Windham Public Schools Celebrates Gains Across Its Schools in 2025-26 State Accountability Results
A School of Distinction at Natchaug, the district’s largest gain at Sweeney, Windham Middle School’s highest index since 2014-15, and higher graduation and attendance rates districtwide
WINDHAM, Conn. — Schools across Windham Public Schools posted gains in the Connecticut State Department of Education’s (CSDE) 2025-26 Next Generation Accountability results, released today. Natchaug School was named a 2025-26 School of Distinction, W. B. Sweeney School posted the district’s largest gain, Windham Middle School reached its highest Accountability Index since the state launched the system in 2014-15, and the district’s graduation and attendance rates improved.
Districtwide, the four-year graduation rate rose to 86.0%, chronic absenteeism fell 8.0 percentage points, and Windham posted the highest Accountability Index among the seven DRG I districts.
“These results belong to our students, our families, and the teachers and staff who show up for them every day,” said Dr. Iris Gomero, Superintendent of Windham Public Schools. “Last year, we committed to three areas of focus: reducing chronic absenteeism, ensuring every student has a safe and productive learning environment, and providing high-quality instruction. These results show that focus at work: chronic absenteeism fell 8 percentage points across the district and more than 21 percentage points at Windham High School, and 86 percent of our students graduated in four years. We have more work ahead, and we will keep building on this momentum together.”
Natchaug School: A 2025-26 School of Distinction
Statewide recognition: Named a School of Distinction for high growth in mathematics for all students and for high-needs students; one of 138 schools statewide, and one of just 28 in Alliance Districts, to earn the honor this year.
Growth far above the state: On average, Natchaug students achieved 89.7% of their mathematics growth target, compared with a state average of 60.9%. High-needs students achieved 89.8% (state: 54.0%).
Moved up a category: Natchaug’s Accountability Index rose from 64.7 to 73.8, lifting the school from Category 3 to Category 2.
Better attendance: Chronic absenteeism fell 9.5 percentage points, from 19.7% to 10.2%, nearly cutting it in half.
“Natchaug’s teachers hold high expectations for all students and provide the supports they need to reach them,” Dr. Gomero said. “Being named a School of Distinction is a credit to the entire Natchaug family, and a sign of what is possible across Windham.”
W. B. Sweeney School: The District’s Largest Gain
+13.2 index points: Sweeney’s Accountability Index rose from 49.4 to 62.6, the largest single-year gain of any Windham Public School since the state began tracking data.
Growth above the state average: The average mathematics growth target achieved climbed from 48.6% to 71.4%, and the ELA growth target achieved from 46.5% to 67.1%, both above the state averages (60.9% and 59.3%).
Healthier and more present: Students meeting the state’s physical fi tness standard rose from 41.2% to 66.2%, and chronic absenteeism fell 9.8 percentage points, from 33.2% to 23.4%.
Windham Middle School: Highest Index Since 2014-15
Windham Middle School’s 2025-26 Accountability Index rose to 57.1, its highest since the state launched the system in 2014-15. The result caps four straight years of gains, up 11.5 points from 45.6 in 2021-22. Along the way, the school exited Turnaround status and moved from Category 5 to Category 3, where it remained this year.
“Four straight years of growth at Windham Middle School is the product of steady, focused work by our teachers, our students, and their families,” Dr. Gomero said.
More Students Graduating
District four-year graduation rate: rose from 79.8% to 86.0%
Windham High School four-year graduation rate: rose from 80.2% to 86.7%
Six-year graduation rate for high-needs students: rose from 71.1% to 80.0%
More Students in School, More Often
Reducing chronic absenteeism (missing 10% or more of the school year) is one of the district’s three areas of focus, and it declined at every one of Windham’s rated schools.
Districtwide: down 8.0 percentage points, from 31.6% to 23.6%
High-needs students: down 8.3 percentage points, from 34.8% to 26.5%
Windham High School: down 21.4 percentage points, from 52.8% to 31.4%
Natchaug School: down 9.5 percentage points, from 19.7% to 10.2%
W. B. Sweeney School: down 9.8 percentage points, from 33.2% to 23.4%
Strong Foundations for Success
More ninth-grade students on track to graduate: The district’s rate rose from 71.5% to 76.9%. The state also credits each K–8 or middle school with its former eighth graders’ ninth-grade results: 100% of Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy’s former eighth graders were on track to graduate, wherever they attended ninth grade.
Physical fitness: 67.4% of Windham students met the state fitness standard, well above the state rate of 50.4%.
College and career coursework: 96.8% of students took college- and career-readiness courses, above the state (94.1%), earning the district full points on this indicator.
English learners: Progress in English literacy reached 61.6%, above the state (59.0%).
ABOUT THE DATA
Source: Connecticut State Department of Education, 2025-26 Next Generation Accountability results (EdSight), released October 27, 2026. The Accountability Index is reported on a 0–100 scale. Growth fi gures show the average percentage of students’ individual growth target achieved. The ninth-grade on-track measure credits both the high school a student attended in grade 9 and the school the student attended in grade 8. Beginning in 2025-26, Windham’s elementary schools serve grades K–4, and grade 5 moved to Windham Middle School; school-level comparisons with 2024-25 refl ect that change. District Reference Groups (DRGs) are CSDE’s classifi cation of districts with similar socioeconomic characteristics (2006).
ABOUT WINDHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Windham Public Schools serves the students and families of the Town of Windham, Connecticut, including the City of Willimantic. The district’s schools include Windham Early Childhood Center, Natchaug School, North Windham School, W. B. Sweeney School, Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy, Windham Middle School, Windham High School, and Windham Phoenix Academy. Windham Public Schools is committed to helping every student learn, grow, and graduate ready for college, career, and life.
