Summary:
Booker T. Washington Academy District is a single-school district in New Haven, CT, serving grades K–8 at Booker T. Washington Academy, a high-poverty elementary/middle school with 404 students, a 16.1 student-teacher ratio, and 92% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch. Because there is only one school, the district and school results are essentially the same, but the data reveals clear bright spots and challenges.
The most notable strength is 6th grade mathematics: in 2024–2025, 61.4% of 6th graders were proficient, far above the state’s 42.9%, and in 2025–2026, 6th grade ELA reached 60% (state: 51.2%), with math matching the state average at 44.4%. This stands out because most other grades fall below state averages. For example, 3rd grade ELA proficiency was just 29.3% in 2025–2026 (state: 47.3%), and 4th grade ELA was 27.9% (state: 50.9%). Science is the weakest area: 5th grade NGSS proficiency was only 15.4% versus the state’s 52.2%, and 8th grade was 19.1% versus 50.3%. The school’s overall rank is in the 34th percentile (2025–2026), up from the 29th percentile the prior year, but still below the median.
Chronic absenteeism is 19.4%, slightly above the state’s 16.4%, and likely affects achievement. The same cohort that excelled in 6th grade math in 2024–2025 fell to 41.5% proficiency in 7th grade in 2025–2026, suggesting the strong 6th grade results may not be sustained. For parents, this is a school with genuine pockets of excellence, particularly in 6th grade, but it struggles with early literacy, science, and consistency across grade levels. Priorities should include early reading intervention in grades 3–4, strengthening science instruction in grades 5 and 8, reducing chronic absenteeism, and building on the successful strategies used in 6th grade math to help more students succeed.
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