The top reported proficiency rate is 56% in Math. The lowest is 40% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ralph Talbot
Ralph Talbot is a regular public elementary school in Weymouth, Massachusetts, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It sits in the South Weymouth neighborhood, a suburban area within the larger town of Weymouth. Because the school only serves the elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report.
The academic picture comes from the Massachusetts state assessments, the NextGen MCAS. In the most recent testing year, Ralph Talbot’s math proficiency placed above the midpoint among elementary-level schools in the county’s comparison set. English language arts proficiency was lower than math, and science proficiency was lower still, a pattern that a parent may want to discuss with the school to understand how the curriculum and support are structured across subjects.
Looking at the school’s own test results over time offers a broader view. In the years before the pandemic, ELA proficiency was higher than it has been in recent years. Math proficiency has recovered more steadily and now sits above where it was in the immediate post-pandemic years. The overall proficiency index, which combines math, ELA, and science into a single figure, places the school below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Norfolk County. This is not a verdict on the school or its teachers; it is a position relative to a large and diverse set of districts. A family choosing Ralph Talbot should expect the school’s performance to be a middle-ground story: math is relatively strong, reading is an area of focus, and science is a softer spot that the school may be working to address.
The student body is diverse. The majority of students are white, and the remaining enrollment includes Hispanic students, Black students, Asian students, students who identify with two or more races, and a small number of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. Data on students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals was not available in the source materials. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was also not provided in this particular data set. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its support services for these groups.
Ralph Talbot is part of the Weymouth public school district. The district brief turned up little in the way of recent public changes or strategic initiatives, so a parent asking about the district’s current direction may need to look to the district’s own website or communications for more detail.
The neighborhood of South Weymouth has a character that will be familiar to families looking for a suburban setting with access to the Boston area. It is a largely car-dependent community; most residents drive alone to work, though the MBTA commuter rail station in South Weymouth offers an alternative for those who commute. The housing stock is older, with a mix of single-family homes and apartments. The area is upper-middle income and family-oriented. The dominant development story is Union Point, a large mixed-use development rising on the site of the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station. Plans call for residential units, commercial space, and open space. This redevelopment may bring new families and change the character of the neighborhood over time, but it is still unfolding.
For a family considering Ralph Talbot, the school fits a particular profile. It is a community elementary school in a suburban district, with math performance that stands out as its strongest subject. Families who prioritize a neighborhood school with a diverse student body and who are comfortable with the housing costs and commute patterns of the South Shore may find it a solid fit. Those who have a strong preference for a school with top-tier scores across all subjects would likely want to explore other options in the county, as the school’s ELA and science results are more modest. The lack of detailed data on student support services and the absence of a clear district improvement framework are gaps that an inquiring parent should try to fill by visiting the school and speaking with staff.
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