The top reported proficiency rate is 16% in Science. The lowest is 13% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Naylor/ccsu Leadership Academy
Naylor/CCSU Leadership Academy serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the Hartford neighborhood of Parkville, a mixed-use area being transformed from industrial buildings into an arts and food-hall district. The school enrolls a small student population across seven grades, with the majority of students—more than five-sixths—qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black, Asian, and White students, reflecting Hartford's diverse residential composition.
The school's academic performance shows students are working below proficiency across all tested subjects. In English language arts, the proficiency rate across grades three through five sits in the lower range, with performance strongest in fifth grade. Mathematics proficiency is similarly low across tested grades, and science proficiency at fifth grade is also substantially below the state standard. When the school is positioned against other public districts in the Capitol Planning Region, its overall proficiency index places it at the bottom quartile. The data available from the 2024-25 school year represents a single snapshot, so trends over time cannot be assessed.
Hartford Public Schools, the district serving this school, has navigated substantial budget pressures in recent years. The district faced large structural deficits linked to the expiration of federal COVID-19 relief funds, leading to significant cuts in staff positions and a process that drew sustained community protest before partial restoration of jobs through city and state funding. This budget instability has affected class sizes, course offerings, and support staff across district schools. At the same time, the district has begun implementing a new evidence-based, science-of-reading curriculum in early grades—a change required statewide under Connecticut law—with family literacy supports through partnerships with outside literacy organizations. The district also substantially expanded middle and high school athletics, though this primarily affects families at those grade levels rather than Naylor's prekindergarten-through-fifth grade student body.
The broader Hartford context places this school in a city undergoing housing-driven revitalization. Downtown and surrounding neighborhoods have seen conversion of vacant and former commercial buildings into apartments and condominiums, with development projects focused on downtown mixed-income housing. Parkville, where the school is located, has been a centerpiece of this activity, with the district food hall and converted warehouses drawing new residents and foot traffic. The school sits within walking distance of the CTfastrak bus rapid transit station in Parkville, providing access to Union Station and other parts of the city.
A parent looking at this school should understand it serves a neighborhood in transition, with a student population that faces significant economic hardship. The school's academic results indicate students are substantially below grade-level proficiency in core subjects, which is worth discussing directly with school leadership to understand what supports are in place, what the school's trajectory looks like, and what role family involvement and out-of-school resources might play. The district's recent budget volatility is a real factor; families may want to ask about the stability of staffing and programs at this school specifically.
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