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Best Middle Schools in Reading, MA

At a glance

Schools

872

Students

5-star school

Top rankedArthur W Coolidge Middle38^th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools

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Biggest riser

Arthur W Coolidge Middle up 7 spots statewide this year

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Summary:

Reading, Massachusetts is home to two middle schools serving grades 6–8: Walter S Parker Middle with 467 students and Arthur W Coolidge Middle with 405 students. Both are part of the Reading district, which ranks 43rd of 351 districts in Massachusetts (88th percentile, 4 stars). The data include 2025–2026 MCAS Next Generation percent proficient results in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Civics, along with rank histories for 2023–2024 through 2025–2026.

Arthur W Coolidge Middle is the standout. It ranks 38th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools (92nd percentile, 5 stars), up from 54th of 493 (89th percentile, 4 stars) in 2023–2024. It exceeds the district average in every subject, with its strongest 2025–2026 results in Civics (74.40%), Science (70.97%), and Mathematics (70.53%). Its year-over-year gains in Science (+14.45 points) and Civics (+18.93 points) were dramatic — in 2024–2025 it trailed Parker in both subjects.

Walter S Parker Middle remains a solid 4-star school, ranking 73rd of 478 (85th percentile), down from 63rd of 493. It scores above the state average in every subject but below the district average in all four. Coolidge leads Parker at every grade level and subject; the largest gaps are in 7th-grade Math (+18.89 points) and 6th-grade Math (+12.93), while 8th-grade Math and ELA are closest. Both schools saw ELA declines of roughly 7 points. Free/reduced lunch data is blank for both schools, so socioeconomic comparisons cannot be made, and spending figures come from 2020–2021.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2026)				MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2026)				MCAS Next Generation Science (2026)		MCAS Next Generation Civics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	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 6th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Civics 8th Grade	Total
Arthur W Coolidge Middle	Public	6-8	89 Birch Meadow Dr	Reading	01867	Middlesex County	Reading	No	No	No	No	(781) 942-9158	405	37	10.8	9.1%	337 (83.2%)	15 (3.7%)	17 (4.2%)	26 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.5%)	92.5	38^th of 478 public middle schools	92.1%		92.1	45^th of 484 public middle schools	90.7%	7	58.7	67.4	71.4	65.5	69.5	72.5	69.6	70.5	71.0	71.0	74.4	$20,938
Walter S Parker Middle	Public	6-8	45 Temple Street	Reading	01867	Middlesex County	Reading	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 944-1236	467	49	9.4	13.7%	375 (80.3%)	24 (5.1%)	25 (5.4%)	28 (6.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.0%)	83.3	73^rd of 478 public middle schools	84.7%		87.2	66^th of 484 public middle schools	86.4%	7	50.3	59.8	66.3	58.3	56.6	53.6	64.8	58.2	58.3	58.3	63.6	$20,913

Cities Near Reading

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Wakefield	1.94 mi	8	85^th
Stoneham	2.5 mi	6	143^rd
North Reading	2.84 mi	5	37^th
Woburn	2.98 mi	10	244^th
Lynnfield	2.98 mi	5	42^nd

See the top MA Massachusetts cities

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.