The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in Science. The lowest is 53% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Col Moses Parker School
Col Moses Parker School serves fifth and sixth graders in the Chelmsford public school system. Because it is a middle school that does not include the high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report here. The school sits in the center ring of a suburban town roughly a half-hour’s drive northwest of Boston. Chelmsford is primarily residential, with a traditional town center, several distinct neighborhoods such as North Chelmsford and South Chelmsford, and river borders along the Merrimack and Concord. The town’s population grew sharply in the mid-20th century when U.S. Route 3 was extended, and growth has been more gradual since then. Housing values in the zip code served by the school sit comfortably above both state and national benchmarks, and rents are high relative to local income, which suggests a community with a fairly strong economic base.
Parker School’s student body is racially and ethnically diverse. A substantial majority of students are White, with a significant Asian representation, and smaller shares of Hispanic, Black, multiracial, and Native American students. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was not available, and information on students with individualized education plans and English learners was also absent. A parent may want to ask the school about these numbers directly if they are trying to understand the range of student support needs in the building.
On the Next Generation MCAS, the state’s main assessment, a majority of Parker students scored at the proficient level or above in English language arts and science. In math, the proficient share came in a few points lower, though still a clear majority. Across all tested subjects combined, the school’s overall proficiency places it above the midpoint among the many districts that abut or lie within Middlesex County. This is a solid result for a public school, though not at the top of the regional pack. The trend data show that proficiency rates here dropped noticeably during the pandemic years and have not yet returned to the higher marks the school posted in the pre-pandemic period. In both math and English, the recovery has been gradual and the most recent year’s scores are still below what the school achieved several years ago. That pattern is common across many schools in the region and nationally, but for a parent weighing options it is worth noting that the school is still rebuilding ground.
Parker School is a regular public school that is not a charter or a magnet. The district, Chelmsford Public Schools, is currently engaged in a feasibility study through the Massachusetts School Building Authority for Chelmsford High School. That process could lead to a significant renovation or replacement of the high school building and would likely come before voters as a debt exclusion. For families with a fifth or sixth grader, this is a future-facing issue that could affect the quality of the high school their child will attend and the town’s tax picture in the years ahead.
What this school offers is a middle-grades experience in a community with above-average housing costs and a stable suburban setting. The academic picture is respectable but not elite, with room for recovery from the pandemic dip, particularly in math. The school serves a large enough student body that a typical range of classroom groupings and electives is likely, though specific program offerings were not detailed in the available data. For a family looking for a solid middle school in a well-resourced town with a clear path to a public high school that may see major facility upgrades, Parker is within the mainstream of what Massachusetts suburban public schools provide.
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