Is School for Exceptional Studies a good school?

School for Exceptional Studies ranks in the bottom 1.2% of Massachusetts alternative schools.

How many students attend School for Exceptional Studies?

In the 2022-23 school year, 102 students attended School for Exceptional Studies.

What is the racial makeup of School for Exceptional Studies?

Students at School for Exceptional Studies are 92% Hispanic, 5% African American, 3% White.

School for Exceptional Studies

Summary:

The School for Exceptional Studies is a small alternative public school in Lawrence, MA that serves 102 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Despite spending significantly more per student than the state average, the school has struggled with extremely low graduation rates, high dropout rates, and very poor academic performance on standardized tests.

The school's 4-year graduation rate has ranged from just 25% to 50% over the past 5 years, much lower than the state average of around 90%. Correspondingly, the school has had dropout rates as high as 50%, far exceeding the state average. On the 2023-2024 MCAS tests, the school had 0% proficiency in English Language Arts and Mathematics, compared to state averages of 39.17% and 40.91% respectively. Science proficiency was only 5.56%, also well below the state average.

Interestingly, the School for Exceptional Studies performs significantly worse than nearby alternative schools like Pioneer Charter School of Science II and Collegiate Charter School of Lowell on key metrics like graduation rates, dropout rates, and test scores. These charter schools have much higher proficiency rates and graduation rates, despite the School for Exceptional Studies spending over 1.5 times the state average per student. This suggests the school may not be using its resources effectively to support student success.

Detail:

Public, Alternative K-12

233 Haverhill St.
Lawrence, MA 01841

(978) 975-5980

District: Lawrence

SchoolDigger Rank:
487^th of 493 Massachusetts Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $56,485

Student/teacher ratio: 3.0

Number of students: 102

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

92.2%

African American:

4.9%

White:

2.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 92%

See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

Compare School for Exceptional Studies to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details School for Exceptional Studies is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2019 the calculated Average Standard Score was 0.46. (See more...)

Compare Details School for Exceptional Studies ranks worse than 98.8% of middle schools in Massachusetts. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 5.6. (See more...)

Compare Details School for Exceptional Studies is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2019 the calculated Average Standard Score was 0.5. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at School for Exceptional Studies who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (92.2%), African American (4.9%), White (2.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at School for Exceptional Studies is 3. (See more...)

Compare School for Exceptional Studies employs 32.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at School for Exceptional Studies is $56,485.

Schooldigger 2019 Rankings:

School for Exceptional Studies:

SchoolDigger ranks School for Exceptional Studies 487^th of 493 Massachusetts public middle schools. (See School for Exceptional Studies in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

Lawrence:

SchoolDigger ranks Lawrence 340^th of 351 Massachusetts school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for School for Exceptional Studies

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Rank History for all elementary school students at School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MA State Percentile
2010	1.14	917^th	920	0.3%
2011	0.92	922^nd	924	0.2%
2012	0.73	929^th	930	0.1%
2013	0.44	928^th	928	0.0%
2014	0.26	926^th	926	0.0%
2015	0.41	913^th	914	0.1%
2016	0.93	931^st	932	0.1%
2017	0.97	938^th	938	0.0%
2019	0.46	942^nd	942	0.0%

See the entire list of Massachusetts Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	1.15	896^th	896	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	1.47	700^th	700	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	11.83	660^th	665	0.8%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Alternative Schools for Disabled Students!

Data source: test scores: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for School for Exceptional Studies

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Rank History for all middle school students at School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MA State Percentile
2010	3.73	418^th	434	3.7%
2011	0.28	449^th	449	0.0%
2012	0.70	454^th	455	0.2%
2013	0.82	454^th	455	0.2%
2014	1.17	452^nd	455	0.7%
2015	0.68	441^st	441	0.0%
2016	2.54	476^th	482	1.2%
2017	1.72	487^th	487	0.0%
2018	1.54	484^th	484	0.0%
2019	1.03	498^th	498	0.0%
2021	3.66	500^th	501	0.2%
2023	3.84	499^th	501	0.4%
2024	5.60	487^th	493	1.2%

See the entire list of Massachusetts Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	3.29	466^th	467	0.2%
2019	1.96	484^th	484	0.0%
2021	5.21	488^th	489	0.2%
2023	16.86	429^th	444	3.4%
2024	22.86	375^th	441	15.0%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MA State Percentile
2019	2.20	452^nd	452	0.0%
2021	5.11	461^st	462	0.2%
2023	4.36	479^th	481	0.4%
2024	8.08	464^th	469	1.1%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	22.04	362^nd	417	13.2%
2019	13.55	421^st	424	0.7%
2021	17.33	423^rd	431	1.9%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Alternative Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	5.83	481^st	483	0.4%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	8.09	362^nd	364	0.5%
2024	8.22	378^th	378	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Alternative Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for School for Exceptional Studies

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Rank History for all high school students at School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MA State Percentile
2010	2.57	328^th	335	2.1%
2011	9.26	310^th	340	8.8%
2012	2.02	327^th	340	3.8%
2013	0.57	337^th	344	2.0%
2014	0.16	342^nd	347	1.4%
2015	0.05	352^nd	354	0.6%
2016	0.02	350^th	351	0.3%
2019	0.50	348^th	351	0.9%

See the entire list of Massachusetts Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Special Education students at School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	1.54	345^th	348	0.9%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	1.39	326^th	330	1.2%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Disabled students at School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	13.00	281^st	299	6.0%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Alternative Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	0.67	345^th	346	0.3%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	2.87	206^th	206	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Alternative Schools for Hispanic 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.

Data source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for School for Exceptional Studies

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2008	41	6	1	174	n/a	n/a	222
2009	32	5	1	183	0	0	221
2010	30	4	0	166	0	0	200
2011	36	4	0	158	0	0	198
2012	28	10	0	165	0	0	203
2013	26	11	0	157	0	1	195
2014	25	9	0	160	0	0	194
2015	27	6	0	167	0	0	200
2016	27	4	1	169	0	1	202
2017	21	4	1	149	0	1	176
2018	19	2	1	127	0	1	150
2019	16	3	0	125	0	1	145
2020	14	2	0	111	0	1	128
2021	12	3	0	111	0	1	127
2022	8	3	0	93	0	1	105
2023	3	5	0	94	0	0	102

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 School for Exceptional Studies

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	222	52.0	4.3	74.8
2009	221	48.5	4.6	86.4
2010	200	35.0	5.7	81.5
2011	198	33.9	5.8	85.9
2012	203	34.3	5.9	75.4
2013	195	33.0	5.9	75.9
2014	194	33.5	5.7	94.3
2015	200	32.0	6.2	92
2016	202	33.0	6.1	n/a
2017	176	31.9	5.5	n/a
2018	150	32.6	4.5	n/a
2019	145	32.0	4.5	n/a
2020	128	36.1	3.5	n/a
2021	127	36.5	3.4	n/a
2022	105	33.0	3.1	n/a
2023	102	32.9	3.0	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 School for Exceptional Studies

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	222	52.0	4.3	74.8
2009	221	48.5	4.6	86.4
2010	200	35.0	5.7	81.5
2011	198	33.9	5.8	85.9
2012	203	34.3	5.9	75.4
2013	195	33.0	5.9	75.9
2014	194	33.5	5.7	94.3
2015	200	32.0	6.2	92
2016	202	33.0	6.1	n/a
2017	176	31.9	5.5	n/a
2018	150	32.6	4.5	n/a
2019	145	32.0	4.5	n/a
2020	128	36.1	3.5	n/a
2021	127	36.5	3.4	n/a
2022	105	33.0	3.1	n/a
2023	102	32.9	3.0	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 School for Exceptional Studies

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$5,867 (12.2%)	$42,045 (87.8%)	$47,913
2020	$5,412 (11.0%)	$43,793 (89.0%)	$49,205
2021	$6,905 (12.2%)	$49,579 (87.8%)	$56,484

Data source: Massachusetts Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on School for Exceptional Studies

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 498^th of 498 Middle schools	Ranks 499^th of 501 Middle schools	0.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (School for Exceptional Studies)	0	0
7th Grade English Language Arts (Lawrence)	29	18.9	10.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)	48	40.5	7.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (School for Exceptional Studies)	0	0
7th Grade Mathematics (Lawrence)	36	18.6	17.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)	48	38.1	9.9%
All Grades English Language Arts (School for Exceptional Studies)	0	0
All Grades English Language Arts (Lawrence)	30	18.3	11.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Massachusetts)	52	42.3	9.7%
All Grades Mathematics (School for Exceptional Studies)	3	0	3%
All Grades Mathematics (Lawrence)	31	17.3	13.7%
All Grades Mathematics (Massachusetts)	49	40.6	8.4%
All Grades Science (School for Exceptional Studies)	12	0	12%
All Grades Science (Lawrence)	25	16.5	8.5%
All Grades Science (Massachusetts)	47	41.2	5.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	145	102	29.7%
African American	3	5	66.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	125	94	24.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	16	3	81.3%
Two or More Races	1	0	100%

Schools Near School for Exceptional Studies

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2024)								MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2024)								MCAS Next Generation Science (2024)				MCAS Next Generation Biology (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 10th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 10th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science 10th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Biology All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
School for Exceptional Studies	Public, Alternative	K-12	233 Haverhill St.	Lawrence	01841	Essex County	Lawrence	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 975-5980	102	33	3.0		3 (2.9%)	5 (4.9%)	94 (92.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)						0.0		0.0						0.0		0.0		8.3		5.6	0.0	$56,485	$6,905	$49,579
Bartlett School and Assessment Center	Public, Alternative	2-11	551 Washington Street	Haverhill	01830	Essex County	Haverhill	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 469-8735	35	6	5.8		13 (37.1%)	4 (11.4%)	17 (48.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.9%)								(n/a)								0.0								0.0						$51,492	$2,780	$48,712
Dr. Janice Adie Day School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	60 Carlisle Street	Chelmsford	01851	Middlesex County	Lowell	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 674-2405	55	13	4.2		19 (34.5%)	7 (12.7%)	17 (30.9%)	8 (14.5%)	1 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.5%)								(n/a)			0.0					0.0			0.0					0.0	0.0			0.0		$40,026	$1,971	$38,055
Collegiate Charter School of Lowell	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1857 Middlesex Street	Lowell	01851	Middlesex County	Collegiate Charter School of Lowell (District)	Yes	No	No	Yes	(978) 458-1399	1,203	55	21.8		291 (24.2%)	238 (19.8%)	294 (24.4%)	302 (25.1%)	30 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (3.9%)								(n/a)	22.7	15.1	20.9	22.8	22.6	33.3	57.8	23.1	25.0	23.9	18.2	21.1	22.1	18.3	38.0	21.2	29.1	26.9	39.3	28.0	14.0	$11,418	$1,499	$9,919
Peabody Personalized Remote Education Program	Public, Virtual, Alternative	2-12	27 Lowell Street	Peabody	01960	Essex County	Peabody	No	No	Yes	No	(978) 536-6522	94	8	12.0		59 (62.8%)	5 (5.3%)	21 (22.3%)	5 (5.3%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.2%)								(n/a)								3.6								7.4				33.3
Pioneer Charter School of Science II (Pcss-Ii)	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	97 Main Street	Saugus	01906	Essex County	Pioneer Charter School of Science II (District)	Yes	No	No	Yes	(781) 666-3945	462	37	12.3		118 (25.5%)	138 (29.9%)	107 (23.2%)	78 (16.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.1%)								(n/a)	36.7				48.7	59.2	84.4	49.5	53.1				76.4	80.3	90.6	71.9		62.0	82.5	62.0	70.8	$16,308	$960	$15,348

School for Exceptional Studies

School for Exceptional Studies:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Lawrence:

What do you think?

Rank History for School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for all elementary school students at School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for all middle school students at School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for middle school Male students at School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for all high school students at School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for high school Special Education students at School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for high school Disabled students at School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for high school Male students at School for Exceptional Studies

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at School for Exceptional Studies

Enrollment information for School for Exceptional Studies

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at School for Exceptional Studies

Student/Teacher Ratio School for Exceptional Studies

Per Pupil Expenditures for School for Exceptional Studies

Impact of COVID-19 on School for Exceptional Studies

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near School for Exceptional Studies

Frequently Asked Questions about School for Exceptional Studies

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