Downey

Summary:

Downey is an exemplary elementary school located in Westwood, MA that serves grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 308 students. The school has consistently ranked among the top elementary schools in Massachusetts, with a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Downey's students consistently outperform the state and Westwood district averages on MCAS Next Generation assessments in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. The school has also demonstrated exceptional performance for students with special needs, ranking 16th out of 672 Massachusetts elementary schools for disabled students in ELA. When compared to nearby schools in Norwood and Dedham, Downey generally outperforms these schools on MCAS assessments, particularly in ELA and Math.

Downey's consistent high performance over the years suggests that the school has effective teaching practices, curriculum, and support systems in place to ensure student success. While the school's overall performance is exceptional, there are a few areas where the school could potentially improve, such as the performance of 4th-grade students in ELA, which is slightly lower than the other grade levels.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 250 Downey Street
       Westwood, MA  02090


(781) 326-7500

District: Westwood

SchoolDigger Rank:
64th of 916 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $22,440 Help


Students who attend Downey usually attend:

Middle:    E W Thurston Middle
High:    Westwood High

Student/teacher ratio:  11.6 Help
Number of students:  308

Racial breakdown:

White:
64.9%
Asian:
22.7%
Hispanic:
6.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  4.8% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Downey ranks better than 93% of elementary schools in Massachusetts. It also ranks last among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Westwood School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 90.73. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Downey has the largest elementary school student body size in the Westwood School District. Racial makeup is: White (64.9%), Asian (22.7%), Hispanic (6.8%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Downey is 11.6, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Westwood School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Downey employs 26.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Downey is $22,440, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Westwood School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Downey:

SchoolDigger ranks Downey 64th of 916 Massachusetts public elementary schools. (See Downey in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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


Westwood:

SchoolDigger ranks Westwood 21st of 351 Massachusetts school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Downey

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Rank History for all students at Downey

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 84.62 116th 884 86.9%
2004 87.16 83rd 882 90.6%
2005 87.56 76th 887 91.4%
2006 86.32 99th 911 89.1%
2007 83.86 119th 911 86.9%
2008 82.42 136th 908 85.0%
2009 81.20 152nd 909 83.3%
2010 86.52 90th 920 90.2%
2011 88.63 61st 924 93.4%
2012 90.12 43rd 930 95.4%
2013 84.02 120th 928 87.1%
2014 83.28 123rd 926 86.7%
2015 83.87 114th 914 87.5%
2016 89.89 54th 932 94.2%
2017 90.52 46th 938 95.1%
2018 91.48 42nd 934 95.5%
2019 90.89 50th 942 94.7%
2021 93.89 29th 936 96.9%
2022 94.98 22nd 932 97.6%
2023 91.84 55th 928 94.1%
2024 90.73 64th 916 93.0%
See the entire list of Massachusetts Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Downey

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 79.89 103rd 886 88.4%
2019 76.41 128th 896 85.7%
2021 94.17 16th 894 98.2%
2022 84.61 82nd 905 90.9%
2023 88.90 42nd 703 94.0%
2024 91.66 21st 731 97.1%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Female students at Downey

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 92.93 13th 893 98.5%
2019 92.91 13th 902 98.6%
2021 94.07 20th 898 97.8%
2022 95.39 11th 901 98.8%
2023 92.16 37th 887 95.8%
2024 90.95 48th 886 94.6%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Downey

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 75.64 113th 665 83.0%
2021 93.47 16th 632 97.5%
2022 93.90 16th 672 97.6%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Downey

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 86.77 88th 898 90.2%
2019 87.01 80th 907 91.2%
2021 91.62 45th 904 95.0%
2022 92.56 39th 908 95.7%
2023 88.91 75th 896 91.6%
2024 88.35 79th 891 91.1%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Tested In Person students at Downey

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 94.91 14th 925 98.5%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Tested In Person Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Downey

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 87.61 4th 143 97.2%
2023 78.79 21st 145 85.5%
2024 74.24 40th 152 73.7%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for White students at Downey

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 87.46 46th 772 94.0%
2019 87.59 46th 780 94.1%
2021 87.36 57th 765 92.5%
2022 85.94 68th 764 91.1%
2023 79.22 131st 762 82.8%
2024 75.78 154th 753 79.5%
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.

Downey 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 Downey

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 175 0 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 176
1989 212 7 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 221
1990 224 13 4 0 0 n/a n/a 0 241
1991 180 16 8 0 0 n/a n/a 0 204
1992 196 0 9 0 0 n/a n/a 0 205
1993 212 0 11 0 0 n/a n/a 0 223
1994 211 0 10 0 0 n/a n/a 0 221
1995 205 1 6 1 0 n/a n/a 0 213
1996 205 1 6 1 0 n/a n/a 0 213
1997 206 0 4 3 0 n/a n/a 0 213
1998 205 0 6 5 0 n/a n/a 0 216
1999 198 2 3 1 0 n/a n/a 0 204
2000 202 1 7 3 0 n/a n/a 0 213
2001 198 0 8 2 0 n/a n/a 0 208
2002 277 3 24 11 1 n/a n/a 0 316
2003 277 3 24 11 1 n/a n/a 0 316
2004 261 3 19 7 1 n/a n/a 0 291
2005 273 3 14 6 3 n/a n/a 0 299
2006 309 9 16 4 0 n/a n/a 2 340
2007 272 7 18 6 0 n/a n/a 2 305
2008 264 8 20 4 0 n/a n/a 2 298
2009 259 6 19 4 0 0 2 0 290
2010 259 6 27 3 0 0 3 0 298
2011 232 4 32 2 0 0 9 0 279
2012 223 2 32 5 0 0 13 0 275
2013 214 2 33 4 0 0 12 0 265
2014 207 0 35 6 0 0 13 0 261
2015 193 0 35 8 0 0 14 0 250
2016 186 1 30 10 0 0 14 0 241
2017 191 1 32 9 0 0 11 0 244
2018 186 1 43 8 1 0 11 0 250
2019 201 2 50 12 0 0 16 0 281
2020 203 1 50 13 0 1 18 0 286
2021 205 1 58 14 0 1 16 0 295
2022 209 1 59 16 0 1 20 0 306
2023 200 1 70 21 0 1 15 0 308

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 Downey

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 176 n/a n/a n/a
1989 221 n/a n/a n/a
1990 241 n/a n/a n/a
1991 204 n/a n/a n/a
1992 205 n/a n/a n/a
1993 223 n/a 0.0 n/a
1994 221 n/a n/a n/a
1995 213 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 213 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 213 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 216 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 204 n/a 0.0 2.5
2000 213 n/a 0.0 4.2
2001 208 n/a 0.0 3.8
2002 316 n/a n/a 0.3
2003 316 n/a n/a 0.3
2004 291 24.0 12.1 0
2005 299 25.7 11.6 1.7
2006 340 27.9 12.2 3
2007 305 24.0 12.7 3
2008 298 20.7 14.4 0
2009 290 21.6 13.4 3.8
2010 298 22.3 13.3 3.7
2011 279 23.1 12.0 4.7
2012 275 22.1 12.4 5.8
2013 265 21.4 12.3 4.9
2014 261 20.8 12.5 7.3
2015 250 21.0 11.9 4.8
2016 241 20.0 12.0 n/a
2017 244 19.9 12.2 n/a
2018 250 18.5 13.4 n/a
2019 281 22.8 12.2 n/a
2020 286 22.5 12.7 n/a
2021 295 23.2 12.6 n/a
2022 306 25.3 12.0 n/a
2023 308 26.3 11.6 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 Downey

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 176 n/a n/a n/a
1989 221 n/a n/a n/a
1990 241 n/a n/a n/a
1991 204 n/a n/a n/a
1992 205 n/a n/a n/a
1993 223 n/a 0.0 n/a
1994 221 n/a n/a n/a
1995 213 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 213 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 213 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 216 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 204 n/a 0.0 2.5
2000 213 n/a 0.0 4.2
2001 208 n/a 0.0 3.8
2002 316 n/a n/a 0.3
2003 316 n/a n/a 0.3
2004 291 24.0 12.1 0
2005 299 25.7 11.6 1.7
2006 340 27.9 12.2 3
2007 305 24.0 12.7 3
2008 298 20.7 14.4 0
2009 290 21.6 13.4 3.8
2010 298 22.3 13.3 3.7
2011 279 23.1 12.0 4.7
2012 275 22.1 12.4 5.8
2013 265 21.4 12.3 4.9
2014 261 20.8 12.5 7.3
2015 250 21.0 11.9 4.8
2016 241 20.0 12.0 n/a
2017 244 19.9 12.2 n/a
2018 250 18.5 13.4 n/a
2019 281 22.8 12.2 n/a
2020 286 22.5 12.7 n/a
2021 295 23.2 12.6 n/a
2022 306 25.3 12.0 n/a
2023 308 26.3 11.6 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 Downey

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $76 (0.4%) $20,590 (99.6%) $20,666
2020 $134 (0.6%) $20,945 (99.4%) $21,079
2021 $379 (1.7%) $22,060 (98.3%) $22,440

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Downey

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 50th of 942 Elementary schoolsRanks 55th of 928 Elementary schools
 0.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Downey)7257.1
 14.9%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Westwood)8671
 15%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5643.9
 12.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Downey)6773.8
 6.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Westwood)7969.4
 9.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4941
 8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Downey)8364.6
 18.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Westwood)8164.4
 16.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5239.7
 12.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Downey)8876.6
 11.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Westwood)8473.8
 10.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4945
 4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Downey)8678.9
 7.2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Westwood)8778.6
 8.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5243.8
 8.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Downey)7782.7
 5.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Westwood)7778.6
 1.6%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.9
 8.2%
5th Grade Science (Downey)8473.1
 10.9%
   5th Grade Science (Westwood)8375.6
 7.4%
   5th Grade Science (Massachusetts)4841.6
 6.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Downey)8067.3
 12.7%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Westwood)7771.1
 5.9%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5242.3
 9.7%
All Grades Mathematics (Downey)7777.9
 0.8%
   All Grades Mathematics (Westwood)7571.6
 3.4%
   All Grades Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.6
 8.4%
All Grades Science (Downey)8473.1
 10.9%
   All Grades Science (Westwood)7573.4
 1.6%
   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 Students281308
 9.6%
African American21
 50%
American Indian00
Asian5070
 40%
Hispanic1221
 75%
Pacific Islander01
White201200
 0.5%
Two or More Races1615
 6.3%


Schools Near Downey









Frequently Asked Questions about Downey

Students at Downey are 65% White, 23% Asian, 7% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 308 students attended Downey.

Students who attend Downey usually go on to attend:

Middle : E W Thurston Middle
High : Westwood High

Yes. Downey ranks in the top 7.0% 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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