Aces at Chase, Waterbury CT - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Aces at Chase

ACES at Chase is a middle school serving grades six through eight in Waterbury, operated by Area Cooperative Educational Services. The school enrolls students across a broad demographic range: Hispanic and white students each represent a substantial share of the population, with smaller numbers of Black students and students of multiple races. A significant portion of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with Individualized Education Plans and English learners was not available.

The school's academic performance shows a mixed picture across grades. In seventh-grade English language arts, about half of students tested at proficiency. Seventh-grade math shows a similar proficiency level, at roughly the same rate. Eighth-grade English language arts sits lower, and eighth-grade math performance is noticeably weaker. Sixth-grade results in both subjects fall further behind. In eighth-grade science, proficiency reaches close to the midpoint. When proficiency rates across all tested subjects and grades are averaged, the school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint relative to other districts in the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region.

The grades-specific variation is pronounced. Performance is notably stronger in the seventh grade than in either the sixth or eighth, suggesting that students' academic standing may shift as they move through the school. Sixth-grade foundational skills in math appear particularly low; a parent may want to look into further detail on how the school addresses early-middle-school math engagement and supports. Eighth-grade math also warrants inquiry into whether the school has targeted strategies to support students through the transition to high school coursework.

Waterbury itself is a mixed-use former manufacturing city, historically the "Brass City," with distinct neighborhoods. Downtown, near the school's Chase Parkway location, has undergone renovation centered around civic institutions, with the Waterbury Green, historic architecture, and transit infrastructure as anchors. The city hosts two hospitals, Webster Bank's headquarters, and serves as an employment center for the Naugatuck Valley region. Housing in the 06708 zip code is modest in value and has seen modest appreciation. The area is served by Metro-North commuter rail and local transit, and nearby higher-education institutions including UConn Waterbury, Post University, and Naugatuck Valley Community College.

The school does not carry a charter or magnet designation; it is a regular public school. Trend data was available only for the current school year, so longer-term patterns are not visible in the record.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 17% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 750%

School 50% · District 37% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 832%

School 32% · District 26% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 27% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 753%

School 53% · District 40% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 37% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Science

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 42% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

This schoolArea Cooperative Educational Services, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income26%Higher-income38%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income39%Higher-income46%7 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income12%Higher-income31%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income41%Higher-income55%14 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income27%Higher-income36%9 pp gap