Sunita L. Williams Elementary

Summary:

Sunita L. Williams Elementary is a public elementary school in Needham, Massachusetts that serves 529 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Needham school district, which is ranked 26th out of 351 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sunita L. Williams Elementary consistently ranks among the top 15% of elementary schools in Massachusetts, with impressive academic performance on MCAS Next Generation assessments. In the 2023-2024 school year, 58.43% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 39.17% statewide, and 66.79% were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 40.91% statewide. The school's 5th-grade students stand out, with 65.48% proficient or better in ELA and 70.24% in Mathematics, outperforming the Needham district and the state.

While Sunita L. Williams Elementary performs well compared to other schools in the area, some nearby schools, such as A.E. Angier, Hunnewell, and Broadmeadow, have even higher academic performance, suggesting that Sunita L. Williams could learn from their best practices.


Detail:

Public K-5

 585 Central Avenue
       Needham, MA  02494


(781) 455-0461

District: Needham

SchoolDigger Rank:
127th of 916 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $22,164 Help


Students who attend Sunita L. Williams Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    High Rock School
    Pollard Middle
High:    Needham High

Student/teacher ratio:  13.2 Help
Number of students:  529

Racial breakdown:

White:
69.9%
Asian:
11.9%
Two or more races:
7.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  6.9% Help


 See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

 Compare Sunita L. Williams Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Sunita L. Williams Elementary ranks better than 86.1% of elementary schools in Massachusetts. It also ranks last among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Needham School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 85.04. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (69.9%), Asian (11.9%), two or more races (7.4%). (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sunita L. Williams Elementary is 13.2, which is the 2nd best among 5 elementary schools in the Needham School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Sunita L. Williams Elementary employs 39.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sunita L. Williams Elementary is $22,164, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Needham School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sunita L. Williams Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Sunita L. Williams Elementary 127th of 916 Massachusetts public elementary schools. (See Sunita L. Williams Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
White students:


Needham:

SchoolDigger ranks Needham 26th of 351 Massachusetts school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Sunita L. Williams Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Sunita L. Williams Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 81.60 155th 884 82.5%
2004 78.43 187th 882 78.8%
2005 86.29 94th 887 89.4%
2006 84.86 116th 911 87.3%
2007 80.20 166th 911 81.8%
2008 72.00 264th 908 70.9%
2009 75.01 224th 909 75.4%
2010 75.58 228th 920 75.2%
2011 78.63 197th 924 78.7%
2012 70.39 297th 930 68.1%
2013 69.61 308th 928 66.8%
2014 80.59 160th 926 82.7%
2015 81.24 146th 914 84.0%
2016 83.81 123rd 932 86.8%
2017 85.50 108th 938 88.5%
2018 86.88 93rd 934 90.0%
2019 88.74 75th 942 92.0%
2021 87.76 109th 936 88.4%
2022 84.94 130th 932 86.1%
2023 76.53 223rd 928 76.0%
2024 85.04 127th 916 86.1%
See the entire list of Massachusetts Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sunita L. Williams Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.20 317th 886 64.2%
2019 85.92 58th 896 93.5%
2021 72.67 164th 894 81.7%
2022 69.83 204th 905 77.5%
2023 51.13 292nd 703 58.5%
2024 64.28 193rd 731 73.6%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sunita L. Williams Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 81.30 131st 893 85.3%
2019 86.24 88th 902 90.2%
2021 85.42 118th 898 86.9%
2022 76.31 205th 901 77.2%
2023 72.00 246th 887 72.3%
2024 80.34 168th 886 81.0%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Sunita L. Williams Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.84 185th 656 71.8%
2019 85.43 55th 665 91.7%
2021 64.12 170th 632 73.1%
2022 67.86 158th 672 76.5%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sunita L. Williams Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 88.25 68th 898 92.4%
2019 88.44 65th 907 92.8%
2021 87.41 94th 904 89.6%
2022 88.65 78th 908 91.4%
2023 77.30 187th 896 79.1%
2024 86.24 100th 891 88.8%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Tested In Person students at Sunita L. Williams Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 89.05 77th 925 91.7%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Tested In Person Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Sunita L. Williams Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 60.32 70th 141 50.4%
2022 46.65 97th 143 32.2%
2023 46.05 96th 145 33.8%
2024 76.20 38th 152 75.0%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for White students at Sunita L. Williams Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 85.69 60th 772 92.2%
2019 83.93 77th 780 90.1%
2021 80.87 118th 765 84.6%
2022 77.00 135th 764 82.3%
2023 65.27 249th 762 67.3%
2024 77.69 135th 753 82.1%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary 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.

Sunita L. Williams Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)
0%

0%

100%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Open Quote It is a new school with all new buildings, however, the school is running down as the old principal retires. Under the new principal, testing score dropped steadily and dramatically. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Sunita L. Williams Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 382 12 14 6 0 n/a n/a 0 414
1989 405 13 19 8 0 n/a n/a 0 445
1990 401 16 13 7 0 n/a n/a 0 437
1991 356 21 6 4 0 n/a n/a 0 387
1992 343 18 16 8 0 n/a n/a 0 385
1993 360 16 12 2 0 n/a n/a 0 390
1994 333 21 15 4 0 n/a n/a 0 373
1995 419 27 17 4 0 n/a n/a 0 467
1996 419 27 17 4 0 n/a n/a 0 467
1997 432 23 14 1 0 n/a n/a 0 470
1998 435 15 14 4 0 n/a n/a 0 468
1999 421 19 24 6 0 n/a n/a 0 470
2000 410 17 25 6 0 n/a n/a 0 458
2001 416 14 30 5 0 n/a n/a 0 465
2002 403 19 35 7 0 n/a n/a 0 464
2003 403 19 35 7 0 n/a n/a 0 464
2004 345 22 41 11 0 n/a n/a 0 419
2005 314 27 40 14 0 n/a n/a 0 395
2006 303 23 37 11 0 n/a n/a 12 386
2007 306 26 30 13 0 n/a n/a 20 395
2008 299 18 35 17 0 n/a n/a 19 388
2009 310 21 24 23 0 0 20 0 398
2010 331 23 26 21 1 2 21 0 425
2011 331 20 34 22 1 1 20 0 429
2012 341 18 33 30 1 0 20 0 443
2013 326 11 30 29 1 0 22 0 419
2014 331 7 34 33 1 0 23 0 429
2015 324 11 34 29 1 0 22 0 421
2016 359 11 38 29 0 0 28 0 465
2017 344 18 47 33 0 0 30 0 472
2018 358 16 52 28 1 0 32 0 487
2019 364 17 59 28 1 0 33 0 502
2020 377 18 64 24 1 0 34 0 518
2021 349 19 60 27 1 0 32 0 488
2022 358 21 63 27 1 1 35 0 506
2023 370 22 63 33 1 1 39 0 529

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 Sunita L. Williams Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 414 n/a n/a n/a
1989 445 n/a n/a n/a
1990 437 n/a n/a n/a
1991 387 n/a n/a n/a
1992 385 n/a n/a n/a
1993 390 n/a 0.0 n/a
1994 373 n/a n/a n/a
1995 467 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 467 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 470 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 468 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 470 n/a 0.0 4.5
2000 458 n/a 0.0 3.3
2001 465 n/a 0.0 3.4
2002 464 n/a n/a 3.2
2003 464 n/a n/a 3.2
2004 419 40.7 10.3 4.8
2005 395 38.5 10.3 5.3
2006 386 25.0 15.4 4.8
2007 395 26.0 15.2 4
2008 388 25.7 15.1 3.8
2009 398 24.7 16.1 7.8
2010 425 25.3 16.7 10.1
2011 429 26.9 15.9 7
2012 443 28.0 15.8 8.8
2013 419 26.6 15.7 10.5
2014 429 27.2 15.7 6.8
2015 421 29.0 14.5 6.9
2016 465 29.0 16.0 n/a
2017 472 31.7 14.8 n/a
2018 487 33.0 14.7 n/a
2019 502 31.4 15.9 n/a
2020 518 37.2 13.9 n/a
2021 488 35.9 13.5 n/a
2022 506 37.0 13.6 n/a
2023 529 39.8 13.2 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 Sunita L. Williams Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 414 n/a n/a n/a
1989 445 n/a n/a n/a
1990 437 n/a n/a n/a
1991 387 n/a n/a n/a
1992 385 n/a n/a n/a
1993 390 n/a 0.0 n/a
1994 373 n/a n/a n/a
1995 467 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 467 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 470 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 468 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 470 n/a 0.0 4.5
2000 458 n/a 0.0 3.3
2001 465 n/a 0.0 3.4
2002 464 n/a n/a 3.2
2003 464 n/a n/a 3.2
2004 419 40.7 10.3 4.8
2005 395 38.5 10.3 5.3
2006 386 25.0 15.4 4.8
2007 395 26.0 15.2 4
2008 388 25.7 15.1 3.8
2009 398 24.7 16.1 7.8
2010 425 25.3 16.7 10.1
2011 429 26.9 15.9 7
2012 443 28.0 15.8 8.8
2013 419 26.6 15.7 10.5
2014 429 27.2 15.7 6.8
2015 421 29.0 14.5 6.9
2016 465 29.0 16.0 n/a
2017 472 31.7 14.8 n/a
2018 487 33.0 14.7 n/a
2019 502 31.4 15.9 n/a
2020 518 37.2 13.9 n/a
2021 488 35.9 13.5 n/a
2022 506 37.0 13.6 n/a
2023 529 39.8 13.2 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 Sunita L. Williams Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $244 (1.4%) $17,435 (98.6%) $17,680
2020 $452 (2.4%) $18,603 (97.6%) $19,055
2021 $1,166 (5.3%) $20,997 (94.7%) $22,164

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Sunita L. Williams Elementary

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 75th of 942 Elementary schoolsRanks 223rd of 928 Elementary schools
 16.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Sunita L. Williams Elementary)7358.6
 14.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Needham)7468.9
 5.1%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5643.9
 12.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Sunita L. Williams Elementary)7650.6
 25.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Needham)6559.2
 5.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4941
 8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Sunita L. Williams Elementary)8149.4
 31.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Needham)6962.6
 6.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5239.7
 12.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Sunita L. Williams Elementary)6849.4
 18.6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Needham)6067
 7%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4945
 4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Sunita L. Williams Elementary)7666.3
 9.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Needham)7366.5
 6.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5243.8
 8.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Sunita L. Williams Elementary)8264
 18%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Needham)6863
 5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.9
 8.2%
5th Grade Science (Sunita L. Williams Elementary)7265.2
 6.8%
   5th Grade Science (Needham)6560.4
 4.6%
   5th Grade Science (Massachusetts)4841.6
 6.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Sunita L. Williams Elementary)7758.3
 18.7%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Needham)7668.3
 7.7%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5242.3
 9.7%
All Grades Mathematics (Sunita L. Williams Elementary)7654.8
 21.2%
   All Grades Mathematics (Needham)7268.6
 3.4%
   All Grades Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.6
 8.4%
All Grades Science (Sunita L. Williams Elementary)7265.2
 6.8%
   All Grades Science (Needham)7064
 6%
   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 Students502529
 5.4%
African American1722
 29.4%
American Indian11
Asian5963
 6.8%
Hispanic2833
 17.9%
Pacific Islander01
White364370
 1.6%
Two or More Races3339
 18.2%


Schools Near Sunita L. Williams Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Sunita L. Williams Elementary

Students who attend Sunita L. Williams Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : High Rock School
Middle : Pollard Middle
High : Needham High

Students at Sunita L. Williams Elementary are 70% White, 12% Asian, 7% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 4% African American.

Sunita L. Williams Elementary ranks 127th of 916 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 529 students attended Sunita L. Williams Elementary.


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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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