Top-ranked 8th grade districts

Here are the school systems and charter schools which performed the best on the 8th-grade MCAS exams given in the spring of 2006. Boston.com ranked them by adding the percentage of students who scored either "advanced" or "proficient" in English, Math, and Science. 100 is the highest possible score.

8th GRADE ENGLISH 2006 Rank  District name Number tested Score 1 Edward Brooke Charter, Brighton 42 100 1 Martha's Vineyard Charter, West Tisbury 15 100 3 Francis W Parker Charter, Devens 62 98 4 Harvard Public Schools 95 97 4 Sharon Public Schools 271 97 6 Andover Public Schools 492 96 6 Concord Public Schools 235 96 6 Benjamin Franklin Charter, Franklin 27 96 9 Wellesley Public Schools 321 95 9 Marblehead Community Charter 45 95 9 Medfield Public Schools 229 95 9 Acton-Boxborough Regional 459 95 9 Richmond Public Schools 23 95 9 Sudbury Public Schools 342 95 9 Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter, Orleans 57 95 9 Manchester Essex Regional 93 95 17 Lexington Public Schools 478 94 17 Wayland Public Schools 247 94 17 Bedford Public Schools 153 94 17 Longmeadow Public Schools 265 94 17 Winchester Public Schools 283 94 17 Oak Bluffs Public Schools 46 94 17 North Reading Public Schools 215 94 17 Canton Public Schools 243 94 17 Excel Academy Charter School, East Boston 80 94 26 Carlisle Public Schools 103 93 26 Franklin Public Schools 475 93 26 Hamilton-Wenham Regional 182 93 26 Norwell Public Schools 175 93 26 Littleton Public Schools 114 93 26 Dover-Sherborn Regional 174 93 32 Belmont Public Schools 288 92 32 Westwood Public Schools 204 92 32 Westford Public Schools 424 92 32 Reading Public Schools 350 92 32 Hingham Public Schools 269 92 37 Shrewsbury Public Schools 445 91 37 Lincoln Public Schools 98 91 37 Duxbury Public Schools 280 91 37 Groton-Dunstable Regional 231 91 37 Northborough Public Schools 242 91 37 Lenox Public Schools 79 91 37 Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter, Hadley 45 91 37 Boston Collegiate Charter 56 91 37 Roxbury Preparatory Charter 52 91 46 Westborough Public Schools 295 90 46 Cohasset Public Schools 128 90 46 Southborough Public Schools 163 90 46 Newton Public Schools 896 90 46 Walpole Public Schools 297 90 46 East Bridgewater Public Schools 195 90 46 Nashoba Regional, Bolton 249 90 46 Masconomet Regional, Topsfield 400 90 46 Wachusett Regional, Jefferson 564 90 46 Leicester Public Schools 148 90 46 Hopkinton Public Schools 269 90 46 Mendon-Upton Regional 197 90 46 Hampden-Wilbraham Regional 291 90 46 Millis Public Schools 113 90 46 Georgetown Public Schools 127 90 46 Tyngsborough Public Schools 161 90 46 Rising Tide Charter, Plymouth 72 90 63 Weston Public Schools 179 89 63 Sutton Public Schools 147 89 63 Nauset Regional, Orleans 217 89 63 Lunenburg Public Schools 147 89 63 Needham Public Schools 377 89 63 Sandwich Public Schools 328 89 63 Arlington Public Schools 298 89 63 Hanover Public Schools 209 89 63 North Andover Public Schools 402 89 63 Holliston Public Schools 228 89 63 Scituate Public Schools 260 89 63 Lynnfield Public Schools 171 89 63 Newburyport Public Schools 179 89 76 Brookline Public Schools 397 88 76 Chelmsford Public Schools 442 88 76 Medway Public Schools 251 88 76 Up-Island Regional, Vineyard Haven 48 88 76 Berlin-Boylston Regional 100 88 76 Ipswich Public Schools 176 88 76 Old Rochester Regional, Mattapoisett 230 88 76 Ashburnham-Westminster Regional 213 88 76 Wilmington Public Schools 319 88 76 Four Rivers Charter School, Greenfield 33 88 86 Uxbridge Public Schools 182 87 86 Wakefield Public Schools 263 87 86 North Attleborough Public Schools 382 87 86 Natick Public Schools 325 87 86 Mystic Valley Regional Charter, Malden 74 87 86 Swampscott Public Schools 227 87 86 Hadley Public Schools 49 87 93 East Longmeadow Public Schools 243 86 93 Southern Berkshire Regional, Sheffield 69 86 93 West Bridgewater Public Schools 95 86 93 Central Berkshire Regional, Dalton 192 86 93 Foxborough Public Schools 233 86 93 Marshfield Public Schools 364 86 93 Melrose Public Schools 275 86 93 Hopedale Public Schools 97 86 93 River Valley Charter, Newburyport 34 86 93 Murdoch Middle Charter, Chelmsford 50 86 93 Rockport Public Schools 103 86 93 Hatfield Public Schools 45 86 105 Mansfield Public Schools 403 85 105 Milton Public Schools 312 85 105 Berkley Public Schools 123 85 105 Frontier Regional, Deerfield 134 85 105 Grafton Public Schools 186 85 105 Harwich Public Schools 109 85 105 Pentucket Regional, West Newbury 260 85 105 Narragansett Regional, Baldwinville 130 85 105 Community Day Charter, Lawrence 39 85 114 Ashland Public Schools 199 84 114 Marblehead Public Schools 215 84 114 Chatham Public Schools 43 84 114 Whitman-Hanson Regional, Whitman 380 84 114 Burlington Public Schools 286 84 114 Monson Public Schools 116 84 114 Falmouth Public Schools 350 84 114 Bridgewater-Raynham Regional 466 84 114 Amherst-Pelham Regional 285 84 114 Freetown-Lakeville Regional 269 84 114 Acushnet Public Schools 133 84 125 Danvers Public Schools 319 83 125 Stoneham Public Schools 237 83 125 King Philip Regional, Wrentham 441 83 125 Norwood Public Schools 312 83 125 Somerset Public Schools 201 83 125 Southwick-Tolland Regional 146 83 125 Abington Public Schools 206 83 125 Ludlow Public Schools 236 83 125 Granville Public Schools 40 83 125 North Middlesex Regional, Townsend 424 83 125 West Boylston Public Schools 113 83 136 Agawam Public Schools 361 82 136 Norton Public Schools 280 82 136 Plymouth Public Schools 665 82 136 Easton Public Schools 313 82 140 Woburn Public Schools 354 81 140 Quabbin Regional, Barre 292 81 140 Northbridge Public Schools 189 81 140 Milford Public Schools 315 81 140 Silver Lake Regional, Kingston 328 81 140 Dighton-Rehoboth Regional 292 81 140 Rockland Public Schools 186 81 140 Dudley-Charlton Regional 368 81 140 Foxborough Regional Charter 76 81 140 Sabis International Charter, Springfield 101 81 140 Dartmouth Public Schools 361 81 140 Edgartown Public Schools 38 81 152 Barnstable Public Schools 521 80 152 South Shore Charter, Hull 39 80 152 Tewksbury Public Schools 393 80 152 Beverly Public Schools 360 80 152 Pioneer Valley Regional, Northfield 103 80 152 Maynard Public Schools 125 80 158 Shirley Public Schools 57 79 158 Berkshire Hills Regional, Stockbridge 134 79 158 Auburn Public Schools 222 79 158 Christa McAuliffe Regional Charter, Framingham 89 79 158 Triton Regional, Byfield 296 79 158 Salem Academy Charter, Salem 38 79 158 Prospect Hill Academy Charter, Somerville 66 79 165 Mount Greylock Regional, Williamstown 122 78 165 Amesbury Public Schools 194 78 165 Pembroke Public Schools 257 78 165 Braintree Public Schools 410 78 165 Weymouth Public Schools 543 78 165 Tisbury Public Schools 31 78 165 Belchertown Public Schools 211 78 165 Northampton Public Schools 249 78 165 Douglas Public Schools 125 78 165 Billerica Public Schools 528 78 165 Peabody Public Schools 509 78 165 Winthrop Public Schools 172 78 165 Bellingham Public Schools 229 78 165 Ralph Mahar Regional, Orange 123 78 165 Seven Hills Charter, Worcester 44 78 165 Smith Leadership Academy Charter, Boston 59 78 181 Waltham Public Schools 378 77 181 Mohawk Trail Regional, Shelburne Falls 127 77 181 Middleborough Public Schools 295 77 181 Carver Public Schools 185 77 181 Clinton Public Schools 158 77 181 Blackstone-Millville Regional 198 77 181 Lee Public Schools 69 77 181 North Brookfield Public Schools 53 77 189 Seekonk Public Schools 184 76 189 Tantasqua Regional, Fiskdale 312 76 189 Stoughton Public Schools 342 76 189 Palmer Public Schools 208 76 189 Ayer Public Schools 87 76 189 Millbury Public Schools 170 76 189 Swansea Public Schools 171 76 189 Hampshire Regional, Westhampton 157 76 189 Spencer-East Brookfield Regional 196 76 189 Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter, Hyde Park 58 76 199 Dennis-Yarmouth Regional 330 75 199 Mashpee Public Schools 174 75 201 Quincy Public Schools 671 74 201 Neighborhood House Charter, Dorchester 23 74 201 Granby Public Schools 106 74 201 South Hadley Public Schools 192 74 201 Westfield Public Schools 536 74 201 Quaboag Regional, Warre 115 74 207 Watertown Public Schools 211 73 207 Framingham Public Schools 597 73 207 Saugus Public Schools 262 73 207 Dedham Public Schools 230 73 207 Dracut Public Schools 368 73 207 Nantucket Public Schools 99 73 207 Gloucester Public Schools 293 73 207 Florida Public Schools 11 73 215 Hudson Public Schools 222 72 215 Methuen Public Schools 619 72 215 Attleboro Public Schools 484 72 215 Leominster Public Schools 470 72 215 Easthampton Public Schools 141 72 220 Marlborough Public Schools 431 71 220 Westport Community Public Schools 165 71 220 Somerville Public Schools 342 71 220 West Springfield Public Schools 351 71 220 Holbrook Public Schools 101 71 225 Robert M. Hughes Academy Charter, Springfield 10 70 225 Gateway Regional, Huntington 109 70 225 Taunton Public Schools 726 70 225 Bourne Public Schools 243 70 229 Hull Public Schools 113 69 230 Abby Kelley Foster Charter, Worcester 54 68 230 Cambridge Public Schools 394 68 230 Athol-Royalston Regional 166 68 230 Greenfield Public Schools 161 68 230 Avon Public Schools 69 68 235 Adams-Cheshire Regional 146 67 235 Wareham Public Schools 295 67 235 Atlantis Charter, Fall River 52 67 238 Malden Public Schools 455 66 238 Medford Public Schools 405 66 238 Haverhill Public Schools 637 66 238 Gardner Public Schools 254 66 238 Fairhaven Public Schools 205 66 243 Clarksburg Public Schools 23 65 243 New Bedford Global Charter 69 65 243 Winchendon Public Schools 137 65 243 Gill-Montague Regional 109 65 247 Oxford Public Schools 189 64 248 Everett Public Schools 492 63 248 North Central Charter, Fitchburg 75 63 250 Ware Public Schools 118 62 250 Revere Public Schools 515 62 250 Salem Public Schools 369 62 250 Southbridge Public Schools 171 62 254 Lowell Community Charter 46 61 255 Provincetown Public Schools 17 59 256 Fitchburg Public Schools 456 58 256 Pittsfield Public Schools 475 58 256 Chicopee Public Schools 566 58 256 Randolph Public Schools 334 58 260 North Adams Public Schools