State: 96 percent of 11th-graders took free SATs

The number of students taking the SAT has increased since the state began offering it for free, according to Gov. Dannel Malloy.
Last year, the state replaced its SBAC tests with free SATs, and now about 96 percent of Connecticut's 11th-graders are taking it.
There is still a disparity in results between high- and low-income districts, however.
According to scoring data, poorer school systems like the one in Bridgeport produce grades at around half the state average. In wealthy districts like Westport, the results are almost 40 percent higher than the rest of the state.
Only 16 percent of students in Bridgeport met state goals in math proficiency, but just a few miles away in Fairfield, that number jumps to 63 percent.
"Just because a school district isn't there yet doesn't mean they aren't putting in the necessary hard work to get there," Malloy says.
Gov. Malloy also promised Tuesday he will fund public schools. 
"I don't know how he can be able to do that without a budget," says Mahmoud Hassan, of Meriden. "He's not going to be able to tap into other budgets."
If lawmakers don't pass a state budget, Malloy says he will shift money from richer schools to poorer ones.
Gov. Malloy says he will announce how much money he is sending to each school system in the coming weeks.