Newton

The Newton area has eight schools—four elementary, two middle and two high schools—serving students from elementary through high school. Across the schools, math is the clearest area-wide concern: the average result was 23%, compared with 41% statewide, an 18-point gap.

Different schools lead in different subjects. Slate Creek Elementary had the highest ELA result, 48%, about 16 points above the other schools’ average, while Santa Fe 5/6 Center led math at 35% and science at 48%; its science result was the only one above the state’s 38%. Opportunity Academy was the clear low outlier: its ELA result of 5% was 34 points below the other schools’ average, its math result was 0%, and its science result was 7%. It also had the highest chronic absenteeism, 46%. By contrast, South Breeze Elementary had the lowest rate, 8%, below both the state’s 18% and the district’s 23%.

ELA results improved more consistently than math: six of eight schools raised ELA scores, and the average rose 2 points, compared with a 1-point state gain. Only three schools improved in math; the average rose less than 1 point while the state gained 2, widening the gap. SchoolDigger ranked Slate Creek in the 33rd percentile among schools with ranking histories and Opportunity Academy in the 1st percentile. Other context does not sort schools neatly by results: Sunset Elementary had a low student–teacher ratio of 10.5 but the lowest elementary ELA and math scores, while Slate Creek’s ratio was 11.4 and its results led in ELA and were second-highest in math. Lunch rates and ratios are context, not explanations for results.