Doolittle School, Cheshire CT - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Doolittle School

Doolittle School is a public elementary and middle school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Cheshire, an affluent suburban community in the Naugatuck Valley region. The school enrolls a diverse student body across a span of grade levels, with a school population that includes a substantial share of students from Asian, Hispanic, and White households, and a meaningful share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school is smaller in the early grades and larger in the upper elementary years.

Academic performance at Doolittle is solid across tested subjects. In mathematics, proficiency ranges from near the midpoint in third and fourth grades to stronger results in fifth and sixth grades. In English language arts, third grade sits noticeably lower, but performance improves steadily through the upper grades, with fifth and sixth graders showing strong proficiency. Science results, reported only for fifth grade, are strong. Across all tested grades and subjects combined, Doolittle's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts in the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. The school achieved full or near-full test participation rates, indicating that data is reliable and representative.

The pattern of results suggests that upper elementary students at Doolittle are performing at a healthy level, while younger third graders, particularly in literacy, may benefit from close monitoring and targeted support as they move through the grades. A parent may want to ask the school directly about literacy instruction in the primary grades and what interventions or supports exist for students who do not yet meet proficiency.

Cheshire itself is a suburban, residential community with deep agricultural roots and thousands of acres of protected open space. The town has a town center along Main Street anchored by a library and historic buildings, and the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail provides a walkable recreation corridor. The community is experiencing active growth, with new housing and apartment development, rising property values, and strong municipal finances. Schools are distributed across separate campuses rather than concentrated downtown.

The district is undertaking a major transformation: voters approved a school modernization referendum to build two new elementary schools opening in fall 2026 and close three older buildings, including Chapman Elementary. Beginning in 2026-27, Doolittle will be one of only four elementary schools in the district. Families are being redistricted, and those in certain zones face new school assignments and bus routes. This is a multiyear process that directly affects school enrollment and which neighborhoods feed into which buildings, so families should monitor the district's redistricting announcements closely if they have young children entering or currently in the system.

Housing costs in the Cheshire zip code are above state benchmark but remain below national median. Rents align with roughly one-third of household income, while mortgage estimates reflect a purchase price that sits between state and national benchmarks when adjusted for current rates.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 367%

School 67% · District 78% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 470%

School 70% · District 73% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 583%

School 83% · District 83%

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 46 pts above county median

Grade 670%

School 70% · District 78% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 358%

School 58% · District 69% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 473%

School 73% · District 74%

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 583%

School 83% · District 83%

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 679%

School 79% · District 80% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Science

Grade 581%

School 81% · District 83% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

This schoolCheshire 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

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income68%Higher-income83%15 pp gap