The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in English language arts. The lowest is 24% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Broad Meadows Middle
Broad Meadows Middle is a regular public school in Quincy, Massachusetts, serving grades six through eight. It sits within a dense, urban city that functions as one of Boston’s immediate southern suburbs, with direct Red Line subway access, a busy downtown core, and a mix of residential neighborhoods from Wollaston to Squantum. Quincy has a strong immigrant community and a growing professional and service economy, and its housing market is expensive, with homes and rents well above national averages. That context matters for families making a school choice: the cost of living here is high, and the schools are part of a city system that draws families who want Boston proximity.
Academically, the picture at Broad Meadows is mixed, with clear soft spots. On the NextGen MCAS assessments, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Norfolk County. That is a weak position. In English language arts, proficiency rates have moved in a distinguishable pattern: they were about half of students in the years before the pandemic, dropped sharply during the disruption, and have since recovered to roughly the same level they held a few years ago. That is a moderate performance, though still below the county midpoint. Math tells a harder story. Proficiency was already modest before the pandemic, then fell steeply and has not recovered. The most recent results show math proficiency at a low level, trailing noticeably behind the district and county averages. Science and social studies results, which are tested at specific grade levels, also show below-average performance. Participation rates at the school are high, so these results reflect nearly all enrolled students.
The student body is diverse. Roughly half of the students are white, about a quarter are Asian, and smaller shares are Black, Hispanic, or multiracial. The school does not report the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, nor does it provide counts for students with disabilities or English learners. Those are meaningful gaps for a parent trying to understand the level of economic diversity or the extent of special education and language support. Without that data, a family considering the school may want to ask directly about the range of student needs and the resources allocated to meet them.
The school environment itself is largely uncharacterized in the available data. There is no information on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, or course access. Quincy Public Schools, the parent district, shows no recent parent-relevant changes from public search results. The district brief turned up no specific developments like boundary shifts, program launches, or leadership transitions.
For a parent, the choice of Broad Meadows Middle will likely hinge on what they prioritize. The school is situated in a high-cost, transit-connected city with strong civic anchors and ongoing redevelopment. The student population is racially and ethnically diverse, a draw for families seeking that kind of peer environment. But academic results are below the county median, and math in particular is an area of concern. The missing data on economic need, special education, English learner services, and student behavior means the full picture of student support is not visible from the public record. A parent with a child who may need additional academic help, or who wants to know how students of different backgrounds are faring, will need to follow up with the school directly. For families who value location and diversity and are comfortable investigating the academic environment further, Broad Meadows fits that profile. Others may find the achievement levels a limiting factor in a metro area with many higher-performing options.
See more original research from School Decision →