Brien McMahon High School

Summary:

Brien McMahon High School is a public high school in Norwalk, Connecticut, serving 1,711 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Norwalk School District, which is ranked 127 out of 158 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Brien McMahon stands out for its significantly higher percentage of Hispanic students (60.32%) compared to nearby schools, which range from 32.98% to 56.67% Hispanic. Academically, the school lags behind its neighbors, with only 39.3% of 11th-graders proficient or better in SAT/English Language Arts, compared to 80.6% at the high-performing Center for Global Studies magnet school. Brien McMahon also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 49.09% to 61.11% over the past few years, and a higher student-teacher ratio of 14.3 compared to 9.2 at Center for Global Studies.

These findings suggest significant racial and socioeconomic disparities, as well as a need for targeted interventions and support to address the achievement gaps between Brien McMahon and the surrounding high-performing schools, such as New Canaan High School and Darien High School. Exploring the practices and strategies used at the successful magnet school, as well as addressing district-level factors, could provide valuable insights for improving student outcomes at Brien McMahon High School.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 300 Highland Avenue
       Norwalk, CT  06854


(203) 852-9488

District: Norwalk School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
98th of 145 Connecticut High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $21,620 Help


Feeder schools for Brien McMahon High School:

Elementary:    Brookside Elementary School
    Fox Run Elementary School
    Jefferson Marine Science Elementary School
    Kendall College & Career Academy
    More...
Middle:    Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy
    Roton Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.3 Help
Number of students:  1,766

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
61.3%
White:
20.1%
African American:
12.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  49.2% Help


 See top rated Connecticut high schools

 Compare Brien McMahon High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Brien McMahon High School ranks worse than 67.6% of high schools in Connecticut. It also ranks 3rd among 4 ranked high schools in the Norwalk School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 27.71. (See more...)
Help
The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Brien McMahon High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Brien McMahon High School has the largest high school student body size in the Norwalk School District. Student population at Brien McMahon High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (61.3%), White (20.1%), African American (12.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 49.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Brien McMahon High School is 15.3, which is the highest among 4 high schools in the Norwalk School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Brien McMahon High School employs 115.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Brien McMahon High School is $21,620. 2 high schools in the Norwalk School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Brien McMahon High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Brien McMahon High School 98th of 145 Connecticut public high schools. (See Brien McMahon High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Norwalk School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Norwalk School District 127th of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Brien McMahon High School?

Rank History for Brien McMahon High School

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Rank History for all students at Brien McMahon High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 47.70 126th 176 28.4%
2008 44.86 127th 176 27.8%
2009 34.90 137th 176 22.2%
2010 50.02 127th 186 31.7%
2011 43.83 131st 189 30.7%
2012 39.21 138th 188 26.6%
2013 47.06 133rd 193 31.1%
2015 33.48 144th 196 26.5%
2016 42.96 72nd 132 45.5%
2017 25.42 104th 140 25.7%
2018 25.38 97th 121 19.8%
2019 34.56 85th 121 29.8%
2021 46.09 105th 200 47.5%
2022 30.78 84th 139 39.6%
2023 27.77 96th 142 32.4%
2024 27.71 98th 145 32.4%
See the entire list of Connecticut High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Brien McMahon High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 0.00 11th 17 35.3%
See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Brien McMahon High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.74 4th 13 69.2%
2021 51.98 83rd 175 52.6%
See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Brien McMahon High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 45.28 17th 37 54.1%
2021 49.77 71st 155 54.2%
2022 32.93 43rd 63 31.7%
2023 25.15 55th 70 21.4%
2024 22.20 57th 65 12.3%
See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Brien McMahon High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.40 70th 79 11.4%
2019 26.92 71st 84 15.5%
2021 34.36 117th 189 38.1%
2022 23.69 75th 106 29.2%
2023 19.48 82nd 103 20.4%
2024 25.68 74th 102 27.5%
See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Brien McMahon High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.96 71st 78 9.0%
2019 25.55 71st 80 11.3%
2021 56.35 88th 182 51.6%
2022 25.72 73rd 102 28.4%
2023 21.56 71st 100 29.0%
2024 19.65 83rd 100 17.0%
See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Brien McMahon High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 49.73 7th 11 36.4%
2019 57.03 7th 13 46.2%
2021 37.89 35th 58 39.7%
2023 49.84 14th 25 44.0%
See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Brien McMahon High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 49.51 6th 18 66.7%
2019 70.34 6th 20 70.0%
2021 66.22 29th 104 72.1%
2022 46.03 24th 59 59.3%
2023 26.95 49th 63 22.2%
2024 41.96 32nd 63 49.2%
See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Brien McMahon High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools CT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.18 59th 105 43.8%
2019 55.89 56th 113 50.4%
2021 69.45 46th 155 70.3%
2022 54.96 55th 117 53.0%
2023 46.98 66th 116 43.1%
2024 72.00 28th 116 75.9%
See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Connecticut Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Brien McMahon High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Connecticut State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3.7)
67%

0%

0%

0%

33%

  

Reviews:
by a citizen
Monday, November 19, 2012

Open Quote The school has excellent diversity, and the students are hardworking Close Quote



Enrollment information for Brien McMahon High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 696 311 15 123 0 n/a n/a 0 1145
1989 618 277 15 113 0 n/a n/a 0 1023
1990 578 252 15 127 n/a n/a n/a 0 972
1991 596 257 19 151 0 n/a n/a 0 1023
1992 571 247 40 147 0 n/a n/a 0 1005
1993 589 268 19 159 0 n/a n/a 0 1035
1994 554 285 23 161 0 n/a n/a 0 1023
1995 580 335 43 182 4 n/a n/a 0 1144
1996 580 335 43 182 4 n/a n/a 0 1144
1997 611 377 38 189 5 n/a n/a 0 1220
1998 578 372 37 188 6 n/a n/a 0 1181
1999 570 385 45 204 3 n/a n/a 0 1207
2000 553 393 53 228 1 n/a n/a 0 1228
2001 512 385 71 252 2 n/a n/a 0 1222
2002 531 366 59 329 5 n/a n/a 0 1290
2003 531 366 59 329 5 n/a n/a 0 1290
2004 554 411 55 384 3 n/a n/a 0 1407
2005 575 402 52 388 3 n/a n/a 0 1420
2006 473 337 40 335 2 n/a n/a 0 1187
2007 623 440 61 443 4 n/a n/a 0 1571
2008 625 500 64 465 7 n/a n/a 0 1661
2009 617 523 66 494 8 n/a n/a 0 1708
2010 563 512 80 532 7 n/a n/a 0 1694
2011 504 509 86 579 9 0 8 0 1695
2012 560 476 96 584 10 0 5 0 1731
2013 530 424 88 606 2 0 7 0 1657
2014 517 424 87 629 2 1 19 0 1679
2015 495 385 88 677 2 2 26 0 1675
2016 460 364 83 723 3 1 29 0 1663
2017 356 329 47 732 2 1 14 0 1481
2018 360 309 51 787 0 3 16 0 1526
2019 362 300 51 823 0 0 25 0 1561
2020 357 272 56 897 0 0 29 0 1611
2021 401 258 56 960 1 0 34 0 1710
2022 385 225 53 975 1 0 26 0 1665
2023 376 215 52 1032 1 2 32 1 1711
2024 355 227 62 1082 3 2 33 2 1766

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Brien McMahon High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1145 86.0 13.3 n/a
1989 1023 81.0 12.6 n/a
1990 972 80.5 12.0 n/a
1991 1023 78.6 13.0 n/a
1992 1005 76.5 13.1 2.9
1993 1035 73.5 14.1 0.5
1994 1023 76.1 13.4 7.4
1995 1144 79.9 14.3 8.7
1996 1144 79.9 14.3 8.7
1997 1220 76.9 15.9 6.5
1998 1181 78.9 15.0 6.4
1999 1207 80.4 15.0 6.7
2000 1228 78.6 15.6 6.5
2001 1222 80.6 15.2 n/a
2002 1290 87.5 14.7 9.5
2003 1290 87.5 14.7 9.5
2004 1407 85.9 16.4 17.8
2005 1420 83.6 17.0 n/a
2006 1187 89.5 13.3 30.7
2007 1571 93.5 16.8 18
2008 1661 110.9 15.0 24.1
2009 1708 126.2 14.9 24.3
2010 1694 115.4 14.6 35.5
2011 1695 115.4 14.6 40.8
2012 1731 122.7 14.1 42.4
2013 1657 119.8 13.8 44.4
2014 1679 117.2 14.3 45.6
2015 1675 114.0 14.6 42.6
2016 1663 125.0 13.3 48.5
2017 1481 122.4 12.0 55
2018 1526 135.0 11.3 53.7
2019 1561 127.3 12.2 62.3
2020 1611 128.1 12.5 62.3
2021 1710 111.8 15.2 61.1
2022 1665 116.8 14.2 53.8
2023 1711 119.0 14.3 49.1
2024 1766 115.4 15.3 49.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Brien McMahon High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1145 86.0 13.3 n/a
1989 1023 81.0 12.6 n/a
1990 972 80.5 12.0 n/a
1991 1023 78.6 13.0 n/a
1992 1005 76.5 13.1 2.9
1993 1035 73.5 14.1 0.5
1994 1023 76.1 13.4 7.4
1995 1144 79.9 14.3 8.7
1996 1144 79.9 14.3 8.7
1997 1220 76.9 15.9 6.5
1998 1181 78.9 15.0 6.4
1999 1207 80.4 15.0 6.7
2000 1228 78.6 15.6 6.5
2001 1222 80.6 15.2 n/a
2002 1290 87.5 14.7 9.5
2003 1290 87.5 14.7 9.5
2004 1407 85.9 16.4 17.8
2005 1420 83.6 17.0 n/a
2006 1187 89.5 13.3 30.7
2007 1571 93.5 16.8 18
2008 1661 110.9 15.0 24.1
2009 1708 126.2 14.9 24.3
2010 1694 115.4 14.6 35.5
2011 1695 115.4 14.6 40.8
2012 1731 122.7 14.1 42.4
2013 1657 119.8 13.8 44.4
2014 1679 117.2 14.3 45.6
2015 1675 114.0 14.6 42.6
2016 1663 125.0 13.3 48.5
2017 1481 122.4 12.0 55
2018 1526 135.0 11.3 53.7
2019 1561 127.3 12.2 62.3
2020 1611 128.1 12.5 62.3
2021 1710 111.8 15.2 61.1
2022 1665 116.8 14.2 53.8
2023 1711 119.0 14.3 49.1
2024 1766 115.4 15.3 49.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Brien McMahon High School

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $19,382
2019 $19,589
2020 $19,411
2021 $19,656
2022 $21,309
2023 $21,620

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Brien McMahon High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 85th of 121 High schoolsRanks 96th of 142 High schools
 2.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts (Brien McMahon High School)48.839.9
 8.9%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Norwalk School District)52.641.8
 10.8%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)61.652.4
 9.2%
11th Grade Math (Brien McMahon High School)29.620.5
 9.1%
   11th Grade Math (Norwalk School District)32.722.4
 10.3%
   11th Grade Math (Connecticut)40.634.1
 6.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students15611711
 9.6%
African American300215
 28.3%
American Indian01
Asian5152
 2%
Hispanic8231032
 25.4%
Pacific Islander02
White362376
 3.9%
Two or More Races2532
 28%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients62.3%49.1%
 13.2%


Schools Near Brien McMahon High School









Frequently Asked Questions about Brien McMahon High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,766 students attended Brien McMahon High School.

Brien McMahon High School ranks 98th of 145 Connecticut high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at Brien McMahon High School are 61% Hispanic, 20% White, 13% African American, 4% Asian, 2% Two or more races.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Connecticut Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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