Goodwin University Educational Services (GUES)

Goodwin University Educational Services (GUES) is a small public school district in East Hartford, Connecticut, serving 1,223 students across just two schools: Connecticut River Academy at Goodwin University (grades 6–12) and Riverside Magnet School at Goodwin University (grades PK–5). Both schools share a similar socioeconomic profile, with about 57% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and both struggle with chronic absenteeism — the district rate is 29.8% versus the state’s 16.4%. Unfortunately, GUES is ranked last among all 153 Connecticut districts, earning a 0-star rating, and test scores across nearly every subject and grade fall far below state averages.

Despite the overall low performance, the two schools each have notable stories. Connecticut River Academy stands out for its strong 94.7% graduation rate, which is above the state average of 91.2%, and its SchoolDigger ranking jumped from the 4th percentile to the 22nd percentile in one year. However, its math scores are extremely low — just 7.8% of 6th graders are proficient in math versus 44.4% statewide — and chronic absenteeism sits at 31.9%. Riverside Magnet School shows a dramatic and troubling drop in 3rd-grade ELA proficiency, falling from 36.2% to 9.5% in a single year, a 26.7-point collapse that demands investigation. That school’s ranking improved from the 9th to 17th percentile before sliding back to the 8th percentile.

One positive is that student–teacher ratios are relatively low at about 12–14 students per teacher, but achievement remains poor, suggesting absenteeism and other factors outweigh staffing advantages. High school ELA at Connecticut River Academy improves dramatically relative to middle school — 11th-grade SAT ELA is around 44.8% — but math does not improve at all, staying near 11–14% proficient. Science is stagnant and weak at both schools. For parents, the key takeaway is that while graduation rates are a bright spot, the district faces urgent challenges in math, chronic absenteeism, and early reading proficiency that need immediate attention.