The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in Science. The lowest is 42% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Otis Elementary School
Otis Elementary School serves prekindergarten through grade six in East Boston, a dense, urban neighborhood of Boston shaped by Logan International Airport, a strong immigrant population, and a mix of triple-decker housing and new waterfront development. The school is a regular public school within the Boston Public Schools system, and because it does not serve high school grades, it has no graduation rate to report.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial white minority and small shares of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, receive special education services, or are English learners was not available. A parent or guardian may want to ask the school directly about these supports.
On the state’s NextGen MCAS assessments, Otis posted proficiency rates that placed its overall performance across tested subjects and grades in the top quartile relative to districts in Suffolk County. In English language arts, about four in ten students scored proficient or above, and the same held in math. In science, about the same share of students met the proficiency bar. Participation rates on the tests were high, above nine in nine students tested.
Looking across recent years, the school’s proficiency in English language arts has moved upward gradually from the mid-thirties to the low forties. Math proficiency has fluctuated more, with a notable dip during the 2020-21 school year followed by a recovery to roughly the low forties. The data does not show a clean multi-year trend line, but the general direction in both subjects has been modestly upward or stable since the pandemic disruption.
The school is neighborhood-based in East Boston, a community that was the first planned neighborhood in Boston, laid out on a grid. The MBTA Blue Line and ferry service connect residents to downtown Boston. Logan Airport is the dominant employer, and the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway, a shared-use path along a former rail line, runs through the area. The neighborhood has experienced significant new housing development in recent years, along with accompanying pressures around gentrification and displacement. Housing values in the zip code are high, and rents are steep, consistent with Boston’s broader market.
No information was available on school programs such as music, arts, language offerings, or after-school activities. The district brief for Boston Public Schools turned up no recent district-level policy or budget changes of lasting impact. A family considering Otis should ask the school directly about enrichment offerings, class sizes, and support structures for English learners and students with disabilities, since those data points were not provided.
The findings on test performance give a picture of a school whose students are meeting proficiency at rates above the midpoint of Suffolk County districts, but where roughly half of students are not yet scoring at the proficient level. This is not unusual for an urban elementary school serving a high-needs population, but it is a reality a parent would want to understand by talking with the school about academic interventions, differentiation, and how the school supports students who are still developing foundational skills. In a neighborhood that is changing rapidly and where housing costs are high, Otis represents a neighborhood school within a large district that has many competing options; a family’s level of comfort with the school will depend heavily on what they learn about the classroom environment and support systems beyond the assessment data.
See more original research from School Decision →