Do we Need Elementary and Middle School Rankings? US News Says Yes

U.S. News & World Report, which calls itself "the global authority in education rankings," earlier this month released the 2024 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings. In this edition, U.S. News publishes rankings and data on more than 79,000 public elementary and middle schools nationwide.

The Top Massachusetts Middle Schools included the following top 10:

#1 Boston Latin, Boston, MA Boston Public Schools

#2 Heath, Chestnut Hill, MA The Public Schools of Brookline

#3 Lawrence, Brookline, MA, The Public Schools of Brookline

#4 Pierce, Brookline, MA, The Public Schools of Brookline

#5 Dover-Sherborn Regional Middle School, Dover, MA, Dover-Sherborn

#6 Jonas Clarke Middle, Lexington, MA, Lexington

#7 Wm Diamond Middle, Lexington, MA, Lexington

#8 Hopkinton Middle School, Hopkinton, MA, Hopkinton

#9 Edith C Baker, Chestnut Hill, MA, The Public Schools of Brookline

#10 Weston Middle, Weston, MA, Weston

According to U.S. News, the rankings and data can be used by parents, educators and community members to:

● Discover information on student-teacher ratio, district spending, and the number of counselors at public elementary and middle schools around the country.

● Browse the rankings by state and district levels, with Best Charter Schools and Best Magnet Schools as stand-alone categories.

● Read topical stories for parents of school-age children on the “504 Plan versus IEP: A Guide for Parents,” and understand the difference between “Charter Schools and Public Schools,” as well as “How Middle Schoolers Can Get Ready for College Applications,” and “How to Navigate College Admissions With A Learning Disability,” and finally “What is Media Literacy? What Parents Need to Know.”

“The 2024 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings offer a way for parents to get a snapshot of their child’s school and how well it's doing within its community," said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News. “Easily accessible data on student-teacher ratio, district spending, and the number of school counselors available at the school can keep parents informed and involved."

The methodology for the rankings focused on state assessments of students who were proficient or above proficient in mathematics and reading/language arts while accounting for student backgrounds, achievement in core subjects, and how well schools are educating their students. Student-teacher ratios are applied to break ties in the overall score.

The 2024 Best Elementary and Best Middle Schools rankings are based on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education. For district-level rankings, at least two of the top performing schools must rank in the top 75% of the overall elementary or middle school rankings to qualify for district-level recognition.

For more information, visit Best Elementary and Middle Schools and use #BestK8Schools on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter).