The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in Math. The lowest is 23% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Elementary School
Lincoln Elementary School serves grades kindergarten through fifth in New Britain, a mid-sized former industrial city in central Connecticut. The school enrolls a mix of students from a community shaped by economic transition and demographic change. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the enrollment is diverse: the majority of students identify as Hispanic, with smaller shares of white, Black, and multiracial students, and a small number of Asian students.
State testing data for the school year shows proficiency rates that fall below midpoint among districts in the Capitol Planning Region. In mathematics, proficiency was in the low-to-mid range across tested grades, with the strongest showing in fourth grade and the weakest in fifth. English language arts proficiency was similarly low in third grade and near the low range by fifth grade, where results were slightly higher. In science, measured only in fifth grade, proficiency was also in the low range. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among the region's districts. When data from multiple grades and subjects are combined, though, reported proficiency rates are higher than the individual grade-by-grade results might suggest, which reflects how district-wide aggregates can mask variation.
The school is part of the Consolidated School District of New Britain, which has been implementing shifts in its approach to literacy instruction. The district adopted a new reading curriculum in fall 2023 and reports early gains in reading and math growth in some classrooms using the i-Ready assessment. The district has also committed to strategic priorities for school years 2024 through 2029 that center on continual curriculum refinement, multilingual family communication about curriculum, and stronger family involvement in course selection at the secondary level. Additionally, the district recently completed a substantial renovation of Chamberlain Elementary, delivering modern facilities at net savings through state reimbursement, which signals ongoing investment in school infrastructure.
New Britain itself is a city in transition, with a compact historic downtown anchored by the CTfastrak busway and a wave of transit-oriented housing development. The median home value in the area reflects affordability below the state benchmark, and median household income falls modestly below the state average. The city has been investing in Complete Streets infrastructure and downtown revitalization; these civic investments create a walkable environment but do not change the school's academic positioning. Housing stability and economic conditions in many neighborhood tracts remain a backdrop to the school's student body and community context.
Parents considering Lincoln Elementary should understand that the school currently shows limited proficiency in tested academic subjects relative to other schools in the region, and this is not offset by recent curriculum or infrastructure changes alone. The district's fresh focus on literacy and its longer-term strategic commitments reflect a recognition of need and a direction of travel, but results are still emerging. The school's student population and its community context are reflective of New Britain's economic and demographic profile. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school and district about how the new reading curriculum is being implemented at Lincoln, what specific support is available for students not yet meeting proficiency, and what progress monitoring and communication tools are in place to track growth as the literacy initiative matures.
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