Blackham School, Bridgeport CT - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Blackham School

Blackham School serves about a thousand students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in Bridgeport's diverse neighborhoods. It is a regular public school serving a student body that is about two-thirds Hispanic, one-fifth Black, and one-tenth white. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the school sits in an area with housing values and rental costs below state and national medians.

The school's state testing results are in the bottom tier among the county's schools. Across math, students show very low proficiency in grades three through five and eight, with performance in the teens and single digits. Grade six math performance moves into the double digits but remains weak. Grade seven is the strongest math grade. In English language arts, grade three results are suppressed for privacy, but starting in grade four students show modest proficiency in the teens and low twenties. ELA improves in the upper grades: grade six reaches the high twenties, grade seven approaches twenty-five percent, and grade eight reaches the high twenties. Science is tested only in grades five and eight; both show single-digit to low-double-digit proficiency. The overall trend data shows math proficiency in the low-to-mid forties across all grades combined, ELA just above fifty percent, and science at just about fifty percent. Parents may want to look into further detail with the school about what literacy and numeracy support is available and how learning gaps are being addressed.

Bridgeport School District faces a significant fiscal and operational crisis. In late 2024 the district announced a substantial deficit tied to the end of federal COVID relief funds, flat municipal funding, and rising special education costs. In response, it has eliminated dozens of positions including teachers, paraprofessionals, librarians, counselors, and social workers. School busing was cut for a large number of students, and district-wide programs including performing arts were eliminated. In January 2025, the Connecticut State Board of Education voted to intervene in the district, deploying a technical assistance team and requiring state approval of any permanent superintendent hire. A forensic audit of district spending has been commissioned.

At the curriculum level, the district adopted new scripted approaches to English language arts in grades six through twelve beginning in the 2024-25 school year. Teachers are expected to follow a daily script with tight pacing mandates and weekly usage reporting. The ELA adoption drew criticism for moving forward with limited teacher input. The district also adopted new district-wide curricula in social studies and science, and a coaching program for early literacy.

Bridgeport itself is a historic mid-sized coastal city organized into distinct neighborhoods—downtown, the North End, Black Rock, Brooklawn, and denser multifamily areas like The Hollow. It has a defined downtown with civic anchors including City Hall, the public library system, and cultural venues like the Downtown Cabaret Theatre, plus waterfront assets such as Seaside Park and the Beardsley Zoo. The Bridgeport Transportation Center provides rail and ferry service, with roughly an hour-and-a-half travel time to New York City. The city is in active redevelopment: the 52-acre Steelpointe Harbor waterfront project began residential construction in 2025, and mixed-income housing is advancing on formerly industrial sites. Character varies sharply by neighborhood, reflecting strong Hispanic, African American, and Italian communities. Overall walkability is limited outside downtown, though some commercial corridors like Fairfield Avenue support neighborhood street life.

Health care dominates employment, anchored by Bridgeport Hospital and St. Vincent's Medical Center. Other major employers include the water utility, the community college, and the public housing authority. The wider region hosts significant manufacturing and several Fortune 500 companies, though most sit in adjacent Fairfield County.

A parent considering Blackham should recognize that both the school's academic proficiency and the district's operational stability are under strain. The combination of very low test results, especially in early math grades, ongoing staffing cuts, and new scripted pedagogy creates a challenging environment. The district's state intervention, while intended to address deep problems, also reflects the seriousness of the district's current position. A family might want to understand what literacy and math interventions are in place, how class sizes have been affected by cuts, and whether specialized services such as English learner support or special education are being sustained. The housing market in the Bridgeport area remains affordable, and neighborhoods like the North End and Black Rock have tree-lined character and proximity to the waterfront, but educational capacity and stability are legitimate factors in any family's decision to settle here.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 311%

School 11% · District 18% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 43 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 410%

School 10% · District 14% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 43 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 59%

School 9% · District 11% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 619%

School 19% · District 15% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 719%

School 19% · District 18%

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 810%

School 10% · District 18% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 414%

School 14% · District 18% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 42 pts below state median · ▼ 43 pts below county median

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 19% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 40 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 627%

School 27% · District 21% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 724%

School 24% · District 26% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 826%

School 26% · District 26% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Science

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 20%

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 23% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

This schoolBridgeport School District, 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

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income18%Higher-income24%6 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income17%Higher-income26%9 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income8%Higher-income21%13 pp gap