New Canaan, Area Schools are a ‘Cluster of Excellence’
The New Canaan school district ranked:• No. 2 in the nation among the most affluent communities, those with an average home prices of $800,000 or more (moving up from a No. 3 ranking in 2010. )
• No. 6 in the northeast among all cities.
• No. 1 in Connecticut. Westport and Darien also placed in the top 10 in the $800,000 or more category, at fifth and sixth, respectively, while Wilton was ninth in the $600,000 to $799,999 home price category.
• In a separate article it cited New Canaan, Darien, Wilton and Westport for being one of four areas of the country with multiple high ranking towns in close proximity, dubbing these areas, “Clusters of Excellence“.
Along with the rankings, the study praised New Canaan for characteristics that they feel contribute to the academic environment, including its historical connection to modern architecture, its large public parks, and the overall education level of its residents, mentioning that over half the population has at least a college degree. It also was impressed by how New Canaan high school students seem to be achieving in a well-rounded fashion, saying, “Students have posted superior performances in lacrosse, musical production, and academics.”
The authors of the study dug into possible reasons for the “Cluster of Excellence,” that exists between New Canaan, Darien, Wilton and Westport. They noted that each school is part of a “Tri-State Consortium”, a group of 40 high-performing districts that study and evaluate each other and act as “critical friends” to help each other grow and improve. “You might expect outstanding school districts like these to kick back and celebrate their success a little,’’ noted the study. “Instead, all four of these districts are focused on continuous improvement.”
New Canaan High School
the top of the 17,589 communities it examined.
