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James S Daley Middle School

Q: Is James S Daley Middle School a good school?

James S Daley Middle School ranks 112 th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 5-8

112^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 478 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Better than 77% of Massachusetts middle schools

Summary

James S Daley Middle School is a grades 5–8 school in Lowell, MA, serving 669 students as part of Lowell Public Schools, and it stands out as a 4-star, top-quartile school even though the district overall ranks much lower.

In 2025–2026, Daley ranked 112th of 478 Massachusetts schools (77th percentile, 4 stars), up from about the 49th percentile in 2016–2017, a multi-year improvement rather than a one-year jump. All-grade MCAS proficiency is 42.86% in ELA, 50.76% in math, 37.54% in science, and 53.37% in civics; that is above the state in ELA, math, and civics, but below the state in science. Among Lowell middle schools, Daley is the clear leader and the only 4-star school in this group, ahead of Kathryn P. Stoklosa Middle School, B.F. Butler Middle School, Dr An Wang School, James Sullivan Middle School, and Henry J Robinson Middle. Compared with nearby districts, Daley is mixed against Marshall Middle School in Billerica and ahead of Justus C. Richardson Middle School in Dracut, but it generally trails McCarthy Middle School and Col Moses Parker School in Chelmsford, especially in ELA and science.

Grade-level results show a clear pattern: 5th grade is below the state in ELA, math, and science, while 6th-grade math (63.75%) and 8th-grade math (61.96%) are much stronger than the state, and 8th-grade science and civics are above state averages. The school’s subgroup results are mostly strong, with high effectiveness rankings for low-income students, homeless students, English learners, African American students, Hispanic students, and both female and male students; special education results are average and improving, while Asian students have a persistent lower effectiveness ranking that is the clearest equity area to investigate. Resources look moderate: $15,927 per student in 2020–2021 and a 13.2 student-teacher ratio in 2024–2025, with Daley spending less than Chelmsford and Marshall yet producing the best results in Lowell. Keep in mind that spending data is dated, free/reduced lunch data was unavailable, and these are proficiency rates, not growth measures.

669

Students ?

13.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,385

Per pupil spending ?

55.5%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students in Massachusetts receive free school meals.

150 Fleming Street
Lowell, MA 01851

(978) 937-8981

District: Lowell

Students who attend James S Daley Middle School usually attend:

High:	Leblanc Therapeutic Day School
	Lowell High

Feeder schools for James S Daley Middle School:

Elementary:	Abraham Lincoln
	Bartlett Community Partnership
	Charles W Morey
	Charlotte M Murkland Elementary
	More...
	Dr Gertrude Bailey
	Joseph McAvinnue
	Pawtucketville Memorial

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

50.4%

White:

20.5%

Hispanic:

19.7%

See top rated Massachusetts middle schools

Compare James S Daley Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 63rd percentile in 2016 → 77th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (46% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of Massachusetts middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 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 school46%

District avg29%

Massachusetts avg41%

112^th of 478

Massachusetts public middle schools ?

Top 23%▲ up 13 pts since 2016

From top 37% (2016) to top 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 6Middle Schools in the Lowell

273^rd of 351Lowell 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	73.1	112 of 478	76.6%	★★★★☆
2025	66.3	147 of 484	69.6%	★★★★☆
2024	60.5	175 of 493	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.2	181 of 501	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.0	172 of 497	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.0	203 of 501	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.1	203 of 498	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.3	238 of 484	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	49.2	247 of 487	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	63.9	178 of 482	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	56.5	190 of 441	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	49.5	243 of 455	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	48.4	251 of 455	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	45.0	278 of 455	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	44.9	272 of 449	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	33.4	314 of 434	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	43.2	263 of 409	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	35.3	280 of 407	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	35.5	280 of 399	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	21.0	323 of 399	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	23.1	289 of 356	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	33.9	249 of 344	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	19.5	282 of 339	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	85.0	15 of 215	93.0%	★★★★★
2024	28.6	152 of 202	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	28.6	95 of 131	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.5	93 of 127	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.2	94 of 120	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.6	108 of 134	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.3	106 of 135	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.1	106 of 123	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.5	107 of 128	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.4	104 of 119	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	42.7	206 of 445	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.0	234 of 431	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.0	258 of 424	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.5	295 of 417	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	55.9	37 of 193	80.8%	★★★★☆
2025	71.0	11 of 181	93.9%	★★★★★
2024	61.7	24 of 180	86.7%	★★★★☆
2023	75.5	11 of 155	92.9%	★★★★★
2022	61.5	17 of 154	89.0%	★★★★☆
2021	62.1	15 of 135	88.9%	★★★★☆
2019	54.7	35 of 138	74.6%	★★★★☆
2018	68.7	14 of 127	89.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	78.2	93 of 468	80.1%	★★★★☆
2025	69.0	131 of 473	72.3%	★★★★☆
2024	63.1	165 of 481	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.1	149 of 489	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.6	146 of 494	70.4%	★★★★☆
2021	50.0	225 of 483	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.7	167 of 478	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.4	242 of 463	47.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	72.6	76 of 383	80.2%	★★★★☆
2025	61.2	116 of 376	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.8	122 of 378	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.3	123 of 364	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.1	114 of 368	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.9	103 of 335	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.1	121 of 322	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.6	155 of 309	49.8%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	93.6	1 of 38	97.4%	★★★★★
2025	87.8	2 of 42	95.2%	★★★★★
2024	87.1	1 of 36	97.2%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	83.8	40 of 461	91.3%	★★★★★
2025	70.5	94 of 464	79.7%	★★★★☆
2024	78.3	55 of 469	88.3%	★★★★☆
2023	79.9	60 of 481	87.5%	★★★★☆
2022	74.5	80 of 489	83.6%	★★★★☆
2021	68.8	103 of 462	77.7%	★★★★☆
2019	61.2	148 of 452	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.5	152 of 438	65.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	65.7	135 of 470	71.3%	★★★★☆
2025	60.6	163 of 473	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.8	178 of 483	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.3	209 of 489	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.3	186 of 497	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.0	180 of 485	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.8	225 of 478	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.6	213 of 466	54.3%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2018	28.5	55 of 84	34.5%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	47.4	174 of 436	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.5	193 of 435	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.3	205 of 441	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.0	232 of 444	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	81.2	52 of 503	89.7%	★★★★☆
2021	69.5	89 of 489	81.8%	★★★★☆
2019	71.6	96 of 484	80.2%	★★★★☆
2018	71.4	67 of 467	85.7%	★★★★☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	48.1	245 of 491	50.1%	★★★☆☆

Tested Remotely

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	70.1	82 of 339	75.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	68.0	105 of 393	73.3%	★★★★☆
2025	49.5	172 of 386	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.2	163 of 392	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.5	191 of 403	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.3	191 of 404	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.0	185 of 401	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.5	131 of 396	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.6	114 of 395	71.1%	★★★★☆

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)

Homeless (2026)97th percentile+21 vs school

African American (2026)93rd percentile+16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)91st percentile+15 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)81st percentile+4 vs school

Hispanic (2026)80th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)80th percentile+4 vs school

Tested Remotely (2021)76th percentile+16 vs school

White (2026)73rd percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)71st percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2026)60th percentile-16 vs school

Disabled (2022)54th percentile-12 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)50th percentile-9 vs school

Multi-racial (2018)35th percentile-16 vs school

Asian (2026)27th percentile-49 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Civics53%+14 vs state

Mathematics51%+10 vs state

English Language Arts43%+3 vs state

Science38%-3 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, November 17, 2009

This is my daughter's second year at the Daley. She love's it! The teachers are wonderful. She is also a straight A student and the teachers there continue to challenge her. I am just praying my son make it in next year! Close Quote

Schools Near James S Daley Middle School

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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 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 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
James S Daley Middle School	Public	5-8	150 Fleming Street	Lowell	01851	Middlesex County	Lowell	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 937-8981	669	51	13.2	55.5%	137 (20.5%)	38 (5.7%)	132 (19.7%)	337 (50.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.7%)	73.1	112^th of 478 public middle schools	76.6%		66.3	147^th of 484 public middle schools	69.6%	35	31.6	45.6	44.7	50.0	42.9	34.1	63.8	44.4	62.0	50.8	25.9	49.7	37.5	53.4	$22,385
Laura Lee Therapeutic Day School	Public	K-8	235 Powell Street	Lowell	01851	Middlesex County	Lowell	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 937-7655	15	6	2.7	80.0%	5 (33.3%)	1 (6.7%)	7 (46.7%)	1 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.7%)								(n/a)					0.0					0.0					$61,411
Kathryn P. Stoklosa Middle School	Public	5-8	560 Broadway Street	Lowell	01854	Middlesex County	Lowell	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 275-6330	613	48	12.7	77.3%	73 (11.9%)	38 (6.2%)	226 (36.9%)	259 (42.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.4%)	45.8	229^th of 478 public middle schools	52.1%		38.2	281^st of 484 public middle schools	41.9%	52	33.3	31.9	35.8	37.6	34.7	43.2	37.8	38.3	52.3	42.6	26.5	18.5	22.5	34.9	$22,527
McCarthy Middle School	Public	7-8	250 North Rd	Chelmsford	01824	Middlesex County	Chelmsford	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 251-5122	808	65	12.4	19.7%	509 (63.0%)	36 (4.5%)	63 (7.8%)	164 (20.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	34 (4.2%)	79.8	88^th of 478 public middle schools	81.6%		77.8	97^th of 484 public middle schools	80.0%	9			48.4	58.2	53.3			51.0	59.6	55.2		62.8	62.8	52.5	$18,630
B.F. Butler Middle School	Public	5-8	1140 Gorham Street	Lowell	01852	Middlesex County	Lowell	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 937-8973	516	39	13.1	71.5%	94 (18.2%)	35 (6.8%)	213 (41.3%)	154 (29.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.7%)	37.8	274^th of 478 public middle schools	42.7%		33.5	304^th of 484 public middle schools	37.2%	30	18.9	16.4	31.5	42.5	27.3	26.1	33.6	20.3	52.8	32.5	25.2	33.0	29.0	22.6	$22,073
Dr An Wang School	Public	5-8	365 West Meadow Road	Lowell	01854	Middlesex County	Lowell	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 937-7683	663	43	15.3	69.1%	175 (26.4%)	47 (7.1%)	270 (40.7%)	141 (21.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (4.4%)	36.3	285^th of 478 public middle schools	40.4%		33.2	307^th of 484 public middle schools	36.6%	22	23.0	26.2	34.3	32.7	29.2	25.6	33.8	35.8	31.8	31.8	25.0	20.8	22.9	28.6	$20,917
Col Moses Parker School	Public	5-6	75 Graniteville Rd	Chelmsford	01824	Middlesex County	Chelmsford	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 251-5133	778	62	12.5	16.3%	508 (65.3%)	24 (3.1%)	69 (8.9%)	147 (18.9%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (3.3%)								(n/a)	48.3	61.8			54.8	44.7	65.2			54.5	58.9		58.9		$18,696
Henry J Robinson Middle	Public	5-8	110 June Street	Lowell	01850	Middlesex County	Lowell	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 937-8974	600	53	11.4	82.3%	120 (20.0%)	67 (11.2%)	326 (54.3%)	62 (10.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.8%)	16.5	402^nd of 478 public middle schools	15.9%		20.8	385^th of 484 public middle schools	20.5%	17	8.5	14.1	17.3	23.0	16.0	10.8	11.0	13.6	25.0	15.2	13.9	17.9	15.9	16.8	$22,439
James Sullivan Middle School	Public	5-8	150 Draper Street	Lowell	01852	Middlesex County	Lowell	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 937-8993	625	50	12.4	71.4%	189 (30.2%)	34 (5.4%)	309 (49.4%)	72 (11.5%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (2.7%)	19.3	393^rd of 478 public middle schools	17.8%		25.8	352^nd of 484 public middle schools	27.3%	41	18.9	20.3	21.0	15.8	19.1	29.7	20.2	23.7	29.3	25.6	26.8	12.7	19.5	12.3	$22,740
Justus C. Richardson Middle School	Public	6-8	1570 Lakeview Ave	Dracut	01826	Middlesex County	Dracut	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 957-3330	916	63	14.5	34.8%	581 (63.4%)	65 (7.1%)	144 (15.7%)	110 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (1.7%)	52.9	195^th of 478 public middle schools	59.2%		51.6	208^th of 484 public middle schools	57.0%	13		37.3	45.5	38.9	40.6		45.1	33.9	43.5	40.8		30.1	30.1	43.5	$15,366

Frequently Asked Questions about James S Daley Middle School

What is the racial makeup of James S Daley Middle School?

Students at James S Daley Middle School are 50% Asian, 20% White, 20% Hispanic, 6% African American, 4% Two or more races.

Is James S Daley Middle School a good school?

James S Daley Middle School ranks 112^th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend James S Daley Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 669 students attended James S Daley Middle School.

What district is James S Daley Middle School in?

Lowell

What high school do graduates of James S Daley Middle School attend?

Students who attend James S Daley Middle School usually go on to attend Leblanc Therapeutic Day School

Rate James S Daley Middle School!

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Latest Massachusetts data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataNewNov 1, 2026

2020–21 through 2023–24 school spending data (updated)NewNov 1, 2026

2023–24 through 2024–25 teacher salary dataNewNov 1, 2026

2020–21 through 2022–23 teacher salary data (updated)NewNov 1, 2026

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.