The top reported proficiency rate is 56% in Math. The lowest is 43% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Annie Sullivan Middle School
Annie Sullivan Middle School is one of four middle schools within the Franklin public school system, serving grades six through eight. It is a regular public school in a district that the town’s official website promotes for its strong neighborhoods and responsive government. The school itself sits in Franklin, a growing suburban community with a traditional downtown core, Dean College at its center, and commuter rail service into Boston.
The student body is enrolled at around the size typical for a middle school of its grade band. Enrollment data shows a school community that is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Asian, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students. Information on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, who receive special education services, or who are English learners is not available in the data; a family with specific concerns in these areas may want to ask the school directly.
On state assessments, Annie Sullivan Middle School’s performance lands in a particular spot on the regional map. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint among districts in Norfolk County. In math, roughly half of students scored proficient or above, a figure that has edged down since the years just before the pandemic, when it was higher. In English language arts, the share of students meeting proficiency is around the same level, and that measure has also declined from earlier highs. In science, tested only at grade eight, the proficiency rate is lower, though the school participates at a rate that suggests complete student engagement. Social studies, also assessed in grade eight, shows a proficiency rate similar to the school’s ELA and math numbers. A parent looking at these trends may want to follow up with the school on how the curriculum and support structures have shifted over the past several years.
The school itself reports complete or near-complete participation on all state tests, which is a positive signal that students are showing up for the assessments. Multi-year data shows that proficiency in both reading and math has not returned to the levels seen in the last fully pre-pandemic school year. This pattern is not unusual across many schools, but it is worth noting that the downward trend has been sustained over several consecutive years.
The community context matters here. Franklin has a mix of residential neighborhoods, commercial corridors, and light industry, and it recently completed a new high school building. The town has grown at a notable pace, and housing values and rents are high, reflecting its position as a desirable outer suburb of Boston with commuter rail access. Publicly reported details note the town’s historic public library, Dean College, and recreational land as civic anchors.
The district itself provided little in the way of recent strategic changes or referendums in the available information, so there is no clear signal of major curriculum shifts or budget overrides on the horizon.
Annie Sullivan Middle School offers a regular academic pathway for its grade span in a district that has multiple middle schools. The proficiency picture is a mixed one: the school sits on the lower end of the county distribution, and recent academic performance has not rebounded from pre-COVID peaks. For a family weighing this school, the main practical question is how the school addresses these academic trends in the classroom. The school’s demographics reflect the broader Franklin community, and the town’s growth and amenities are well established. The absence of certain data points such as chronic absenteeism, course access, and discipline means that a fuller picture of the school climate would require a direct inquiry with the school or a visit.
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