The top reported proficiency rate is 14% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Hayden/mcfadden
Hayden/McFadden is a regular public elementary school in New Bedford, Massachusetts, serving children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is one of the elementary buildings in the New Bedford Public Schools district, a system that has recently adopted a new three-year strategic plan emphasizing early childhood expansion, literacy improvement, and college and career readiness, and that is also navigating declining enrollment and discussing possible facility consolidation. For a family considering this school, those district-level dynamics may matter over time.
The school’s student body is diverse and predominantly Hispanic, with a notable share of Black students and a smaller white population, along with small numbers of Asian, American Indian, and multiracial students. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, on students with disabilities, and on English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports and resources.
Academically, the most recent state assessment results show that proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science are below the midpoint among districts in Bristol County. The school’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in the county. In math, about one in ten students scored at the proficient level or above; in ELA, roughly one in seven did; and in science, a very small share reached proficiency. These figures are from the MCAS tests given in grades three through five. The school participates fully, with near-universal test participation. Looking back over several years, proficiency rates have fluctuated: in ELA they were higher around 2017–2019, then dropped and have since leveled off at a lower rate; in math the pattern is similar, with a notable dip in 2021 and a partial recovery that has not returned to pre-2020 levels. The most recent year’s results are essentially flat compared to the year prior.
Because Hayden/McFadden serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it receives Title I funding is not listed in the data, so its status there is unclear. No information was provided on disciplinary actions, course access, or staffing ratios, so those are gaps a family would need to fill through a visit or inquiry.
The school sits in New Bedford, a densely populated, historically industrial port city on the Massachusetts South Coast. The port remains the highest-grossing commercial fishing port in the nation, and the city has a large Portuguese-American community and a growing offshore wind industry sector. Downtown New Bedford has a walkable historic district with cultural anchors like the Whaling Museum and the Whaling National Historical Park. The city’s housing market, based on recent data, shows a median listing price that is below the state benchmark but above the national one, and the typical home in the area is priced such that buying may require a substantial income relative to national averages. Rents are also a factor: the estimated monthly mortgage payment is higher than typical rent, which is unusual. The county housing market has seen an increase in pending listings recently, and homes tend to spend about a month on the market.
For a parent, Hayden/McFadden is a neighborhood elementary school in a mid-sized urban district with a rich local economy and culture. The academic numbers are low relative to the county and state, and a family would want to understand what interventions and supports the school offers, especially given the district’s stated focus on literacy and early childhood. The absence of data on supports for students learning English or those receiving special education services is a notable gap. The school’s size—it enrolls several hundred students across grades PK–5—means it is large enough to have grade-level peers but small enough that a child is not lost in a very large building. The building is located on Cedar Grove Street, in a residential area of the city. For families weighing school options, a direct conversation with the principal or a visit during a school day would likely provide the detail that the available public data does not.
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