The top reported proficiency rate is 15% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Impact Prep at Chestnut
Impact Prep at Chestnut is a regular public middle school in Springfield, Massachusetts, serving grades six through eight. It is part of the Springfield district, the largest urban school system in western Massachusetts. The school has a small enrollment that is concentrated in a single middle-school grade band. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a much smaller share of Black students and a very small share of White students. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners was not available, but given the school's demographics and urban district context, these are areas a parent may want to ask the school about directly.
The academic picture from the 2024-25 state assessments is clear and sobering. Proficiency rates on the NextGen MCAS, Massachusetts’ standardized test, were low across every tested subject. In math, a very small share of students scored at the proficient level. In English language arts, the rate was also low, though it was higher than math. In science and social studies, which are tested only in certain grades, the results were similarly low. When placed against other school districts in Hampden County, Impact Prep scores in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency. This is a consistent pattern over nearly a decade of available data. In both math and English language arts, proficiency rates have fluctuated within a narrow low range since 2017, never reaching a quarter of students in any year and often well below that. The current 2024-25 results are broadly in line with this long-term trend, not a sudden change.
Because the school serves only middle school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, as that metric applies to high schools. Chronic absenteeism and discipline data were also not part of the available record, so a parent looking to understand the school's environment on those fronts would need to seek that information directly from the school or district.
Impact Prep at Chestnut sits within the Springfield Public Schools, a district for which no major recent changes, strategic initiatives, or budget developments were found in a search of publicly reported information. The district brief yielded little of note, so this narrative reflects the school's own data rather than district-level direction.
Springfield itself is the largest city in western Massachusetts and the economic and cultural anchor of the Pioneer Valley. It is an urban setting with a dense built environment, a mix of Victorian-era housing stock, and a downtown that has seen major recent investments, including a casino and a redeveloped transit hub. The city is home to several colleges and universities, and its major employers include MassMutual, Baystate Health, and Smith & Wesson. Median home values in the area, as reflected by the Zillow Home Value Index, are well below the Massachusetts state average and below the national average, making the region more affordable than much of the state. The housing market in Hampden County is active, with a moderate supply of listings and a median price that has risen modestly.
For a family considering this school, the central takeaway is about academic performance. The proficiency rates across all subjects are low, and this has been a stable feature of the school over many years. A parent whose priority is a middle school with strong or even moderate test outcomes will likely find that Impact Prep does not provide that. However, the data available does not tell the full story of what happens inside the building. There was no information on course offerings, extracurricular programs, staffing ratios, or student support services. A school with low test scores might still offer a supportive environment, focused instruction for students who are below grade level, or specific programs that match a child’s needs. Those are the questions a parent would need to ask on a visit or in a conversation with the school leadership. The school is a regular public middle school in a large urban district, and its role may well be to serve a student population with significant academic challenges. Whether it does so effectively is not a question the proficiency rates alone can answer.
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