Collins Middle, Salem MA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Collins Middle

Collins Middle is a regular public school in Salem, Massachusetts, serving sixth through eighth grade. It is part of the Salem school district. The school’s enrollment is moderate for a middle school, with student cohorts similarly sized across each grade. The student body is diverse, with the largest groups being students who identify as Hispanic or Latino, and those who identify as white, followed by smaller shares of students who are Black, Asian, and of two or more races.

On Massachusetts’ NextGen MCAS assessments, the school’s all-student proficiency rates were below the midpoint among districts in Essex County, placing in the bottom quartile for overall performance across tested subjects. In the most recent school year, the proficiency rate in English language arts was modest, while math and science were lower, and eighth-grade social studies was similarly low. A parent may want to ask the school what academic supports and interventions are in place. Historical data show that over the past several years, proficiency rates in both ELA and math have varied, with a dip during the pandemic period and some recovery in the most recent year for ELA, though math proficiency has remained relatively flat at a low level. The school had high participation rates on the assessments, meaning the results reflect nearly all enrolled students.

The school has not reported data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, nor on the number of students with individualized education plans or those who are English learners. A parent who wants to understand the level of economic diversity or special education services should ask the school or district directly. Discipline and staffing data were also not available in the provided information.

Salem itself is a compact, historic city with a mix of residential neighborhoods and a tourist-focused downtown. It is home to Salem State University and major cultural institutions like the Peabody Essex Museum. The city has several parks and conservation areas. Housing in the area is expensive, with home values and rents that are high relative to national benchmarks, and the local housing market has been active. The city has defined neighborhoods, and the school sits in a residential area. This context matters for families because it shapes the peer environment and the kind of community students experience outside school.

The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, so its student body reflects the neighborhood and city it draws from. It offers no special admissions criteria. A parent considering Collins Middle should weigh the school’s modest academic attainment results against the city’s urban, historic setting and the district’s approach to supporting middle school students. The proficiency numbers suggest that many students are not meeting state benchmarks, which could be a concern for families focused on high academic performance, though it also means the school likely serves a wide range of learners. The lack of program and course-access data means families cannot evaluate from this information alone what elective or advanced options are available.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grades 3-821%

School 21% · District 24% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

English language arts

Grades 3-833%

School 33% · District 32% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Science

Grades 3-833%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 823%

School 23% · District 22% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

This schoolSalem, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income22%Higher-income53%31 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income21%Higher-income55%34 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income17%Higher-income58%40 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income20%Higher-income56%35 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income11%Higher-income36%25 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income11%Higher-income35%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income11%Higher-income41%30 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income11%Higher-income38%27 pp gap