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Excellent

#160 of 1,793 schools in MA

Top 9% in state

Pollard Middle

Middle School · Needham · Needham, MA

A Needham middle school where students score 17 points above what's typical for similar communities.

200 Harris Avenue, Needham, MA 02492

  • Math 78% vs MA 40% (2025)
  • Reading 76% vs MA 44% (2025)
  • 11:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress7.5Very Good40%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data17
Annual Change-1.01 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics9.6Excellent35%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency78.3% (2025 MCAS)
Reading/ELA Proficiency76.3% (2025 MCAS)
Math vs. State Avg+38.5 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+33.8 pts
Overall Proficiency77% (2025 MCAS, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)60% (model expectation from 2025 MCAS)
vs. Expected+17.3 pts
Adjusted Percentile94th
Resources & Environment9.5Excellent25%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio11:1
District spending per student$24,189
Chronic Absenteeism6.8%

Students at Pollard Middle score 77% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 60%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 MCAS proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. MA average.

Math Proficiency78%(2025 MCAS)
School
State
40%(2025 MCAS)
ELA Proficiency76%(2025 MCAS)
School
State
44%(2025 MCAS)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 10 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 77% recently.

Show all 17 years
2009
Math
83%
ELA
92%
2010
Math
80%
ELA
93%
2011
Math
80%
ELA
93%
2012
Math
84%
ELA
94%
2013
Math
78%
ELA
92%
2014
Math
79%
ELA
90%
2015
Math
81%
ELA
92%
2016
Math
81%
ELA
78%
2017
Math
82%
ELA
82%
2018
Math
83%
ELA
82%
2019
Math
85%
ELA
82%
2020*
Math
71%
ELA
71%
2021*
Math
71%
ELA
71%
2022
Math
76%
ELA
74%
2023
Math
76%
ELA
71%
2024
Math
79%
ELA
74%
2025
Math
78%
ELA
76%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 79% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 79% (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 82 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 Pollard 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 32Car-Dependent
  • Transit 26Some Transit
  • Bike 26Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: Elevated702/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Needham), 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

$222,063

Median home value

$1,177,300

Median rent

$2,256/mo

College educated

84.1%

Homeownership

90.7%

Poverty rate

4.2%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 02492; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Charles E Brown MiddleEnrollment path unverified9.46–82.9 mi732Compare →
Oak Hill MiddleEnrollment path unverified8.66–82.9 mi648Compare →
Wellesley MiddleEnrollment path unverified9.66–83.7 mi919Compare →
Dedham Middle SchoolEnrollment path unverified7.46–83.8 mi543Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

Needham

Schools in district
8
Rank in district
#5 of 8
District spending per student
$24,189NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
1.9%Census SAIPE · 2024

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

About Pollard Middle

Pollard Middle is a public middle school in Needham, MA, part of Needham, serving approximately 880 students in grades 7th-8th with a 11:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 8.7 out of 10 and ranks #160 of 1,793 schools in MA. State assessment records show 79% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 79% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Pollard Middle

What grades does Pollard Middle serve?

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

How many students attend Pollard Middle?

Pollard Middle has an enrollment of approximately 880 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Pollard Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Pollard Middle is 11:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Pollard Middle rank in MA?

Pollard Middle ranks #160 of 1,793 schools in MA.

What is Pollard Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Pollard Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.7 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 Pollard Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Pollard Middle has 79% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 79% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Pollard Middle a charter school?

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

Is Pollard Middle a Title I school?

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

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

Grades
7th – 8th
Enrollment
880
Student-Teacher Ratio
11:1
Teachers (FTE)
80
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Norfolk County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
6.8%
Area population (ZIP 02492)
21,481
Area average commute
29.2 min
Area median age
42.8
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 02492; 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

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