Washington School, Waterbury CT - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Washington School

Washington School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Waterbury, a former manufacturing city now undergoing downtown revitalization. The school sits in an economically challenged neighborhood. A substantial share of the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller populations of Black, white, Asian, and multiracial students. The school's enrollment is stable and relatively small for its grade span.

The academic picture is straightforward. On state testing in mathematics, Washington's proficiency rates fall in the lower range: students in grades three and four showed proficiency around a fifth to a quarter of tested students, while fifth graders performed somewhat better. In English language arts, third-grade results were similarly low, and the school reports an overall proficiency rate across all tested grades and subjects that places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. Science testing data for fifth grade was suppressed by the state, meaning results were not disclosed, likely due to small cohort size. The school's test results indicate students are currently struggling to meet state standards in core subjects.

Connecticut's Right to Read law requires evidence-based K-3 literacy instruction, and Waterbury School District received a full waiver to continue its existing reading approach, meaning the district's early-grade reading work has met state approval. Additionally, the district offers universal free breakfast and lunch to all students regardless of family income, removing a practical barrier for families.

Waterbury as a city has been making substantial infrastructure and revitalization investments, particularly downtown, with new housing, commuter rail service expansions, and adaptive reuse of older buildings creating a different environment than the school's immediate neighborhood. The housing market in the 06706 zip code is moderately valued relative to Connecticut benchmarks, and rental costs are lower than statewide averages, making housing more affordable for working and lower-income families than in much of the state.

For families considering Washington School, the key takeaway is that this is a school serving a low-income community where academic performance is currently below state standards. The district has taken steps around literacy, nutrition, and college access that may support students' longer-term pathways, including the Waterbury Promise college scholarship. A parent may want to look into further with the school what supports exist for the students who are not yet meeting proficiency and what progress the school is making on closing those gaps.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 322%

School 22% · District 28% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 420%

School 20% · District 27% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 18% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 315%

School 15% · District 23% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 28% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

This schoolWaterbury 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.