The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in Math. The lowest is 22% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on John J Shaughnessy
John J Shaughnessy is an elementary school in Lowell, Massachusetts, serving students from prekindergarten through fourth grade. It is a regular public school within the Lowell school district, located in the city’s Gorham Street neighborhood. Because it serves only early elementary grades, there is no graduation rate or high school programming to consider, and state testing data applies only to grades three and four.
The school enrolls a diverse student body. The largest demographic groups are students who identify as Hispanic and Asian, followed by White students, and smaller shares of students who identify as Black or as two or more races. Data on the share of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, on students with individualized education plans, and on English learners was not available. Given the school’s location and the demographics of Lowell, a parent may want to ask the school directly about the supports available for multilingual learners and for students receiving special education services.
On the Massachusetts Next Generation MCAS assessments for the most recent school year, Shaughnessy’s students recorded proficiency rates that are low. In both English language arts and math, roughly one-quarter of students scored at the proficient level or above. This places the school in the bottom quartile of elementary schools within its county, when measured by a combined proficiency index across tested subjects. Multi-year trend data show a clear pattern: proficiency rates were higher before the pandemic, in the mid-to-upper forties, then dropped sharply and have remained in the low-to-mid twenties in recent years. The current results represent a notable shift from the school’s prior performance. A parent looking at these numbers would be right to explore what academic interventions, tutoring, or curriculum supports are in place to address this trajectory.
The local housing market is expensive, consistent with the broader Middlesex County region. Home values and rental costs are well above national medians, reflecting the pressure of the greater Boston economy. The county’s housing market is active, with a healthy number of listings and quick turnover. For families renting, mortgage payments would be significantly higher than median rents, a gap that affects affordability for many households.
No recent district-level changes or initiatives of lasting impact were found through the available research, so that aspect of the school’s context is not addressed here. No information on course offerings, staffing, discipline, or attendance was reported for this school.
John J Shaughnessy is a neighborhood elementary school with a diverse student body and a staff that serves the youngest grades in Lowell. Its current academic results are weak relative to peer schools in the county, and the multi-year trend has not yet reversed. Families considering this school should weigh its small, early-elementary setting and demographic mix against the academic recovery it appears to still be navigating. For a parent, a direct conversation with the principal about current instructional strategies and student support resources would be a natural next step.
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