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State accountability index shows gains for Waterbury schools and renewed focus on chronic absenteeism
Summary
State and district officials told the Board the 2024–25 accountability index shows improvement on many indicators, with Waterbury now outperforming similar urban districts on several measures; district leaders emphasized reducing chronic absenteeism as a top priority and flagged Reed Elementary as entering turnaround status.
State and district education officials presented the Waterbury district’s 2024–25 accountability index and highlighted measurable gains while acknowledging continued work is needed.
Chief Academic Officer Jan Frenis and a deputy from the Connecticut State Department of Education explained the index combines indicators including Smarter Balanced assessments (grades 3–8 ELA and math), SAT scores (grade 11), and NGSS science at selected grades. They noted that roughly 87% of Waterbury students qualify as ‘high‑needs’ (multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and those eligible for free/reduced lunch), which heavily influences district performance measures.
“Several indicators are still not back to our 2018–19 pre‑pandemic levels,” Jan Frenis said, while also pointing to notable recognition: Westside Middle School was removed from the state turnaround list this year, Waterbury Career Academy improved from category 3 to category 2, and Clementa International, Kingsbury and Washington were named schools of distinction for growth in math.
District leaders emphasized a renewed focus on chronic absenteeism — citing the link between attendance and test scores — and described structural changes to increase school‑level support, including reconfiguring assistant superintendent responsibilities so each conducts a minimum of eight school visits per week focused on instructional practice and principal support.
Board members asked for context about turnaround status and supports for Reed Elementary, which the district said would be addressed in an initial state meeting planned for the following day. District staff also described expanded K–12 ELA and math programs and plans to roll out a new science curriculum and internal interim assessments to accelerate interventions.
Superintendent Dr. Schwartz framed the gains as progress but warned the district has “a ways to go,” called for shifting peer comparisons and emphasized the time and work required of teachers to move key indicators. The presentation closed with district commitments to use existing and targeted resources to support schools entering turnaround.
