Lowest-scoring schools on the 8th-grade MCAS

Schools are ranked on the percentage of students failing the 8th grade MCAS exams, taken in the spring of 2006. Readers should keep several cautions in mind: A ranking can make too much of small differences; districts ranking far apart on the list may have only slightly different scores. Districts draw students from communities that vary widely in wealth, the education level of parents, and other factors. Also, the share of students in special education, or with English as a second language, vary greatly. Source: Boston Globe calculations from Mass. Department of Education figures.

8th GRADE ENGLISH 2006 Rank District, school name Number tested % Failing 1 Brockton, B.B. Russell Alternative School 19 89% 2 Chicopee, Chicopee Academy 13 54% 3 Boston, William McKinley 34 53% 4 Fall River, Fall River Alt 14 43% 5 Boston, Orchard Gardens 88 39% 6 Revere, Seacoast School 22 36% 7 Holyoke, Holyoke Intensive Prog 14 36% 8 Springfield, John J. Duggan Middle School 188 32% 9 Chelsea, Joseph A. Browne Elementary 104 30% 10 Holyoke, Kelly Elementary 44 30% 11 Holyoke, Dr. William R. Peck Middle School 127 29% 12 Holyoke, Maurice A. Donahue Elementary 60 28% 13 Brockton, East Jr. High School 310 28% 14 Boston, Patrick F. Gavin Middle School 176 28% 15 Lawrence, Gerard A. Guilmette 155 28% 16 Lawrence, James F. Leonard 107 27% 17 Lowell, Kathryn P. Stoklosa Middle School 129 26% 18 Springfield, Chestnut Street Middle School 383 26% 19 Holyoke, E. N. White Elementary 40 25% 19 Boston, Mildred Avenue Middle School 184 25% 19 Lynn, Welcoming Middle School 12 25% 22 Boston, New Boston Pilot Middle School 210 24% 23 Boston, Lewis Middle School 99 24% 24 Lowell, Henry J. Robinson Middle School 153 24% 25 Fall River, Edmond P. Talbot Middle School 207 24% 26 Boston, Dearborn 147 23% 27 Lawrence, Alexander B. Bruce 84 23% 28 Boston, Clarence R. Edwards Middle School 127 22% 29 Springfield, Van Sickle Middle School 318 21% 30 Chelsea, Eugene Wright Elementary 124 21% 31 Springfield, M. Marcus Kiley Middle School 270 20% 32 Worcester, Sullivan Middle School 444 20% 33 Fitchburg, Memorial Intermediate 105 20% 34 Lawrence, Emily G. Wetherbee 81 20% 35 Lawrence, South Lawrence East Middle School 133 20% 36 Lawrence, Arlington Middle School 119 19% 37 Boston, Umana/Barnes Middle School 192 19% 38 Holyoke, Lt. Clayre Sullivan Elementary 69 19% 39 Pittsfield, John T. Reid Middle School 214 19% 40 Lynn, Thurgood Marshall Middle School 220 19% 41 Boston, Mary E. Curley Middle School 199 19% 42 Holyoke, John J. Lynch Middle School 108 19% 43 Worcester, Worcester East Middle School 299 18% 44 Worcester, Burncoat Middle School 323 18% 45 Boston, Grover Cleveland 126 18% 46 Lowell, James Sullivan Middle School 157 18% 47 Boston, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School 85 18% 47 Lowell, Bartlett Community Partnership 51 18% 49 Boston, Woodrow Wilson Middle School 148 18% 50 Lawrence, Henry K. Oliver 92 17% 51 New Bedford, Normandin Middle School 414 16% 52 Boston, John W. McCormack 203 16% 53 Gill-Montague Regional, Great Falls Middle School 105 16% 54 New Bedford, Roosevelt Middle School 272 16% 55 North Adams, Silvio O. Conte Middle School 153 16% 56 Boston, Solomon Lewenberg Middle School 122 16% 57 Cambridge, Fletcher/Maynard Academy 13 15% 58 Boston, Thomas A. Edison Jr. High School 164 15% 59 Springfield, John F. Kennedy Middle School 198 15% 59 Lawrence, Edward F. Parthum 132 15% 61 Lynn, Lynn Voc Tech Institute 95 15% 62 Brockton, South Jr. High School 306 15% 63 Chicopee, Bellamy Middle School 270 14% 64 Somerville, Winter Hill Community 63 14% 65 New Leadership Charter School 99 14% 66 Lowell, Dr. An Wang School 145 14% 67 Fall River, Henry Lord Middle School 204 13% 68 Lowell, E. N. Rogers 159 13% 69 Lowell, B.F.Butler Middle School 130 13% 70 Benjamin Banneker Charter School 23 13% 71 Haverhill, Dr. Paul Nettle 169 13% 72 Worcester, Accelerated Learning Lab 63 13% 73 Malden, Salemwood 134 13% 74 Revere, Garfield Middle School 224 13% 75 Methuen, Marsh Grammar School 145 12% 76 Lawrence, Robert Frost 105 12% 77 Taunton, James L. Mulcahey 130 12% 78 Worcester, Forest Grove Middle School 447 12% 79 Lawrence Family Dev Charter School 50 12% 80 Springfield, Forest Park Middle School 292 12% 81 Salem, Collins Middle School 295 12% 82 Webster, Bartlett Jr.-Sr. High School 152 11% 83 Chelsea, Clark Avenue School 127 11% 84 Lowell Community Charter School 46 11% 84 Springfield, Elias Brookings 46 11% 86 Brockton, North Jr. High School 324 11% 87 Greenfield, Greenfield Middle School 150 11% 88 Cambridge, King Open School 47 11% 89 Quincy, Reay E. Sterling Middle School 104 11% 90 Chicopee, Fairview Middle School 247 11% 91 Somerville, John F. Kennedy 68 10% 92 New Bedford, Keith Middle School 322 10% 93 Pittsfield, Theodore Herberg Middle School 235 10% 94 Ware, Ware High School 108 10% 95 Medford, John J. McGlynn Middle School 193 10% 96 Cambridge, Kennedy-Longfellow School 51 10% 97 Cambridge, Morse School 41 10% 98 Waltham, John F. Kennedy Middle School 165 10% 99 Boston, James P. Timilty Middle School 208 10% 100 Uphams Corner Charter School 63 10% 101 Everett, Parlin School 106 9% 102 Boston, Washington Irving Middle School 214 9% 103 Everett, Lafayette School 119 9% 103 Leominster, Southeast Middle School 119 9% 105 Boston, Lyndon 33 9% 106 Fall River, Morton Middle School 233 9% 107 Haverhill, John G. Whittier 124 9% 108 West Springfield, West Springfield Middle School 341 9% 109 Randolph, Randolph Community Middle School 307 9% 110 Clarksburg, Clarksburg Elementary 23 9% 110 Nantucket, Cyrus Peirce School 92 9% 112 Fitchburg, Academy Middle School 174 9% 113 Wareham, Wareham Middle School 282 9% 114 Framingham, Fuller Middle School 213 8% 115 Taunton, Joseph H. Martin 190 8% 116 Gardner, Gardner Middle School 239 8% 117 Lynn, Breed Middle School 300 8% 117 Malden, Ferryway 96 8% 117 Lynn, Cobbet Elementary 60 8% 120 Brockton, West Jr. High School 303 8% 121 Fairhaven, Hastings Middle School 194 8% 122 Easthampton, White Brook Middle School 137 8% 123 Westport, Westport Middle School 163 8% 124 Methuen, Tenney Grammar School 164 8% 125 Fall River, Matthew J. Kuss Middle School 190 8% 125 Boston, Harbor School 76 8% 127 Framingham, Walsh Middle School 191 8% 128 Avon, Avon Middle High School 65 8% 128 Atlantis Charter School 52 8% 130 Lynn, Pickering Middle School 209 8% 131 Medford, Madeleine Dugger Andrews 187 7% 132 Abby Kelley Foster Charter School 54 7% 133 Oxford, Oxford Middle School 176 7% 134 New Bedford Global Learning Charter School 69 7% 135 Dracut, Lakeview Junior High 360 7% 136 Northampton, John F. Kennedy Middle School 237 7% 137 Springfield, Alfred G. Zanetti 14 7% 137 Cambridge, Martin Luther King Jr. School 14 7% 137 Athol-Royalston Regional, Athol-Royalston Middle School 154 7% 140 Marlborough, Marlborough High School 414 7% 141 Malden, Forestdale 43 7% 142 Southbridge, Mary E. Wells Jr. High School 159 7% 143 Lowell, James S. Daley Middle School 190 7% 144 Peabody, J. Henry Higgins Middle School 492 7% 145 Carver, Carver Middle School 179 7% 146 Boston, Quincy Upper School 60 7% 146 Haverhill, Caleb Dustin Hunking 135 7% 148 Haverhill, Consentino 167 7% 149 Ralph Mahar Regional, Ralph C. Mahar Regional High School 123 7% 150 Palmer, Palmer High School 200 7% 151 Tisbury, Tisbury Elementary 31 6% 152 Gloucester, Ralph B. O'Maley Middle School 282 6% 153 Tantasqua Regional, Tantasqua Regional Jr. High School 298 6% 154 Malden, Linden 63 6% 155 Quabbin Regional, Quabbin Regional Middle School 284 6% 156 Millbury, Millbury Jr./Sr. High School 164 6% 157 Revere, Beachmont Middle School 231 6% 158 Watertown, Watertown Middle School 202 6% 159 Lee, Lee High School 68 6% 159 Berkley, Berkley Middle School 119 6% 161 Saugus, Belmonte Saugus Middle School 256 6% 162 Mount Greylock Regional, Mt. Greylock Regional High School 122 6% 163 Boston, William B. Rogers Middle School 177 6% 164 Hudson, Hudson High School 215 6% 165 Cambridge, Peabody School 36 6% 165 Cambridge, Graham and Parks School 36 6% 167 Everett, Madeline English School 73 5% 167 Attleboro, Robert J. Coelho Middle School 146 5% 169 Methuen, Comprehensive Grammar School 128 5% 169 Tewksbury, John W. Wynn Middle School 384 5% 171 Westfield, North Middle School 293 5% 172 Framingham, Cameron Middle School 169 5% 173 Taunton, John F. Parker Middle School 132 5% 174 Community Charter School of Cambridge 38 5% 175 Silver Lake Regional, Silver Lake Regional Middle School 324 5% 176 Granville, Granville Village 40 5% 177 Adams-Cheshire Regional, Adams Middle School 142 5% 178 Middleborough, John T. Nichols Middle School 286 5% 179 South Hadley, Michael E. Smith Middle School 186 5% 180 Fitchburg, B. F. Brown Arts Vision School 146 5% 181 Norton, Norton Middle School 274 5% 182 Falmouth, Lawrence 339 5% 183 Quincy, Broad Meadows Middle School 106 5% 183 Dennis-Yarmouth Regional, N. H. Wixon Middle School 106 5% 185 Barnstable, Barnstable Middle School 509 5% 186 Quincy, Point Webster Middle School 85 5% 186 Dighton-Rehoboth Regional, Dorothy L. Beckwith School 170 5% 186 Swansea, Joseph Case Jr. High School 170 5% 189 Westfield, South Middle School 216 5% 190 Attleboro, Cyril K. Brennan Middle School 157 4% 191 Weymouth, Abigail Adams Middle School 203 4% 192 Quaboag Regional, Quaboag Regional High School 113 4% 193 Agawam, Agawam Jr. High School 342 4% 194 Boston, Sarah Greenwood 23 4% 195 Nashoba Regional, Luther Burbank Middle School 94 4% 196 Leominster, Sky View Middle School 165 4% 197 Amesbury, Amesbury Middle School 189 4% 198 Douglas, Douglas High School 119 4% 199 Winthrop, Winthrop Middle School 167 4% 200 Bellingham, Bellingham Memorial Middle School 216 4% 201 Lynn, Robert L. Ford 97 4% 202 Mohawk Trail Regional, Mohawk Trail Regional High School 123 4% 203 North Central Charter Essential School 75 4% 203 Braintree, East Middle School 225 4% 205 Granby, Granby Jr.-Sr. High School 102 4% 206 Bourne, Bourne Middle School 231 4% 207 Carlisle, Carlisle School 103 4% 208 Boston, Maurice J. Tobin 26 4% 208 Sandwich, Forestdale 104 4% 210 Triton Regional, Triton Regional Middle School 287 4% 211 Dennis-Yarmouth Regional, Mattacheese Middle School 209 4% 212 Nauset Regional, Nauset Regional Middle School 210 4% 213 Billerica, Marshall Middle School 290 4% 214 Plymouth, Plymouth South Middle School 211 4% 215 Blackstone-Millville Regional, Blackstone-Millville Regional Middle School 187 4% 216 North Middlesex Regional, Nissitissit Middle School 214 4% 217 Hull, Memorial Middle School 108 4% 218 Plymouth, Plymouth Community Intermediate School 433 4% 219 Leominster, Samoset School 165 4% 220 Beverly, Briscoe Middle School 336 4% 220 Newton, Bigelow Middle School 168 4% 222 Wakefield, Galvin Middle School 258 3% 223 Walpole, Bird Middle School 146 3% 224 Stoughton, O'Donnell Middle School 323 3% 225 Whitman-Hanson Regional, Whitman Middle School 208 3% 226 Seekonk, Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School 179 3% 227 Marblehead, Marblehead Veterans Middle School 211 3% 228 Malden, Beebe 91 3% 229 Mansfield, Harold L. Qualters Middle School 397 3% 230 Woburn, John F. Kennedy Middle School 184 3% 231 Dedham, Dedham Middle School 215 3% 231 Auburn, Auburn Middle School 215 3% 233 Spencer-East Brookfield Regional, Knox Trail Jr. High School 187 3% 234 Natick, Wilson Middle School 188 3% 235 Hampshire Regional, Hampshire Regional High School 157 3% 236 Cambridge, Cambridgeport School 32 3% 237 Holliston, Robert H. Adams Middle School 226 3% 238 Billerica, Locke Middle School 227 3% 239 Acushnet, Albert F. Ford Middle School 130 3% 239 Berkshire Hills Regional, Monument Valley Regional Middle School 130 3% 241 Mashpee, Mashpee High School 164 3% 242 Everett, George Keverian School 99 3% 242 North Andover, North Andover Middle School 396 3% 242 Four Rivers Charter School 33 3% 245 East Longmeadow, Birchland Park 232 3% 246 Whitman-Hanson Regional, Hanson Middle School 166 3% 247 Norwood, Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School 299 3% 248 Abington, Frolio Jr. High School 201 3% 248 Brookline, Pierce 67 3% 250 Quincy, Central Middle School 203 3% 250 Belchertown, Jabish Middle School 203 3% 252 Danvers, Holten Richmond Middle School 305 3% 253 Southern Berkshire Regional, Mt Everett Regional 68 3% 253 River Valley Charter School 34 3% 255 Milford, Milford Middle East 307 3% 256 Burlington, Marshall Simonds Middle School 274 3% 257 Amherst-Pelham Regional, Amherst Regional Middle School 277 3% 258 Brookline, John D. Runkle 35 3% 259 Uxbridge, Whitin Intermediate 176 3% 260 Southwick-Tolland Regional, Powder Mill School 141 3% 261 Pembroke, Pembroke Community Middle School 248 3% 262 Cambridge, John M. Tobin School 36 3% 263 Newton, Charles E. Brown Middle School 253 3% 264 West Boylston, West Boylston Jr.-Sr. High School 109 3% 265 Bridgewater-Raynham Regional, Raynham Middle School 182 3% 266 Salem Academy Charter School 38 3% 266 East Bridgewater, Gordon W. Mitchell 190 3% 266 Foxborough, John J. Ahern 228 3% 266 Foxboro Regional Charter School 76 3% 270 Taunton, Benjamin Friedman Middle School 229 3% 271 Monson, Granite Valley Middle School 115 3% 272 Stoneham, Stoneham Middle School 231 3% 273 South Shore Charter School 39 3% 274 Methuen, Donald P. Timony Grammar 157 3% 275 Weymouth, Maria Weston Chapman Middle School 319 3% 276 Attleboro, Wamsutta Middle School 162 2% 277 Hatfield, Smith Academy 41 2% 278 Narragansett Regional, Narragansett Middle School 124 2% 279 Ashburnham-Westminster Regional, Overlook Middle School 208 2% 280 Georgetown, Georgetown Middle/High School 126 2% 281 King Philip Regional, King Philip Regional Middle School 425 2% 282 Pentucket Regional, Pentucket Regional Middle School 256 2% 283 Winchendon, Murdock Middle/High School 129 2% 284 Ipswich, Ipswich Middle School 173 2% 285 Seven Hills Charter School 44 2% 285 Cambridge, Maria L. Baldwin School 44 2% 287 Christa McAuliffe Regional Charter School 89 2% 288 Frontier Regional, Frontier Regional 134 2% 289 Rockland, John W. Rogers Middle School 179 2% 290 Old Rochester Regional, Old Rochester Regional Jr. High School 224 2% 291 Pioneer Valley Charter School 45 2% 292 Ludlow, Paul R. Baird Middle School 227 2% 293 Grafton, Grafton Middle School 182 2% 294 Central Berkshire Regional, Nessacus Regional Middle School 184 2% 294 West Tisbury Regional, West Tisbury Elementary 46 2% 294 Wachusett Regional, Thomas Prince School 46 2% 294 Oak Bluffs, Oak Bluffs Elementary 46 2% 298 North Attleborough, North Attleborough Middle School 369 2% 299 Boston, Richard J. Murphy 47 2% 299 Hopedale, Hopedale Jr.-Sr. High School 94 2% 301 Northborough, Robert E. Melican Middle School 236 2% 302 Ashland, Ashland Middle School 191 2% 303 Lowell, Joseph G. Pyne 48 2% 304 Somerset, Somerset Middle School 195 2% 305 Newton, Oak Hill Middle School 198 2% 306 Somerville, East Somerville Community School 50 2% 306 Clinton, Clinton Middle School 150 2% 306 Murdoch Middle Charter School 50 2% 309 Quincy, Atlantic Middle School 151 2% 310 Sabis International Charter School 101 2% 311 North Middlesex Regional, Hawthorne Brook 205 2% 312 Freetown-Lakeville Regional, Freetown-Lakeville Middle School 262 2% 313 North Brookfield, North Brookfield High School 53 2% 313 Salem, Federal Street 53 2% 313 Woburn, Daniel L. Joyce Middle School 159 2% 316 Gateway Regional, Gateway Regional Middle School 107 2% 316 Hampden-Wilbraham Regional, Wilbraham Middle School 214 2% 318 Lynnfield, Lynnfield Middle School 169 2% 319 Groton-Dunstable Regional, Groton-Dunstable Regional Middle School 228 2% 320 Braintree, South Middle School 173 2% 321 Dartmouth, Dartmouth Middle School 351 2% 322 Hamilton-Wenham Regional, Miles River Middle School 181 2% 323 Milton, Charles S. Pierce Middle School 302 2% 324 Needham, Pollard Middle School 370 2% 325 Shrewsbury, Oak Middle School 433 2% 326 Brookline, Edith C. Baker 63 2% 327 Longmeadow, Williams Middle School 127 2% 328 Brookline, Edward Devotion 64 2% 329 Waltham, John W. McDevitt Middle School 196 2% 329 Mendon-Upton Regional, Nipmuc Regional High School 196 2% 331 Natick, John F. Kennedy Middle School 131 2% 332 Prospect Hill Academy Charter School 66 2% 333 Hopkinton, Hopkinton Middle School 266 2% 334 Sharon, Sharon Middle School 268 1% 335 Westford, Blanchard Middle School 202 1% 336 Melrose, Melrose Middle School 270 1% 337 Westford, Stony Brook School 212 1% 338 Lunenburg, Turkey Hill Middle School 142 1% 339 Westborough, Sarah W. Gibbons Middle School 287 1% 340 Rising Tide Charter School 72 1% 341 Sutton, Sutton Middle School 145 1% 342 Hampden-Wilbraham Regional, Thornton Burgess School 73 1% 343 Mystic Valley Regional Charter School 74 1% 344 Medfield, Thomas Blake Middle School 228 1% 345 Lenox, Lenox Memorial High School 78 1% 346 Chelmsford, McCarthy Middle School 238 1% 347 Franklin, Remington Middle School 160 1% 348 Reading, Arthur W. Coolidge Middle School 166 1% 349 Newburyport, Rupert A. Nock Middle School 174 1% 349 Reading, Walter S. Parker Middle School 174 1% 351 Hingham, Hingham Middle School 265 1% 352 Weston, Weston Middle School 177 1% 353 Manchester-Essex Regional, Manchester Essex Regional Middle/High School 89 1% 354 West Bridgewater, W. Bridgewater Jr.-Sr. High School 90 1% 354 Acton-Boxborough Regional, Raymond J. Grey Regional Jr. High 450 1%