Is Spark Academy a good school?

Spark Academy ranks 327 th of 493 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Spark Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 445 students attended Spark Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Spark Academy?

Students at Spark Academy are 95% Hispanic, 3% White, 1% African American.

What high school do graduates of Spark Academy attend?

Students who attend Spark Academy usually go on to attend Lawrence High School

Spark Academy

Summary:

Spark Academy is a public middle school located in Lawrence, MA, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 437 students. The school's performance is generally better than the Lawrence district average, but still significantly behind the state and neighboring high-performing districts like Andover and North Andover.

Spark Academy's MCAS proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are higher than the Lawrence district averages, but lower than the state averages. The school's performance has been improving over the years, with its ranking among Massachusetts middle schools increasing from 462 out of 501 in 2020-2021 to 327 out of 493 in 2023-2024. Interestingly, Spark Academy's Hispanic and English Language Learner (ELL) students perform significantly better than the school's overall student population, ranking in the top 25-35% of Massachusetts middle schools in these subgroups.

However, Spark Academy's Special Education and Disabled student subgroups perform poorly, ranking in the bottom 25-30% of Massachusetts middle schools. The school spends approximately $15,746 per student, which is higher than the state average, and has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 10.9, suggesting a focus on smaller class sizes. While Spark Academy's performance is better than the other middle schools in the Lawrence district, it is still significantly behind the high-performing middle schools in the neighboring Andover and North Andover districts.

Detail:

Public 6-8

165 Crawford Street
Lawrence, MA 01843

(978) 975-5993

District: Lawrence

SchoolDigger Rank:
327^th of 493 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,746

Students who attend Spark Academy usually attend:

High:

Lawrence High School

Feeder schools for Spark Academy:

Elementary:

South Lawrence East Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.0

Number of students: 445

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

94.8%

White:

3.4%

African American:

1.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 92.6%

See top rated Massachusetts middle schools

Compare Spark Academy to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Spark Academy ranks worse than 66.3% of middle schools in Massachusetts. It also ranks first among 8 ranked middle schools in the Lawrence School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.81. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (94.8%), White (3.4%), African American (1.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Spark Academy is 11, which is the 4^th best among 8 middle schools in the Lawrence School District. (See more...)

Compare Spark Academy employs 40.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Spark Academy is $15,746. 5 middle schools in the Lawrence School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Spark Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Spark Academy 327^th of 493 Massachusetts public middle schools. (See Spark Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Lawrence:

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

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Your rating for Spark Academy?

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Rank History for Spark Academy

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Rank History for all students at Spark Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MA State Percentile
2015	13.76	386^th	441	12.5%
2016	38.28	303^rd	482	37.1%
2017	30.74	340^th	487	30.2%
2018	21.19	387^th	484	20.0%
2019	25.20	375^th	498	24.7%
2021	10.10	462^nd	501	7.8%
2022	23.60	384^th	497	22.7%
2023	34.03	315^th	501	37.1%
2024	30.81	327^th	493	33.7%

See the entire list of Massachusetts Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Spark Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	33.74	97^th	127	23.6%
2019	40.75	65^th	138	52.9%
2021	32.12	124^th	135	8.1%
2022	52.49	29^th	154	81.2%
2023	49.73	42^nd	155	72.9%
2024	53.94	34^th	180	81.1%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Spark Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	43.70	262^nd	467	43.9%
2019	50.62	211^th	484	56.4%
2021	18.24	439^th	489	10.2%
2022	42.12	276^th	503	45.1%
2023	22.10	393^rd	444	11.5%
2024	25.50	348^th	441	21.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Spark Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	40.60	282^nd	438	35.6%
2019	46.25	244^th	452	46.0%
2021	17.25	414^th	462	10.4%
2022	40.63	282^nd	489	42.3%
2023	57.77	180^th	481	62.6%
2024	53.28	189^th	469	59.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Spark Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	22.61	367^th	463	20.7%
2019	28.29	359^th	478	24.9%
2021	11.55	442^nd	483	8.5%
2022	26.16	372^nd	494	24.7%
2023	40.98	271^st	489	44.6%
2024	32.76	308^th	481	36.0%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Spark Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	30.29	292^nd	417	30.0%
2019	31.02	281^st	424	33.7%
2021	17.74	418^th	431	3.0%
2022	19.22	419^th	445	5.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Spark Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	19.20	386^th	466	17.2%
2019	21.20	385^th	478	19.5%
2021	10.16	453^rd	485	6.6%
2022	22.30	393^rd	497	20.9%
2023	28.71	337^th	489	31.1%
2024	28.80	331^st	483	31.5%

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

Rank History for Tested In Person students at Spark Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	10.22	451^st	491	8.1%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Tested In Person Students!

Rank History for Tested Remotely students at Spark Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	14.61	318^th	339	6.2%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Tested Remotely Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Spark Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	43.41	170^th	309	45.0%
2019	50.04	149^th	322	53.7%
2021	22.07	288^th	335	14.0%
2022	42.50	195^th	368	47.0%
2023	61.03	110^th	364	69.8%
2024	56.33	124^th	378	67.2%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle 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 Spark Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2013	1	1	5	98	2	0	107
2014	10	2	11	231	2	0	256
2015	19	5	15	392	4	0	435
2016	19	4	12	394	1	0	430
2017	17	6	11	422	2	0	458
2018	12	7	10	430	1	0	460
2019	13	6	9	426	3	1	458
2020	14	7	8	441	4	0	474
2021	17	3	5	448	3	0	476
2022	17	4	3	412	0	0	436
2023	16	2	5	414	0	0	437
2024	15	5	3	422	0	0	445

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 Spark Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	107	9.0	11.8	79.4
2014	256	21.0	12.1	93.4
2015	435	29.0	15.0	92.6
2016	430	34.0	12.6	n/a
2017	458	33.2	13.7	n/a
2018	460	41.0	11.1	n/a
2019	458	31.4	14.5	n/a
2020	474	35.0	13.5	n/a
2021	476	33.5	14.2	n/a
2022	436	42.0	10.3	n/a
2023	437	39.9	10.9	n/a
2024	445	40.1	11.0	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 Spark Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	107	9.0	11.8	79.4
2014	256	21.0	12.1	93.4
2015	435	29.0	15.0	92.6
2016	430	34.0	12.6	n/a
2017	458	33.2	13.7	n/a
2018	460	41.0	11.1	n/a
2019	458	31.4	14.5	n/a
2020	474	35.0	13.5	n/a
2021	476	33.5	14.2	n/a
2022	436	42.0	10.3	n/a
2023	437	39.9	10.9	n/a
2024	445	40.1	11.0	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 Spark Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$970 (6.4%)	$14,089 (93.6%)	$15,059
2020	$757 (5.1%)	$14,231 (94.9%)	$14,988
2021	$1,552 (9.9%)	$14,193 (90.1%)	$15,746

Data source: Massachusetts Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Spark Academy

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 375^th of 498 Middle schools	Ranks 315^th of 501 Middle schools	12.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Spark Academy)	19	28.5	9.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Lawrence)	34	17.9	16.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)	54	42.3	11.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Spark Academy)	38	26.8	11.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Lawrence)	34	14.4	19.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)	51	41	10%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Spark Academy)	26	38.5	12.5%
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 (Spark Academy)	36	29.2	6.8%
7th Grade Mathematics (Lawrence)	36	18.6	17.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)	48	38.1	9.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Spark Academy)	31	29.2	1.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Lawrence)	27	24.2	2.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)	51	43.7	7.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Spark Academy)	38	25.6	12.4%
8th Grade Mathematics (Lawrence)	33	18.2	14.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)	47	37.7	9.3%
8th Grade Science (Spark Academy)	34	27.1	6.9%
8th Grade Science (Lawrence)	23	17	6%
8th Grade Science (Massachusetts)	46	40.9	5.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Spark Academy)	26	32	6%
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 (Spark Academy)	37	27.2	9.8%
All Grades Mathematics (Lawrence)	31	17.3	13.7%
All Grades Mathematics (Massachusetts)	49	40.6	8.4%
All Grades Science (Spark Academy)	34	27.1	6.9%
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	458	437	4.6%
African American	6	2	66.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	9	5	44.4%
Hispanic	426	414	2.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	13	16	23.1%
Two or More Races	3	0	100%

Schools Near Spark Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2024)							MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2024)							MCAS Next Generation Science (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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	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 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 All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Spark Academy	Public	6-8	165 Crawford Street	Lawrence	01843	Essex County	Lawrence	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 975-5993	445	40	11.0		15 (3.4%)	5 (1.1%)	422 (94.8%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30.8	327^th of 493 public middle schools	33.7%		34	315^th of 501 public middle schools	37.1%	12				11.9	25.4	34.7	24.5				29.7	24.8	25.0	26.4		25.7	25.7	$15,746	$1,553	$14,193
Leonard Middle School	Public	6-8	60 Allen Street	Lawrence	01841	Essex County	Lawrence	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 722-8159	321	23	14.1		2 (0.6%)	6 (1.9%)	313 (97.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6.4	486^th of 493 public middle schools	1.4%		5.8	488^th of 501 public middle schools	2.6%	2				3.9	5.0	1.7	3.4				3.9	2.0	9.5	5.5		2.6	2.6	$18,139	$1,729	$16,410
Frost Middle School	Public	5-8	33 Hamlet Street	Lawrence	01843	Essex County	Lawrence	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 722-8810	493	36	13.7		27 (5.5%)	10 (2.0%)	435 (88.2%)	14 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	21.6	380^th of 493 public middle schools	22.9%		26.8	359^th of 501 public middle schools	28.3%	21			23.3	27.3	16.8	24.8	23.0			19.8	23.2	11.5	18.0	18.0	21.6	18.8	20.1	$15,019	$1,831	$13,187
North Andover Middle	Public	6-8	495 Main Street	North Andover	01845	Essex County	North Andover	No	No	No	No	(978) 794-1870	1,017	75	13.5		703 (69.1%)	29 (2.9%)	168 (16.5%)	75 (7.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	37 (3.6%)	77.3	102^nd of 493 public middle schools	79.3%		80.9	84^th of 501 public middle schools	83.2%	18				44.1	46.2	50.3	46.9				53.8	67.4	59.1	60.0		52.3	52.3	$14,847	$575	$14,273
Oliver Middle School	Public	6-8	233 Haverhill Street	Lawrence	01840	Essex County	Lawrence	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 722-8670	346	32	10.8		6 (1.7%)	5 (1.4%)	332 (96.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17.1	414^th of 493 public middle schools	16.0%		13.5	439^th of 501 public middle schools	12.4%	25				11.4	14.8	25.5	17.1				10.5	10.2	25.5	15.2		14.7	14.7	$19,510	$1,693	$17,817
Guilmette Middle School	Public	5-8	80 Bodwell St	Lawrence	01841	Essex County	Lawrence	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 722-8270	464	46	9.9		7 (1.5%)	9 (1.9%)	440 (94.8%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19.7	392^nd of 493 public middle schools	20.5%		17.9	414^th of 501 public middle schools	17.4%	22			15.0	12.2	14.6	26.9	17.2			9.0	14.8	15.6	27.8	17.0	19.0	15.7	17.3	$17,864	$1,725	$16,139
Parthum Middle School	Public	5-8	255 East Haverhill Street	Lawrence	01841	Essex County	Lawrence	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 691-7224	590	41	14.4		19 (3.2%)	8 (1.4%)	560 (94.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29	333^rd of 493 public middle schools	32.5%		31.5	332^nd of 501 public middle schools	33.7%	1			21.7	15.8	24.6	34.3	24.1			34.1	18.0	26.1	29.2	26.7	24.8	23.4	24.1	$14,321	$1,391	$12,931
Alexander B Bruce	Public	3-8	135 Butler Street	Lawrence	01841	Essex County	Lawrence	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 975-5935	416	43	9.6		6 (1.4%)	10 (2.4%)	393 (94.5%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	14.6	432^nd of 493 public middle schools	12.4%		17.4	416^th of 501 public middle schools	17.0%	16	16.7	9.6	12.0	15.4	11.0	14.5	13.2	27.8	25.0	12.0	7.7	12.3	22.9	18.1	18.0	10.8	13.5	$17,417	$1,878	$15,539
Arlington Middle School	Public	5-8	150 Arlington Street	Lawrence	01841	Essex County	Lawrence	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 975-5930	588	42	14.0		10 (1.7%)	2 (0.3%)	572 (97.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	13.8	441^st of 493 public middle schools	10.5%		13.6	438^th of 501 public middle schools	12.6%	3			8.7	9.7	7.8	14.6	10.4			5.8	7.5	13.2	24.5	13.4	14.7	12.6	13.4	$15,778	$1,530	$14,248
Andover West Middle	Public	6-8	70 Shawsheen Road	Andover	01810	Essex County	Andover	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 247-5400	493	47	10.5		326 (66.1%)	14 (2.8%)	50 (10.1%)	92 (18.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.0%)	93.5	31^st of 493 public middle schools	93.7%		90	52^nd of 501 public middle schools	89.6%	21				71.9	57.0	65.7	64.6				81.4	66.5	71.0	72.6		71.2	71.2	$20,124	$525	$19,599

Spark Academy

Spark Academy:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Lawrence:

What do you think?

Rank History for Spark Academy

Rank History for all students at Spark Academy

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Spark Academy

Rank History for Special Education students at Spark Academy

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Spark Academy

Rank History for Female students at Spark Academy

Rank History for Disabled students at Spark Academy

Rank History for Male students at Spark Academy

Rank History for Tested In Person students at Spark Academy

Rank History for Tested Remotely students at Spark Academy

Rank History for Hispanic students at Spark Academy

Enrollment information for Spark Academy

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Spark Academy

Student/Teacher Ratio Spark Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures for Spark Academy

Impact of COVID-19 on Spark Academy

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Spark Academy

Frequently Asked Questions about Spark Academy

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