Westwood MA
11-23-2023 4:10am

WPS Elementary Schools Ranked in Top 100 of MA by US News & World Report

Photo by Ishani Tewari. Westwood Public Schools elementary school students gathered for a Math League meet at Thurston Middle School earlier this year in April.

By Darcie Fisher for Westwood Public Schools

This year, all five of Westwood’s elementary schools are in the top 100 elementary schools in Massachusetts, in an annual list put out by U.S. News & World Report.

According to the magazine, the assessment looks at “student assessments in mathematics and reading/language arts while accounting for student backgrounds, achievement in core subjects, and how well schools are educating their schools.”

Two of the town’s schools cracked the Top 20: Sheehan Elementary was ranked No. 14; Martha Jones was ranked No. 17. The Hanlon School was ranked No. 27, Downey 42nd, and Deerfield ranked 80th.

Westwood School Superintendent Timothy Piwowar, who has been on the job since July 1, recently presented an assessment of the district’s strengths and potential growth areas to the School Committee.

“We are pleased that each of our town’s elementary schools has been recognized for the exceptional work of our teachers, staff, and students,” said Piwowar. “We continue to look for ways to challenge our students in an ever-changing learning environment to ensure each can meet their academic and social-emotional goals.”

“The 2024 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings offer a way for parents to get a snapshot of their child’s school and how well it’s doing within its community,” LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News, said in a statement. “Easily accessible data on student-teacher ratio, district spending, and the number of school counselors available at the school can keep parents informed and involved.”

Thanks to Darcie Fisher and Westwood Public Schools for sharing this news with Westwood Minute.

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You may also be interested in reading:

-  Westwood Public Schools Performing Arts Winter Strings Concert (Calendar entry)

- U.S. News & World Report Ranks Westwood's Martha Jones School Best Elementary in MA, Deerfield Makes Top Ten (Published October 15, 2021)

- Westwood High School Ranking Drops, But Still Appears in Top 20 of U.S. News' Ranking of MA Public High Schools

- Westwood's Thurston Middle School Athletes Finish with Gold & Top Ten in State Competition

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11-23-2023 7:29am

All Westwood elementary schools are excellent. Remember, the purpose of these rankings is to sell advertising in magazines and promote the US News brand. Next year’s numbers will likely be relatively different. Depending on the individual needs of a family, any school may be considered “better” than another, but we are fortunate in Westwood to have very small neighborhood schools, caring teachers, and a supportive parent community.

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