The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in English language arts. The lowest is 11% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Highville Charter School District
Highville Charter School District is a full PreK through 12th grade charter serving a student body that is predominantly Black, with smaller proportions of Hispanic and multiracial students. The enrollment runs to several hundred students, distributed from early childhood through high school, with the largest classes in the early grades. The school achieved permission from the State of Connecticut to expand to grades 10 through 12 and moved into a owned facility at Science Park in New Haven, completing its transformation into a continuous PreK-12 pathway. The state renewed the charter through mid-2027 following its required review, providing continuity and certainty that the school will remain operational.
On state assessments, Highville's proficiency results are substantially below the midpoint among South Central Connecticut Planning Region districts. In the most recent year, performance in math ranged broadly by grade, with very low proficiency in grades 3, 5, and 6 and no students achieving proficiency in grade 5. English language arts showed more variation: grade 3 and grade 5 had modest proficiency rates, while grade 8 reached a more visible proficiency share. Grade 8 also showed the highest performance across the administration. Science testing data appear in grade 5 and 8 but proficiency counts are suppressed for both grades, and score information is available though proficiency thresholds remain private. Across the district overall, proficiency levels fall in the bottom quartile of the county's districts.
The high school offering at Highville, branded as Highville Change Academy, includes a partnership with Post University through which students can take college coursework during the school day. This dual-enrollment model allows students to earn college credits that count toward both a high school diploma and a Post University associate degree. For families prioritizing an early-college pathway and the ability to stay within one school from early childhood through high school graduation, this distinctive programming may be a draw. The school also gives enrollment preference to siblings of current students.
Chronic absenteeism at Highville sits below the county midpoint, indicating that attendance is a relative strength within the region. Current spending per pupil falls in the lower range compared to other districts in the South Central Connecticut Planning Region, though the district data do not explain whether this reflects charter-specific funding structures or operational choices. Free and reduced price lunch counts and rates, data on students with IEPs, English learner enrollment, and graduation rates were not available, creating gaps in the picture of student need and high school completion. A parent looking to understand the full support ecosystem or the likelihood that students earn a traditional diploma would benefit from asking the school directly.
The low state assessment results warrant direct engagement with Highville's instructional leadership and families currently enrolled. Understanding the school's response to the performance gap, the timeline for improvement, and the specific academic supports in place would help a prospective family weigh whether this school's distinctive PreK-12 continuity and college-partnership model align with their child's learning needs.
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