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Excellent

#47 of 1,793 schools in MA

Top 3% in state

Ottoson Middle

Middle School · Arlington · Arlington, MA

An Arlington middle school where students score 21 points above what's typical for similar communities.

63 Acton Street, Arlington, MA 02476

  • Math 76% vs MA 40% (2025)
  • Reading 80% vs MA 44% (2025)
  • 11.1:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress9.4Excellent40%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data17
Annual Change+0.34 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendStable
Academics9.7Excellent35%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency76% (2025 MCAS)
Reading/ELA Proficiency80% (2025 MCAS)
Math vs. State Avg+36.2 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+37.5 pts
Overall Proficiency78% (2025 MCAS, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)57% (model expectation from 2025 MCAS)
vs. Expected+20.6 pts
Adjusted Percentile95th
Resources & Environment8.4Excellent25%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio11.1:1
District spending per student$20,961
Chronic Absenteeism9.7%

Students at Ottoson Middle score 78% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 57%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 MCAS proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. MA average.

Math Proficiency76%(2025 MCAS)
School
State
40%(2025 MCAS)
ELA Proficiency80%(2025 MCAS)
School
State
44%(2025 MCAS)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency has held near 78% across the 17-year record (2009–2025).

Show all 17 years
2009
Math
73%
ELA
90%
2010
Math
71%
ELA
91%
2011
Math
74%
ELA
90%
2012
Math
77%
ELA
89%
2013
Math
75%
ELA
89%
2014
Math
78%
ELA
89%
2015
Math
74%
ELA
85%
2016
Math
69%
ELA
73%
2017
Math
72%
ELA
73%
2018
Math
73%
ELA
73%
2019
Math
76%
ELA
76%
2020*
Math
65%
ELA
69%
2021*
Math
65%
ELA
69%
2022
Math
73%
ELA
75%
2023
Math
74%
ELA
74%
2024
Math
74%
ELA
72%
2025
Math
76%
ELA
80%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 73% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 77% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 84 test records from MA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Ottoson Middle sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the Boston map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 83Very Walkable
  • Transit 43Some Transit
  • Bike 54Bikeable
  • City Safety: Average490/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Arlington), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$145,150

Median home value

$882,100

Median rent

$1,823/mo

College educated

75.5%

Homeownership

64%

Poverty rate

6.6%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 02476; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Cns/pathways AcademyPrivate · tuition7.4private4–120.5 mi31Compare →
Jonas Clarke MiddleEnrollment path unverified9.36–82.8 mi810Compare →
Mccall MiddleEnrollment path unverified8.46–82.9 mi1,039Compare →
Rindge Avenue Upper SchoolEnrollment path unverified9.46–83.1 mi289Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Arlington

Schools in district
11
Rank in district
#1 of 11
District spending per student
$20,961NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
3.1%Census SAIPE · 2024

Ottoson Middle is listed in Arlington; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Ottoson Middle

Ottoson Middle is a public middle school in Arlington, MA, part of Arlington, serving approximately 941 students in grades 7th-8th with a 11.1:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 9.3 out of 10 and ranks #47 of 1,793 schools in MA. State assessment records show 73% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 77% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Ottoson Middle

What grades does Ottoson Middle serve?

Ottoson Middle serves students in grades 7th through 8th.

How many students attend Ottoson Middle?

Ottoson Middle has an enrollment of approximately 941 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Ottoson Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Ottoson Middle is 11.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Ottoson Middle rank in MA?

Ottoson Middle ranks #47 of 1,793 schools in MA.

What is Ottoson Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Ottoson Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 9.3 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Ottoson Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Ottoson Middle has 73% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 77% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Ottoson Middle a charter school?

No, Ottoson Middle is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Ottoson Middle a Title I school?

No, Ottoson Middle is not currently a Title I school.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
7th – 8th
Enrollment
941
Student-Teacher Ratio
11.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
85
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Middlesex County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
9.7%
Area population (ZIP 02476)
17,732
Area average commute
32.3 min
Area median age
45.8
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 MCAS · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 MCAS · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 02476; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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