Joseph A. Browne School

Summary:

Joseph A. Browne School is a public middle school in Chelsea, MA serving grades 5-8 with a student population of 511. The school is part of the Chelsea school district, which is ranked 323 out of 351 districts in Massachusetts and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Joseph A. Browne School consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Massachusetts middle schools, with low performance on MCAS Next Generation assessments that are significantly below state and district averages across all subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, only 9.11% of students were proficient or better in ELA and 7.55% in Math, compared to state averages of 39.17% and 40.91% respectively. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as White, Special Education, and Low Socioeconomic Status students.

Despite the school's higher per-student spending, which has increased from $13,449 in 2018-2019 to $17,319 in 2020-2021, its academic outcomes remain significantly below average. In comparison, the nearby Eugene Wright Science and Technology Academy outperformed Joseph A. Browne School on MCAS assessments across all subjects and grade levels. Addressing the school's challenges will likely require a concerted effort involving the district, school leadership, and community stakeholders to implement evidence-based strategies and allocate resources effectively.


Detail:

Public 5-8

 180 Walnut Street
       Chelsea, MA  02150


(617) 466-5235

District: Chelsea

SchoolDigger Rank:
453rd of 493 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,319 Help


Students who attend Joseph A. Browne School usually attend:

High:    Chelsea High

Feeder schools for Joseph A. Browne School:

Elementary:    Edgar A Hooks Elementary
    Frank M Sokolowski Elementary
    George F. Kelly Elementary
    Shurtleff Early Childhood
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  11.3 Help
Number of students:  511

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
84.9%
African American:
6.5%
White:
6.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  90.5% Help


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 Compare Joseph A. Browne School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Joseph A. Browne School ranks worse than 91.9% of middle schools in Massachusetts. It also ranks 2nd among 3 ranked middle schools in the Chelsea School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.8. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (84.9%), African American (6.5%), White (6.1%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Joseph A. Browne School is 11.3. 1 middle schools in the Chelsea School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Joseph A. Browne School employs 45 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Joseph A. Browne School is $17,319. 1 middle schools in the Chelsea School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Joseph A. Browne School:

SchoolDigger ranks Joseph A. Browne School 453rd of 493 Massachusetts public middle schools. (See Joseph A. Browne School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Homeless students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:


Chelsea:

SchoolDigger ranks Chelsea 323rd of 351 Massachusetts school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Joseph A. Browne School

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Rank History for all students at Joseph A. Browne School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 7.78 367th 399 8.0%
2007 7.46 380th 399 4.8%
2008 11.17 365th 407 10.3%
2009 13.12 369th 409 9.8%
2010 10.23 396th 434 8.8%
2011 14.62 388th 449 13.6%
2012 12.97 403rd 455 11.4%
2013 5.88 432nd 455 5.1%
2014 5.86 431st 455 5.3%
2015 6.85 416th 441 5.7%
2016 8.28 451st 482 6.4%
2017 9.36 452nd 487 7.2%
2018 10.30 440th 484 9.1%
2019 8.04 462nd 498 7.2%
2021 13.56 439th 501 12.4%
2022 21.20 398th 497 19.9%
2023 14.39 435th 501 13.2%
2024 10.80 453rd 493 8.1%
See the entire list of Massachusetts Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Joseph A. Browne School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 42.50 63rd 127 50.4%
2019 40.94 64th 138 53.6%
2021 32.27 119th 135 11.9%
2022 34.05 145th 154 5.8%
2023 39.08 92nd 155 40.6%
2024 37.13 125th 180 30.6%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Joseph A. Browne School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.27 432nd 467 7.5%
2019 13.10 453rd 484 6.4%
2021 21.48 424th 489 13.3%
2022 33.94 337th 503 33.0%
2023 24.34 365th 444 17.8%
2024 22.59 377th 441 14.5%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Joseph A. Browne School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.45 403rd 438 8.0%
2019 11.37 427th 452 5.5%
2021 21.26 401st 462 13.2%
2022 32.46 345th 489 29.4%
2023 25.92 385th 481 20.0%
2024 15.99 426th 469 9.2%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Joseph A. Browne School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 15.59 25th 25 0.0%
2024 59.77 12th 36 66.7%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Joseph A. Browne School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 9.60 436th 463 5.8%
2019 6.30 456th 478 4.6%
2021 14.10 427th 483 11.6%
2022 21.34 390th 494 21.1%
2023 16.41 423rd 489 13.5%
2024 11.00 447th 481 7.1%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Joseph A. Browne School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 13.43 424th 424 0.0%
2021 17.36 422nd 431 2.1%
2022 25.18 350th 445 21.3%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Joseph A. Browne School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 11.17 427th 466 8.4%
2019 9.94 450th 478 5.9%
2021 14.73 432nd 485 10.9%
2022 22.19 395th 497 20.5%
2023 13.83 432nd 489 11.7%
2024 11.18 442nd 483 8.5%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Tested In Person students at Joseph A. Browne School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 10.30 450th 491 8.4%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Tested In Person Students!

Rank History for Tested Remotely students at Joseph A. Browne School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 23.20 273rd 339 19.5%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Tested Remotely Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Joseph A. Browne School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.26 245th 309 20.7%
2019 19.21 284th 322 11.8%
2021 26.48 265th 335 20.9%
2022 43.22 186th 368 49.5%
2023 30.50 254th 364 30.2%
2024 23.65 309th 378 18.3%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Joseph A. Browne School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 10.19 376th 403 6.7%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for White 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.

Joseph A. Browne 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 Joseph A. Browne School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2005 75 35 24 369 1 n/a n/a 0 504
2006 53 31 20 349 1 n/a n/a 5 459
2007 51 44 15 301 0 n/a n/a 5 416
2008 35 40 16 312 0 n/a n/a 3 406
2009 39 52 11 397 0 0 3 0 502
2010 35 41 14 350 0 0 2 0 442
2011 40 62 13 417 0 0 1 0 533
2012 44 64 10 450 0 0 0 0 568
2013 39 77 12 412 1 0 1 0 542
2014 27 61 13 399 1 0 0 0 501
2015 32 53 15 444 1 0 0 0 545
2016 32 46 11 460 2 0 0 0 551
2017 30 34 12 499 0 0 1 0 576
2018 32 24 11 546 0 0 2 0 615
2019 31 24 8 518 0 0 1 0 582
2020 35 23 0 503 0 0 9 0 570
2021 31 23 0 465 0 0 10 0 529
2022 36 29 7 466 1 0 1 0 540
2023 31 33 9 434 2 0 2 0 511

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 Joseph A. Browne School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2005 504 39.0 12.9 83.9
2006 459 34.0 13.5 80.8
2007 416 38.0 10.9 91.5
2008 406 36.2 11.2 90.3
2009 502 39.8 12.6 79.9
2010 442 50.9 8.6 92.1
2011 533 54.7 9.7 82
2012 568 52.1 10.8 80.3
2013 542 48.2 11.2 93
2014 501 41.3 12.1 88
2015 545 39.0 13.9 90.5
2016 551 42.0 13.1 n/a
2017 576 43.1 13.3 n/a
2018 615 40.6 15.1 n/a
2019 582 37.0 15.7 n/a
2020 570 36.0 15.8 n/a
2021 529 40.0 13.2 n/a
2022 540 44.0 12.2 n/a
2023 511 45.0 11.3 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 Joseph A. Browne School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2005 504 39.0 12.9 83.9
2006 459 34.0 13.5 80.8
2007 416 38.0 10.9 91.5
2008 406 36.2 11.2 90.3
2009 502 39.8 12.6 79.9
2010 442 50.9 8.6 92.1
2011 533 54.7 9.7 82
2012 568 52.1 10.8 80.3
2013 542 48.2 11.2 93
2014 501 41.3 12.1 88
2015 545 39.0 13.9 90.5
2016 551 42.0 13.1 n/a
2017 576 43.1 13.3 n/a
2018 615 40.6 15.1 n/a
2019 582 37.0 15.7 n/a
2020 570 36.0 15.8 n/a
2021 529 40.0 13.2 n/a
2022 540 44.0 12.2 n/a
2023 511 45.0 11.3 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 Joseph A. Browne School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $835 (6.2%) $12,614 (93.8%) $13,449
2020 $925 (6.4%) $13,627 (93.6%) $14,552
2021 $1,814 (10.5%) $15,505 (89.5%) $17,318

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Joseph A. Browne 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 462nd of 498 Middle schoolsRanks 435th of 501 Middle schools
 5.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
5th Grade English Language Arts (Joseph A. Browne School)2914.4
 14.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Chelsea)3420.5
 13.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5243.8
 8.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Joseph A. Browne School)82.1
 5.9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Chelsea)1914.2
 4.8%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.9
 8.2%
5th Grade Science (Joseph A. Browne School)1711.5
 5.5%
   5th Grade Science (Chelsea)2315.5
 7.5%
   5th Grade Science (Massachusetts)4841.6
 6.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Joseph A. Browne School)2116.2
 4.8%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Chelsea)2911.8
 17.2%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5442.3
 11.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Joseph A. Browne School)164
 12%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Chelsea)218.1
 12.9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)5141
 10%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Joseph A. Browne School)2317.7
 5.4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Chelsea)2615.1
 10.9%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)4840.5
 7.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Joseph A. Browne School)1610.1
 5.9%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Chelsea)189
 9%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4838.1
 9.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Joseph A. Browne School)2419.3
 4.7%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Chelsea)2522.3
 2.8%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5143.7
 7.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Joseph A. Browne School)1218.5
 6.5%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Chelsea)1315.1
 2.1%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4737.7
 9.3%
8th Grade Science (Joseph A. Browne School)1017.8
 7.8%
   8th Grade Science (Chelsea)1618.1
 2.1%
   8th Grade Science (Massachusetts)4640.9
 5.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Joseph A. Browne School)2417.1
 6.9%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Chelsea)3317
 16%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5242.3
 9.7%
All Grades Mathematics (Joseph A. Browne School)129.6
 2.4%
   All Grades Mathematics (Chelsea)2717.1
 9.9%
   All Grades Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.6
 8.4%
All Grades Science (Joseph A. Browne School)1415.2
 1.2%
   All Grades Science (Chelsea)2016.8
 3.2%
   All Grades Science (Massachusetts)4741.2
 5.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students582511
 12.2%
African American2433
 37.5%
American Indian02
Asian89
 12.5%
Hispanic518434
 16.2%
Pacific Islander00
White3131
Two or More Races12
 100%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Joseph A. Browne School

Joseph A. Browne School ranks in the bottom 8.1% of Massachusetts middle schools.

Students at Joseph A. Browne School are 85% Hispanic, 6% African American, 6% White, 2% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 511 students attended Joseph A. Browne School.

Students who attend Joseph A. Browne School usually go on to attend Chelsea High


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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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