The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in Math. The lowest is 21% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on S Christa Mcauliffe Elementary
SChrista McAuliffe Elementary serves children from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade in the city of Lowell, Massachusetts, as part of the Lowell Public Schools district. It is a regular public school, named for the teacher-astronaut, and its enrollment of roughly that size for an early-elementary school draws from a diverse neighborhood in the city. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial white population and smaller shares of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was not reported in the available data, nor were counts for students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent would need to contact the school directly for a fuller picture of the support services offered.
State testing in math and English language arts, administered through the NextGen MCAS to grades three and four, shows proficiency rates that fall well below the midpoint when compared with other school districts across Middlesex County. Overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades lands in the bottom quarter of that county-wide set. In the most recent results, math proficiency is below the average for the district’s elementary schools, and English language arts proficiency is similarly low. These results represent a continuation of a longer trend: both subjects have declined noticeably over the past several years. In math, proficiency has dropped from a higher level earlier in the 2010s to its current level. In ELA, the drop has been even more pronounced, with a steady slide from more than two-fifths proficient in the 2016-17 year to roughly one-fifth proficient now. The school’s participation rate on the tests was nearly complete, so the results reflect the performance of nearly every tested student.
Because McAuliffe serves only the early grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and the school does not offer the kinds of advanced coursework, career pathways, or dual-credit programs that matter to families of older students. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, and course access were not available, so it is not possible to assess those dimensions from the evidence at hand.
The housing market in the area around the school reflects conditions across Lowell and the wider Middlesex County region. Home values are moderate compared to some of the more expensive suburbs in the county, but affordability remains a concern relative to national benchmarks, with mortgage payments estimated to exceed typical rents. The local housing market has shown some softening in median listing prices recently, though the number of pending listings has risen sharply, indicating continued demand. For a family considering moving into the school’s attendance zone, the cost of entry is a real consideration, though not out of line with much of the greater Boston area.
Lowell itself is a mid-sized city with a long industrial history and a diverse population. The school is located on Beacon Street, and the district has not had any major changes publicly reported in the recent past that would affect a parent’s decision. No information about school-level programs, such as arts, music, physical education, or before- and after-care, was provided, so those questions would need to be answered by the school directly.
McAuliffe Elementary is a school where the academic results, based on state testing, are notably low relative to its county peers. A parent considering this school should look into what academic interventions and supports are in place, how the school addresses the learning gaps evident in the trend data, and what resources the district allocates to early literacy and math instruction. The school’s diversity and early-grade focus may appeal to families who value a neighborhood school environment, but the performance numbers raise questions that deserve a closer conversation with the principal and teachers.
See more original research from School Decision →