The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Frank H Freedman
Frank H Freedman is a regular public elementary school in Springfield, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is one of the many neighborhood schools within the Springfield district, the largest school system in western Massachusetts. The school is located on a residential street in the city’s 01109 zip code, an area of the city that, like much of Springfield, features a mix of older housing stock and ongoing revitalization efforts.
The student body at Freedman is diverse and reflects the demographics of the city itself. The largest group of students is Hispanic, followed by a substantial Black population, a smaller share of white students, and smaller numbers of Asian, multiracial, and American Indian students. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, as well as the number of students with disabilities or who are English learners, was not available in the records reviewed. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its specific support programs for these populations.
Academically, the story at Freedman is one of a strong and recent upward trend in English language arts, coupled with more modest performance in mathematics. On the most recent state assessments, a majority of students met or exceeded expectations in ELA, a result that places the school’s overall proficiency across all tested subjects in the top quarter of schools relative to other districts in Hampden County. This is a significant development. Looking back over the past several years, ELA proficiency has climbed notably from lower levels, including a dip during the pandemic years, to reach its current high point. Science results, where available for one tested grade, also showed a majority of students reaching proficiency.
The math picture is more challenging. In the most recent testing, about three in ten students scored proficient or better. That figure has been relatively stable over the last few years, hovering in a similar band after an earlier dip during the pandemic. While this is not out of line with many other schools in the district and county, it is an area where a family may want to understand what interventions or curriculum supports the school offers. The school’s overall proficiency index, combining all subjects, lands it in a strong position compared to its peers in Hampden County, but that strength is driven largely by the ELA and science scores.
Because Freedman serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to consider, and measures like chronic absenteeism were also missing from the available data. The school’s participation rate on state tests was very high, which strengthens the reliability of the reported results.
Springfield itself provides the broader context. It is the urban and economic hub of the Pioneer Valley, a city with a rich history as the birthplace of basketball and the home of Merriam-Webster and Smith & Wesson. Major employers like MassMutual anchor the local economy, and recent investments such as the MGM casino and the restoration of Union Station have aimed to spur downtown activity. The city has a dense, walkable core with cultural anchors like the Basketball Hall of Fame and Symphony Hall, but the school’s neighborhood setting is more residential. The search for recent changes within the Springfield school district did not turn up specific new initiatives or structural reforms that would directly bear on Freedman.
For a family considering this school, the central takeaway is that Frank H Freedman appears to be an elementary school where English and science instruction have been producing increasingly strong results, while math achievement remains a clear soft spot that warrants a conversation with the school about how they are addressing it. The school is a neighborhood institution in a large urban district, serving a diverse student population. The absence of data on economic disadvantage and special education populations leaves an incomplete picture of the student support environment. A parent would be well served by visiting and asking about class sizes, how the school differentiates instruction for students who are below grade level in math, and what enrichment is available for students who are already meeting or exceeding standards.
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