The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 33% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Avery
Avery is one of five elementary schools in the Dedham Public Schools, serving students in first through fifth grade out of a building on High Street in the town’s historic center. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and sits within a district that sends its older students to Dedham Middle School and Dedham High School. For a family looking at an elementary school in this part of Norfolk County, Avery represents a neighborhood school with a student body that is diverse in background and an academic performance profile that parents will want to examine closely.
On the state’s Next‑Generation MCAS assessments, Avery’s results for the most recent tested year place its overall proficiency level in the bottom quarter of school districts across Norfolk County. In math, roughly a third of students scored proficient or above; in English language arts, the share was similar; in science, again about a third. These are not strong figures when set against county-wide norms, and they have shown some year-to-year fluctuation without a clear upward trajectory over the past several years. Participation rates were high, so the results reflect nearly all enrolled students. A parent considering Avery would be wise to ask the school about its academic improvement strategies and any targeted support programs, especially given that the elementary years are foundational.
The student population at Avery is sizable for an elementary school of its grade span, with enrollment distributed fairly evenly across grades one through five. Demographically, the school is majority White, with a substantial Hispanic population and smaller shares of Black students and students of two or more races; Asian and other groups make up a very small portion. The school’s website and directory materials list it as a regular school, and no Title I status was reported. Data on economic disadvantage and special education identification were not available, which is a gap a parent may wish to fill by contacting the school or district directly.
Dedham itself is a historically rooted suburban town on Boston’s southwestern border, serving as the county seat of Norfolk County. Its housing market reflects the broader Boston region: homes are expensive, with typical values well above national medians, and rents are high. The town has a historic downtown, MBTA commuter rail and bus service to Boston, and a mix of older residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors. Major recent public investment includes a new public safety complex, though the district brief found no lasting changes in Dedham Public Schools’ operations or policies in the last four years. For families, the housing cost means that choosing Avery is often a choice tied to buying or renting in Dedham, where the trade-off involves high housing expense for proximity to Boston and access to the town’s amenities.
Avery is not a school that stands out for high test scores, and the available academic data should give pause to a family for whom strong elementary proficiency is a top priority. At the same time, it is a well-established, regular public school in a community with deep local identity and good transit links. A parent would want to visit, talk to the principal about how the school is working to raise achievement, and understand what enrichment or intervention programs exist. For a family that values a diverse, neighborhood-based elementary experience in a historic Boston suburb and is prepared to be engaged in supporting academic growth, Avery may be a reasonable fit. But the numbers suggest that the school faces real challenges in bringing all students to proficiency, and that is the central fact any prospective family should weigh.
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