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Ottoson Middle

Public Grades 7-8

5^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 478 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Better than 99% of Massachusetts middle schools

Summary

Ottoson Middle is a public middle school in Arlington, MA, serving grades 7–8 with 963 students as part of Arlington Public Schools, a district ranked 17th of 351 in Massachusetts. The school itself is among the state's best: in 2025–2026 it ranked 5th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools (99th percentile, 5 stars). That is no one-year spike — Ottoson has held a 5-star rating for a decade, was ranked 23rd in 2020–2021, and has been in the top 12 for the last five reported school years.

Academically, Ottoson's proficiency rates are roughly double the state averages: 77.43% in ELA, 76.18% in math, 77.60% in science, and 82.66% in 8th grade civics, compared with state rates near 40%. Eighth grade is the stronger cohort, especially in math (81.17% proficient vs 71.79% in 7th grade). Compared with nearby schools, Ottoson is top-two in every tested subject. Jonas Clarke Middle in Lexington ranks 3rd statewide and edges Ottoson in ELA and math, but Ottoson leads in science and civics. Belmont Middle School, the closest grade-level peer (also grades 7–8), trails Ottoson in ELA, math, and civics while leading slightly in science. Ottoson's science and civics results far outpace most neighbors, including Rindge Avenue Upper School.

Ottoson achieves this without unusually high spending: reported per-student spending in 2020–2021 was $17,089, below Jonas Clarke, Rindge Avenue Upper, and several other nearby schools. Its student/teacher ratio of 11.3 is mid-range, and it outperforms many schools with smaller ratios. Subgroup performance is very high overall — 98th–99th percentile for female, male, Hispanic, white, and special education students — though relative rankings are lower for Asian students, African American students, and low-socioeconomic-status students, still strong but less elite than the school's overall profile. Note that many nearby comparison schools serve grades 6–8 or 4–6, so all-grade comparisons span different grade configurations; in-person and remote testing results from 2020–2021 were similarly strong.

963

Students ?

11.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,016

Per pupil spending ?

10.4%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students in Massachusetts receive free school meals.

63 Acton Street
Arlington, MA 02476

(781) 316-3745

District: Arlington

Students who attend Ottoson Middle usually attend:

High:

Arlington High

Feeder schools for Ottoson Middle:

Elementary:	Brackett
	Cyrus E Dallin
	Hardy
	John A Bishop
	More...
	M Norcross Stratton
	Peirce
	Thompson

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.6%

Asian:

13.7%

Hispanic:

8.5%

See top rated Massachusetts middle schools

Compare Ottoson Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 82nd percentile in 2016 → 99th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (78% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 1% of Massachusetts middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 17 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school78%

District avg72%

Massachusetts avg41%

5^th of 478

Massachusetts public middle schools ?

Top 1%▲ up 17 pts since 2016

From top 18% (2016) to top 1% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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	97.3	5 of 478	99.0%	★★★★★
2025	97.2	4 of 484	99.2%	★★★★★
2024	96.4	12 of 493	97.6%	★★★★★
2023	96.0	10 of 501	98.0%	★★★★★
2022	96.8	8 of 497	98.4%	★★★★★
2021	94.7	23 of 501	95.4%	★★★★★
2019	92.4	23 of 498	95.4%	★★★★★
2018	90.6	33 of 484	93.2%	★★★★★
2017	88.3	41 of 487	91.6%	★★★★★
2016	79.4	86 of 482	82.2%	★★★★☆
2015	84.3	53 of 441	88.0%	★★★★☆
2014	85.5	50 of 455	89.0%	★★★★☆
2013	85.6	47 of 455	89.7%	★★★★☆
2012	84.4	58 of 455	87.3%	★★★★☆
2011	83.7	61 of 449	86.4%	★★★★☆
2010	84.9	54 of 434	87.6%	★★★★☆
2009	83.5	55 of 409	86.6%	★★★★☆
2008	84.9	54 of 407	86.7%	★★★★☆
2007	81.1	76 of 399	81.0%	★★★★☆
2006	80.5	76 of 399	81.0%	★★★★☆
2005	75.9	86 of 356	75.8%	★★★★☆
2004	76.9	84 of 344	75.6%	★★★★☆
2003	79.8	71 of 339	79.1%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	61.8	65 of 215	69.8%	★★★★☆
2025	87.6	14 of 206	93.2%	★★★★★
2024	80.8	19 of 202	90.6%	★★★★★
2023	60.6	68 of 209	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.6	36 of 212	83.0%	★★★★☆
2021	71.6	29 of 193	85.0%	★★★★☆
2019	45.0	104 of 195	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	63.2	48 of 172	72.1%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	73.5	39 of 131	70.2%	★★★★☆
2025	74.9	37 of 127	70.9%	★★★★☆
2024	75.4	31 of 120	74.2%	★★★★☆
2023	72.5	42 of 134	68.7%	★★★★☆
2022	78.1	27 of 135	80.0%	★★★★☆
2021	74.7	33 of 123	73.2%	★★★★☆
2019	59.7	63 of 128	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.6	74 of 119	37.8%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	98.2	6 of 445	98.7%	★★★★★
2021	94.7	16 of 431	96.3%	★★★★★
2019	95.9	10 of 424	97.6%	★★★★★
2018	87.9	28 of 417	93.3%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2024	71.8	13 of 180	92.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	96.2	8 of 468	98.3%	★★★★★
2025	96.3	6 of 473	98.7%	★★★★★
2024	95.5	10 of 481	97.9%	★★★★★
2023	95.9	10 of 489	98.0%	★★★★★
2022	96.6	5 of 494	99.0%	★★★★★
2021	94.5	20 of 483	95.9%	★★★★★
2019	90.7	26 of 478	94.6%	★★★★★
2018	90.4	25 of 463	94.6%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	96.5	9 of 383	97.7%	★★★★★
2025	98.4	4 of 376	98.9%	★★★★★
2024	96.5	7 of 378	98.1%	★★★★★
2023	95.6	10 of 364	97.3%	★★★★★
2022	97.3	7 of 368	98.1%	★★★★★
2021	95.0	16 of 335	95.2%	★★★★★
2019	94.9	11 of 322	96.6%	★★★★★
2018	88.5	25 of 309	91.9%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	78.4	56 of 461	87.9%	★★★★☆
2025	88.8	24 of 464	94.8%	★★★★★
2024	80.9	46 of 469	90.2%	★★★★★
2023	75.8	77 of 481	84.0%	★★★★☆
2022	82.6	49 of 489	90.0%	★★★★★
2021	67.7	106 of 462	77.1%	★★★★☆
2019	83.9	41 of 452	90.9%	★★★★★
2018	66.6	116 of 438	73.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	97.5	7 of 470	98.5%	★★★★★
2025	97.0	5 of 473	98.9%	★★★★★
2024	96.2	12 of 483	97.5%	★★★★★
2023	94.8	19 of 489	96.1%	★★★★★
2022	96.1	10 of 497	98.0%	★★★★★
2021	93.9	26 of 485	94.6%	★★★★★
2019	91.8	27 of 478	94.4%	★★★★★
2018	88.4	41 of 466	91.2%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	87.9	10 of 112	91.1%	★★★★★
2025	87.8	8 of 116	93.1%	★★★★★
2024	79.7	21 of 98	78.6%	★★★★☆
2023	85.2	16 of 110	85.5%	★★★★☆
2022	86.6	18 of 102	82.4%	★★★★☆
2021	81.0	19 of 92	79.3%	★★★★☆
2019	79.6	19 of 87	78.2%	★★★★☆
2018	73.1	26 of 84	69.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	99.2	5 of 436	98.9%	★★★★★
2025	98.3	7 of 435	98.4%	★★★★★
2024	97.3	8 of 441	98.2%	★★★★★
2023	98.9	4 of 444	99.1%	★★★★★
2022	92.6	17 of 503	96.6%	★★★★★
2021	83.1	41 of 489	91.6%	★★★★★
2019	86.9	34 of 484	93.0%	★★★★★
2018	78.0	47 of 467	89.9%	★★★★★

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	94.1	23 of 491	95.3%	★★★★★

Tested Remotely

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	94.5	22 of 339	93.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	96.2	8 of 393	98.0%	★★★★★
2025	95.1	10 of 386	97.4%	★★★★★
2024	94.6	11 of 392	97.2%	★★★★★
2023	95.3	8 of 403	98.0%	★★★★★
2022	96.3	6 of 404	98.5%	★★★★★
2021	92.8	17 of 401	95.8%	★★★★★
2019	91.9	19 of 396	95.2%	★★★★★
2018	89.7	24 of 395	93.9%	★★★★★

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)

Special Education (2026)99th percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)99th percentile~ school

Male (2026)99th percentile~ school

Female (2026)98th percentile~ school

White (2026)98th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)98th percentile~ school

Tested In Person (2021)95th percentile~ school

Tested Remotely (2021)94th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2024)93rd percentile-5 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)91st percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)88th percentile-11 vs school

Asian (2026)70th percentile-29 vs school

African American (2026)70th percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Civics83%+43 vs state

Science78%+37 vs state

English Language Arts77%+37 vs state

Mathematics76%+35 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ottoson Middle

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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 (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	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 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 5th Grade	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 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 5th Grade	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 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Civics 8th Grade	Total
Ottoson Middle	Public	7-8	63 Acton Street	Arlington	02476	Middlesex County	Arlington	No	No	No	No	(781) 316-3745	963	85	11.3	10.4%	651 (67.6%)	28 (2.9%)	82 (8.5%)	132 (13.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (6.4%)	97.3	5^th of 478 public middle schools	99.0%		97.2	4^th of 484 public middle schools	99.2%	1				75.6	79.5	77.4				71.8	81.2	76.2		77.6	77.6	82.7	$20,016
Gibbs School	Public	6	41 Foster Street	Arlington	02474	Middlesex County	Arlington	No	No	No	No	(781) 316-9003	529	43	12.4	10.6%	354 (66.9%)	24 (4.5%)	37 (7.0%)	56 (10.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (10.4%)								(n/a)			71.2			71.2			68.6			68.6					$20,737
Belmont Middle School	Public	7-8	225 Concord Ave	Belmont	02478	Middlesex County	Belmont	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(617) 993-2000	742	48	15.5	9.0%	436 (58.8%)	26 (3.5%)	30 (4.0%)	179 (24.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	65 (8.8%)	96.6	11^th of 478 public middle schools	97.7%		97.1	6^th of 484 public middle schools	98.8%	5				71.0	75.8	73.4				71.0	78.3	74.7		79.1	79.1	80.9	$19,126
Winthrop L Chenery Upper Elementary	Public	4-6	95 Washington Street	Belmont	02478	Middlesex County	Belmont	No	No	No	No	(617) 993-5800	1,023	74	13.8	12.5%	579 (56.6%)	37 (3.6%)	57 (5.6%)	256 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (8.6%)								(n/a)	63.3	60.2	75.1			66.5	73.8	63.3	77.5			71.8	72.9		72.9		$17,771
Jonas Clarke Middle	Public	6-8	17 Stedman Rd	Lexington	02421	Middlesex County	Lexington	No	No	No	No	(781) 861-2450	796	85	9.4	9.9%	314 (39.4%)	42 (5.3%)	41 (5.2%)	338 (42.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (7.5%)	97.9	3^rd of 478 public middle schools	99.4%		98.1	1^st of 484 public middle schools	99.8%	2			78.3	80.5	79.0	79.3			84.3	87.4	81.1	84.2		76.6	76.6	79.8	$19,067
McCall Middle	Public	6-8	458 Main Street	Winchester	01890	Middlesex County	Winchester	No	No	No	No	(781) 721-7026	1,036	82	12.6	9.1%	677 (65.3%)	11 (1.1%)	36 (3.5%)	220 (21.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	90 (8.7%)	94.2	27^th of 478 public middle schools	94.4%		95.1	20^th of 484 public middle schools	95.9%	7			60.5	69.3	69.9	66.4			73.8	71.9	82.2	75.9		74.2	74.2	74.1	$18,195
Rindge Avenue Upper School	Public	6-8	70 Rindge Avenue	Cambridge	02140	Middlesex County	Cambridge	No	No	No	No	(617) 349-4060	292	31	9.4	30.1%	145 (49.7%)	56 (19.2%)	33 (11.3%)	29 (9.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.6%)	90.3	54^th of 478 public middle schools	88.7%		90.3	56^th of 484 public middle schools	88.4%	2			72.6	69.6	74.7	72.2			71.1	68.1	70.5	69.9		51.7	51.7	55.8	$35,443
John F Kennedy Middle	Public	6-8	655 Lexington St	Waltham	02452	Middlesex County	Waltham	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 314-5563	635	61	10.3	37.2%	282 (44.4%)	70 (11.0%)	214 (33.7%)	34 (5.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.4%)	68.4	133^rd of 478 public middle schools	72.2%		67.1	142^nd of 484 public middle schools	70.7%	9			45.9	47.2	52.9	48.7			43.8	43.7	58.2	48.6		45.4	45.4	49.8	$24,123
Watertown Middle	Public	6-8	68 Waverley Avenue	Watertown	02472	Middlesex County	Watertown	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 926-7783	583	54	10.8	37.2%	317 (54.4%)	24 (4.1%)	145 (24.9%)	47 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (7.9%)	71.1	123^rd of 478 public middle schools	74.3%		64.4	160^th of 484 public middle schools	66.9%	37			44.5	48.4	46.8	46.6			45.2	50.0	55.6	50.3		55.8	55.8	55.3	$25,768
Daniel L Joyce Middle School	Public	6-8	55 Locust Street	Woburn	01801	Middlesex County	Woburn	No	No	No	No	(781) 937-8233	455	55	8.3	40.9%	312 (68.6%)	40 (8.8%)	60 (13.2%)	14 (3.1%)	8 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.2%)	47.9	219^th of 478 public middle schools	54.2%		40.5	267^th of 484 public middle schools	44.8%	48			37.1	40.8	42.6	39.9			32.9	32.3	43.0	35.3		34.6	34.6	34.9	$26,187

Frequently Asked Questions about Ottoson Middle

Is Ottoson Middle a good school?

Yes! Ottoson Middle is one of the best middle schools in the state. It ranks 5^th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Ottoson Middle?

Students at Ottoson Middle are 68% White, 14% Asian, 9% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What district is Ottoson Middle in?

Arlington

What high school do graduates of Ottoson Middle attend?

Students who attend Ottoson Middle usually go on to attend Arlington High

How many students attend Ottoson Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 963 students attended Ottoson Middle.

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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.