The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in English language arts. The lowest is 28% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Andrew Avenue School
Andrew Avenue School serves kindergarten through fourth grade in Naugatuck, a small borough between Waterbury and Bridgeport that functions primarily as a residential community. The school enrolls a small population, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is diverse: roughly half of students are Hispanic, a third are white, and smaller shares are Black or multiracial. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available.
The school's recent state testing results show proficiency rates that fall below the midpoint among districts in the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. In mathematics, the school's overall proficiency rate sits in the bottom quartile regionally. In English language arts, performance is similarly below the regional midpoint. Third-grade students showed near-identical proficiency rates in math and reading, while fourth graders performed slightly better in reading than in math, though gains remain modest. The school achieved full testing participation in both subjects and grades tested.
Andrew Avenue sits within Naugatuck School District, which has recently implemented a structured-literacy, Science of Reading approach across all K-4 elementary schools, including the ARC Core reading program and a district phonics curriculum. This shift, driven by Connecticut's Right to Read legislation, represents a lasting change in how early reading is taught and directly shapes instruction here. The district's strategic plan emphasizes implementation with fidelity in these grades.
Naugatuck itself is a mid-sized residential community anchored by the historic Naugatuck Green downtown and expanding through transit-oriented redevelopment. The town is pursuing active downtown revitalization tied to a relocated Metro-North train station, expected to open in summer 2027, along with mixed-income housing developments near that station. Housing values in the zip code are moderate relative to state benchmarks, and rents have risen noticeably over the past year. A substantial share of households are married families with children, and owner-occupancy rates run higher here than in surrounding New Haven County.
Property taxes are in flux: the town completed a revaluation in 2022 and is phasing in the new assessments over time, with the mill rate projected to move toward specified levels by 2025-2026. Families considering the area should confirm current and projected tax impacts with the town, as the reassessment directly affects school funding and property-tax bills.
The school's testing results suggest students here are not meeting grade-level proficiency benchmarks at rates the district aims for, and a parent may want to look into the school's specific reading instruction practices, interventions for students not yet proficient, and progress monitoring systems in place. Because only one year of data is available, longer trends cannot yet be assessed. The district's embrace of structured literacy is a strength, but families should ask how the school is supporting students who have not yet benefited from that approach in prior grades, and what supplemental or intensive supports exist for students working below grade level.
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