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John A Bishop

Public Grades K-5

39^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 899 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Better than 96% of Massachusetts elementary schools

Summary

John A Bishop is a K–5 elementary school with 375 students on Columbia Road in Arlington, MA, part of Arlington Public Schools, a district ranked 17th of 351 in Massachusetts. The school is a consistent top performer: in 2025–2026 it ranked 39th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools — 96th percentile, 5 stars — and it has sat at the 96th–97th percentile every year from 2021–22 through 2025–26, after a brief dip in 2017–18 and 2018–19. It is the highest-ranked elementary school in the nearby Arlington comparison group.

Science is the school's signature strength. Its 2025–26 science score of 89.23% proficient is 11.45 points above the Arlington district and 48.25 points above the state, and higher than every nearby school with reported science data. Math, at 71.13%, also leads the nearby Arlington schools and is far above the state, though it has cooled from the 76–80% range in 2022–24. ELA is 29.56 points above the state but 1.48 points below the Arlington district average — the one core subject where the school is not above district. Third grade is the relative weak spot, with ELA at 63.79% versus a district average of 68.27%, while grades 4 and 5 are strong across subjects.

Among nearby schools, John A Bishop outperforms Brackett, Peirce, Hardy, Thompson, Cyrus E Dallin, and M Norcross Stratton. Ambrose Elementary in Winchester posts higher ELA and math but lower science, and the school substantially outperforms Brooks School in Medford and West Somerville Neighborhood in Somerville despite their higher per-student spending. It also stands out for special education effectiveness — 6th of 709 statewide in 2025–26, 99th percentile, 5 stars. Class sizes are favorable, at a 12.3 student/teacher ratio.

375

Students ?

12.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,771

Per pupil spending ?

8.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

25 Columbia Road
Arlington, MA 02474

(781) 316-3791

District: Arlington

Students who attend John A Bishop usually attend:

Middle:	Ottoson Middle
High:	Arlington High

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.9%

Two or more races:

13.9%

Asian:

11.2%

See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

Compare John A Bishop to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 94th percentile in 2016 → 96th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (73% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 4% of Massachusetts elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Arlington

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school73%

District avg72%

Massachusetts avg41%

39^th of 899

Massachusetts public elementary schools ?

Top 4%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 7Elementary Schools in the Arlington

17^th of 351Arlington among Massachusetts districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	93.1	39 of 899	95.7%	★★★★★
2025	93.9	38 of 906	95.8%	★★★★★
2024	93.7	35 of 916	96.2%	★★★★★
2023	94.7	24 of 928	97.4%	★★★★★
2022	94.2	27 of 932	97.1%	★★★★★
2021	90.2	77 of 936	91.8%	★★★★★
2019	82.9	133 of 942	85.9%	★★★★☆
2018	86.6	98 of 934	89.5%	★★★★☆
2017	92.1	28 of 938	97.0%	★★★★★
2016	89.8	57 of 932	93.9%	★★★★★
2015	85.6	93 of 914	89.8%	★★★★☆
2014	86.2	81 of 926	91.3%	★★★★★
2013	85.8	91 of 928	90.2%	★★★★★
2012	84.9	107 of 930	88.5%	★★★★☆
2011	84.3	113 of 924	87.8%	★★★★☆
2010	85.0	110 of 920	88.0%	★★★★☆
2009	91.3	30 of 909	96.7%	★★★★★
2008	88.6	56 of 908	93.8%	★★★★★
2007	80.8	161 of 911	82.3%	★★★★☆
2006	87.9	79 of 911	91.3%	★★★★★
2005	85.7	101 of 887	88.6%	★★★★☆
2004	75.5	219 of 882	75.2%	★★★★☆
2003	88.2	60 of 884	93.2%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2023	46.1	95 of 145	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	82.6	11 of 141	92.2%	★★★★★
2019	66.1	54 of 155	65.2%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	99.1	5 of 672	99.3%	★★★★★
2021	76.3	98 of 632	84.5%	★★★★☆
2019	52.4	257 of 665	61.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	88.2	84 of 869	90.3%	★★★★★
2025	92.9	33 of 869	96.2%	★★★★★
2024	94.0	23 of 886	97.4%	★★★★★
2023	90.7	51 of 887	94.3%	★★★★★
2022	93.6	25 of 901	97.2%	★★★★★
2021	86.7	103 of 898	88.5%	★★★★☆
2019	72.3	233 of 902	74.2%	★★★★☆
2018	85.3	89 of 893	90.0%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	94.3	22 of 879	97.5%	★★★★★
2025	92.0	44 of 884	95.0%	★★★★★
2024	90.5	57 of 891	93.6%	★★★★★
2023	94.8	20 of 896	97.8%	★★★★★
2022	92.0	45 of 908	95.0%	★★★★★
2021	89.3	73 of 904	91.9%	★★★★★
2019	88.6	64 of 907	92.9%	★★★★★
2018	84.5	113 of 898	87.4%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	69.5	20 of 48	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	77.7	14 of 48	70.8%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	98.8	6 of 709	99.2%	★★★★★
2025	87.0	50 of 717	93.0%	★★★★★
2024	88.7	43 of 731	94.1%	★★★★★
2023	96.4	12 of 703	98.3%	★★★★★
2022	86.9	63 of 905	93.0%	★★★★★
2021	75.1	148 of 894	83.4%	★★★★☆
2019	60.7	288 of 896	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.5	176 of 886	80.1%	★★★★☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	88.8	82 of 925	91.1%	★★★★★

Tested Remotely

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	88.4	49 of 399	87.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	87.8	49 of 734	93.3%	★★★★★
2025	91.5	33 of 737	95.5%	★★★★★
2024	90.4	33 of 753	95.6%	★★★★★
2023	94.6	10 of 762	98.7%	★★★★★
2022	90.3	31 of 764	95.9%	★★★★★
2021	84.9	75 of 765	90.2%	★★★★★
2019	76.0	155 of 780	80.1%	★★★★☆
2018	83.4	80 of 772	89.6%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Disabled (2022)99th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)99th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)97th percentile~ school

White (2026)93rd percentile~ school

Tested In Person (2021)91st percentile~ school

Female (2026)90th percentile-5 vs school

Tested Remotely (2021)88th percentile-4 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)58th percentile-37 vs school

Asian (2023)34th percentile-63 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Science89%+48 vs state

Mathematics71%+30 vs state

English Language Arts70%+30 vs state

★

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Schools Near John A Bishop

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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)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2015)	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 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	Total
John A Bishop	Public	K-5	25 Columbia Road	Arlington	02474	Middlesex County	Arlington	No	No	No	No	(781) 316-3791	375	30	12.3	8.9%	251 (66.9%)	4 (1.1%)	26 (6.9%)	42 (11.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (13.9%)	93.1	39^th of 899 public elementary schools	95.7%		93.9	38^th of 906 public elementary schools	95.8%	1	63.8	69.0	75.4	69.6	65.5	71.8	75.4	71.1	89.2	89.2	$19,771
M Norcross Stratton	Public	K-5	180 Mountain Avenue	Arlington	02474	Middlesex County	Arlington	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 316-3754	448	37	12.2	9.6%	243 (54.2%)	15 (3.3%)	39 (8.7%)	97 (21.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (11.6%)	87.8	104^th of 899 public elementary schools	88.4%		82.3	154^th of 906 public elementary schools	83.0%	50	64.2	50.7	68.1	60.4	66.7	65.4	69.4	67.2	77.8	77.8	$19,449
Thompson	Public	K-5	187 Everett Street	Arlington	02474	Middlesex County	Arlington	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 316-3768	537	39	13.6	27.0%	325 (60.5%)	25 (4.7%)	49 (9.1%)	71 (13.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (12.1%)	90.3	72^nd of 899 public elementary schools	92.0%		80.5	177^th of 906 public elementary schools	80.5%	105	64.3	69.3	70.9	68.2	63.4	71.3	62.8	65.9	73.3	73.3	$18,528
Peirce	Public	K-5	85 Park Avenue Ext	Arlington	02474	Middlesex County	Arlington	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 316-3736	318	24	13.1	11.2%	196 (61.6%)	14 (4.4%)	35 (11.0%)	44 (13.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (8.8%)	92	53^rd of 899 public elementary schools	94.1%		93.9	36^th of 906 public elementary schools	96.0%	17	76.1	61.1	68.9	69.2	67.7	63.0	76.7	69.2	80.3	80.3	$20,103
Brooks School	Public	PK, KG-5	388 High Street	Medford	02155	Middlesex County	Medford	No	No	No	No	(781) 393-2166	556	44	12.6	18.5%	417 (75.0%)	26 (4.7%)	38 (6.8%)	27 (4.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (8.3%)	82.4	149^th of 899 public elementary schools	83.4%		80.3	179^th of 906 public elementary schools	80.2%	30	75.0	61.1	54.1	62.8	61.1	64.4	48.2	57.9	62.4	62.4	$20,963
Brackett	Public	K-5	66 Eastern Avenue	Arlington	02476	Middlesex County	Arlington	No	No	No	No	(781) 316-3705	394	30	13.1	6.6%	248 (62.9%)	5 (1.3%)	28 (7.1%)	48 (12.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (16.2%)	92.6	44^th of 899 public elementary schools	95.1%		86.5	111^th of 906 public elementary schools	87.7%	67	70.4	64.8	71.6	69.3	65.9	69.1	74.2	69.5	85.1	85.1	$20,022
Hardy	Public	K-5	52 Lake Street	Arlington	02474	Middlesex County	Arlington	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 316-3781	382	34	11.3	9.7%	236 (61.8%)	9 (2.4%)	31 (8.1%)	55 (14.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (13.1%)	91	64^th of 899 public elementary schools	92.9%		88.4	92^nd of 906 public elementary schools	89.8%	28	73.3	61.8	66.7	66.8	68.3	65.3	70.0	67.7	76.7	76.7	$22,046
Ambrose Elementary	Public	K-5	27 High Street	Winchester	01890	Middlesex County	Winchester	No	No	No	No	(781) 721-7012	398	33	12.0	1.5%	316 (79.4%)	2 (0.5%)	14 (3.5%)	38 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.0%)	97.9	4^th of 899 public elementary schools	99.6%		96.6	9^th of 906 public elementary schools	99.0%	5	76.9	75.6	80.0	77.3	86.5	85.2	85.5	85.6	85.5	85.5	$19,653
Cyrus E Dallin	Public	K-5	185 Florence Avenue	Arlington	02476	Middlesex County	Arlington	No	No	No	No	(781) 316-3722	390	32	12.1	5.5%	244 (62.6%)	4 (1.0%)	33 (8.5%)	63 (16.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (11.8%)	89.9	75^th of 899 public elementary schools	91.7%		90.9	58^th of 906 public elementary schools	93.6%	17	69.4	73.8	72.1	71.7	64.9	71.0	55.7	64.0	70.5	70.5	$19,254
Winn Brook	Public	K-3	97 Waterhouse Rd	Belmont	02478	Middlesex County	Belmont	No	No	No	No	(617) 993-5700	304	24	12.8	1.9%	152 (50.0%)	16 (5.3%)	17 (5.6%)	94 (30.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (7.9%)								(n/a)	85.3			85.3	78.7			78.7			$17,670

Frequently Asked Questions about John A Bishop

What schools do graduates of John A Bishop attend?

Students who attend John A Bishop usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ottoson Middle
High : Arlington High

How many students attend John A Bishop?

In the 2024-25 school year, 375 students attended John A Bishop.

What is the racial makeup of John A Bishop?

Students at John A Bishop are 67% White, 14% Two or more races, 11% Asian, 7% Hispanic, 1% African American.

Is John A Bishop a good school?

Yes! John A Bishop is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 39^th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools.

What district is John A Bishop in?

Arlington

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Latest Massachusetts data All new data »

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2024–25 MCAS Next Generation test scoresSep 29, 2025

2023–24 school spending dataMay 8, 2025

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesMay 1, 2025

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.