data (CT SDE (EdSight)), not official rankings.
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