The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in Science. The lowest is 36% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Howard School
Howard School serves grades four through six in West Bridgewater, a small, primarily residential town in Plymouth County that has held onto working farms and a rural character while seeing more commercial and industrial activity near the Route 24 corridor. The school sits in the town center, between the post office and the public library, a compact arrangement that places it near town hall and other civic landmarks. The town has seen steady residential growth over the past few decades, and its location between Boston and Providence, with highway access and commuter rail nearby, continues to draw new residents. Housing values in the area are high relative to national benchmarks, reflecting the broader Boston-area market, and mortgage rates have been elevated, which prospective homebuyers will want to factor in.
Student enrollment is modest, which is typical for an intermediate school serving just three grade levels. The student body is predominantly white, with Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students each making up a modest share of the population. Asian and Native American students are present in very small numbers. Data on students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, students with individualized education plans, and English learners were not available in the source data, so a reader interested in the school's economic diversity or special education supports may wish to ask the school directly.
On state assessments, Howard School students show a mixed picture. In mathematics, roughly two out of every five students scored at or above the proficient level, a result that places the school below the midpoint among districts in Plymouth County. In English language arts, roughly one out of every three students reached proficiency, a similar position relative to the county. Science results, which are drawn from a single tested grade, show a slightly higher share of students meeting proficiency. These are the latest available figures, and the school has participated in testing at high rates, so the results reflect near-complete participation.
Looking back over the years for which data is available, the school's proficiency rates in both math and ELA have moved around. In the period before the pandemic, ELA proficiency was above a majority level, while math proficiency was close to that mark. After a dip during the pandemic recovery, math proficiency rebounded somewhat before settling near its current level. ELA proficiency has trended lower over time. A parent reading these trends will see that current performance is below the school's own past highs, and may want to discuss with the school what supports are in place for students who are not yet meeting proficiency standards.
The school is a regular public school and is part of the West Bridgewater district. No data was available on graduation rates because the school does not serve high school grades. No information on program offerings, such as specialized academic tracks or extracurriculars, was present in the source data. The district brief turned up little in the way of recent changes of lasting impact, so it is possible that district leadership and programming have been relatively stable.
For a family considering Howard School, the central question is whether the current academic performance meets their expectations. The school offers the advantages of a small, community-anchored setting in a town that is growing but still retains open space and a traditional New England center. The proficiency numbers, however, are on the lower side compared to other districts in the county, and the downward trend in ELA over the past several years is something a prospective parent would want to understand better by talking with administrators and teachers at the school. No test data can fully capture a child's daily experience, but the available scores give a clear starting point for that conversation.
See more original research from School Decision →