The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in Science. The lowest is 15% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mary D Altavesta
Mary D Altavesta is an elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Woburn, a suburban city roughly ten miles north of Boston. Woburn combines residential neighborhoods with a substantial commercial and industrial base, including a growing life sciences sector. The city’s economy is anchored by major employers across retail, healthcare, and technology, and its location near highway corridors shapes daily life around car travel. The school itself sits within this mixed-use landscape, drawing its student body from the surrounding area.
The school is a regular public school within the Woburn district. Enrollment, for the grade levels it serves, is moderate in size. The student body reflects the broader community’s diversity. White students represent the largest share, with substantial populations of Black and Hispanic students, a smaller Asian presence, and a small number of American Indian or Alaska Native and multiracial students.
State testing data from the most recent available year shows that proficiency rates for Altavesta’s students in both English language arts and math fell in the bottom quartile when compared to other districts in Middlesex County, which is a large and varied set of school systems. The proficiency rate in ELA was modestly higher than in math. In science, which is tested only at one grade level, the proficiency rate was again modest. Participation rates on the assessments were very high, indicating near-universal student engagement with the tests.
Looking at a longer run of data, the school’s results show a clear downward trend over time, particularly in the most recent year. In ELA, the share of students scoring proficient or above was once higher, in the range of about half of students tested, but has decreased consistently over the past several years to a point well below that level. In math, a similar pattern is visible: rates that were roughly in the middle of the state’s range in earlier years have dropped, with the most recent year’s result notably lower than anything in the preceding data. A parent considering this school would want to understand what is driving this recent decline and what supports are in place for students who are struggling to meet proficiency benchmarks.
Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, nor is there data on chronic absenteeism used for secondary schools. Information on discipline, staffing, course access, and special program offerings was not available in the provided data. Similarly, data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners was not reported. These are meaningful gaps for a family trying to understand the full picture of student supports.
The district itself, according to available public information, does not appear to have undergone any structural or programmatic changes in recent years that would alter the school’s direction, though a family may want to inquire directly with the district about current initiatives and resource allocation at the elementary level.
In sum, Mary D Altavesta is a neighborhood elementary school in an economically active suburban city. Its enrollment is moderate and diverse. The most recent academic performance data place it well below the midpoint of its county’s districts, and the trend over time has been one of declining proficiency. A family looking at this school would be wise to ask specific questions about current instruction, intervention strategies, and how the school is working to reverse the recent trajectory.
See more original research from School Decision →