Lt Peter M Hansen, Canton MA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Lt Peter M Hansen

Lt Peter M Hansen is an elementary school in Canton, Massachusetts, serving kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Canton public school district. It is one of three elementary schools in the town, each drawing from a specific residential area. The school building sits adjacent to the William H Galvin Middle School, and the campus is separate from the town’s other schools and civic buildings, reflecting Canton’s distributed layout.

Academically, Hansen posts proficiency rates that place the school above the midpoint among districts in Norfolk County. On the state’s NextGen MCAS assessments, the share of students reaching proficient or advanced levels is solid across subjects, with science standing as a particular strength. The multi-year picture shows that proficiency in both English language arts and math has not returned to the levels seen in the years just before the pandemic. After a sharp dip in the 2020-21 school year, scores have recovered but remain below the peaks of the 2016-17 and 2017-18 school years. A parent may want to ask the school how it supports students who are still catching up and whether there are targeted interventions in place.

The student body is moderately sized for an elementary school and racially and ethnically diverse. White students form the largest group, and there are notable shares of Asian, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students. Information on how many students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners is not available in the data reviewed. That absence leaves an incomplete picture of the school’s economic and support needs, so a family would benefit from asking the school directly about these proportions and the resources available.

Canton itself is a suburban town southwest of downtown Boston, with a mix of residential neighborhoods and a substantial corporate presence. Several major companies maintain headquarters or large offices there, including Dunkin’ Brands and Computershare. The town has experienced steady population growth. Housing costs are high, typical of the Boston metro area, and the market shows demand that keeps homes expensive relative to national averages. The town is car-dependent, though MBTA commuter rail service at Canton Junction provides a rail connection to Boston. Schools are scattered across separate campuses rather than gathered in a walkable downtown.

The district brief for Canton schools turned up no recent major changes such as building projects, curriculum overhauls, or budget overrides that would affect the day-to-day experience for elementary families. That suggests a period of continuity, but it also means a parent may want to check directly with the district about any upcoming shifts.

For a family considering this school, the academic picture is one of above-county-average proficiency with room to strengthen post-pandemic recovery. The student body is more diverse than many suburban elementary schools in the region. The surrounding community offers strong employment and transportation links but at a high housing cost. The missing student-support data is a gap worth investigating.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grades 3-859%

School 59% · District 61% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

English language arts

Grades 3-861%

School 61% · District 59% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Science

Grades 3-866%

School 66% · District 59% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

This schoolCanton, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income21%Higher-income69%48 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income52%Higher-income73%21 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income33%Higher-income60%26 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income37%Higher-income67%30 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income16%Higher-income65%49 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income24%Higher-income78%54 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income27%Higher-income65%39 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income22%Higher-income70%48 pp gap