Shaw Elementary School

Summary:

Shaw Elementary School is a public elementary school in Dorchester, MA, serving 187 students in grades PK-5. The school has a predominantly minority student population, with 59.36% African American and 33.16% Hispanic students.

Despite the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio and high per-student spending, Shaw Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the Boston and Massachusetts averages on state assessments. In 2023-2024, only 13.64% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, and just 10.77% were proficient or better in Mathematics, far below the district and state averages. The school has been ranked in the bottom 10% of Massachusetts elementary schools for the past three years, receiving a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The challenges faced by Shaw Elementary are not unique, as nearby schools like Taylor Elementary School, EllisonParks Early Education School, and Lee K-8 School also struggle with low academic performance and rankings. This suggests that the issues at Shaw Elementary may be systemic within the Boston Public School District. Addressing the persistent underperformance, achievement gaps, and resource allocation challenges will require a comprehensive, data-driven approach that prioritizes equity, effective teaching and learning, and continuous improvement.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 429 Norfolk Street
       Dorchester, MA  02124


(617) 635-8777

District: Boston

SchoolDigger Rank:
875th of 916 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $28,247 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  9.8 Help
Number of students:  187

Racial breakdown:

African American:
59.4%
Hispanic:
33.2%
Two or more races:
4.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  59.4% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Shaw Elementary School ranks worse than 95.5% of elementary schools in Massachusetts. It also ranks 57th among 66 ranked elementary schools in the Boston School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.15. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (59.4%), Hispanic (33.2%), two or more races (4.3%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Shaw Elementary School is 9.8, which is the 36th best among 66 elementary schools in the Boston School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Shaw Elementary School employs 19 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Shaw Elementary School is $28,247, which is the 33rd highest among 66 elementary schools in the Boston School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Shaw Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Shaw Elementary School 875th of 916 Massachusetts public elementary schools. (See Shaw Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
African American students:


Boston:

SchoolDigger ranks Boston 305th of 351 Massachusetts school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Shaw Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Shaw Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 10.95 857th 928 7.7%
2024 8.15 875th 916 4.5%
See the entire list of Massachusetts Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Shaw Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 10.04 741st 757 2.1%
2024 13.76 727th 760 4.3%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Shaw Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 10.07 833rd 887 6.1%
2024 10.76 832nd 886 6.1%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for African American students at Shaw Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 26.68 135th 167 19.2%
2024 16.96 159th 167 4.8%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary 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.

Shaw Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Shaw Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2015 1 73 3 26 0 0 3 0 106
2016 4 99 5 46 0 0 6 0 160
2017 6 133 6 51 0 0 7 0 203
2018 7 165 6 63 0 0 15 0 256
2019 3 141 3 45 0 0 6 0 198
2020 2 121 1 45 4 0 4 0 177
2021 2 111 1 43 3 0 2 0 162
2022 3 98 4 43 3 0 3 0 154
2023 3 111 1 62 2 0 8 0 187

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 Shaw Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2015 106 9.0 11.7 59.4
2016 160 7.0 22.8 n/a
2017 203 14.4 14.0 n/a
2018 256 17.9 14.2 n/a
2019 198 14.8 13.3 n/a
2020 177 14.8 11.9 n/a
2021 162 15.4 10.4 n/a
2022 154 15.3 10.0 n/a
2023 187 19.0 9.8 n/a

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 Shaw Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2015 106 9.0 11.7 59.4
2016 160 7.0 22.8 n/a
2017 203 14.4 14.0 n/a
2018 256 17.9 14.2 n/a
2019 198 14.8 13.3 n/a
2020 177 14.8 11.9 n/a
2021 162 15.4 10.4 n/a
2022 154 15.3 10.0 n/a
2023 187 19.0 9.8 n/a

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 Shaw Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,403 (6.1%) $21,473 (93.9%) $22,876
2020 $1,528 (6.0%) $23,954 (94.0%) $25,482
2021 $2,293 (8.1%) $25,953 (91.9%) $28,247

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Shaw Elementary 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.

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Shaw Elementary School)4427.8
 16.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Boston)3932.2
 6.8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5643.9
 12.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Shaw Elementary School)2122.2
 1.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Boston)3427.7
 6.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4941
 8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Shaw Elementary School)4419.1
 25%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Boston)3629.3
 6.7%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5242.3
 9.7%
All Grades Mathematics (Shaw Elementary School)2111.9
 9.1%
   All Grades Mathematics (Boston)3325.6
 7.4%
   All Grades Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.6
 8.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students198187
 5.6%
African American141111
 21.3%
American Indian02
Asian31
 66.7%
Hispanic4562
 37.8%
Pacific Islander00
White33
Two or More Races68
 33.3%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Shaw Elementary School

In the 2022-23 school year, 187 students attended Shaw Elementary School.

Students at Shaw Elementary School are 59% African American, 33% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% White, 1% American Indian.

Shaw Elementary School ranks in the bottom 4.5% of Massachusetts elementary schools.


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