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Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School

Q: Is Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School a good school?

Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School ranks 210 th of 484 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

210^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 484 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Better than 57% of Massachusetts middle schools

Summary

Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School in Norwood, MA, serves 807 students in grades 6-8 and is a solid, middle-of-the-pack school in a region filled with high-achieving neighbors. While the school has shown some improvement recently, earning a 3-star rating (57th percentile) in 2024-2025, its academic performance in English Language Arts (40.56% proficient), Math (34.48%), and Science (40.23%) is notably lower than many nearby schools. For example, E.W. Thurston Middle in Westwood, Thomas Blake Middle in Medfield, and Sharon Middle all boast proficiency rates above 65% in all subjects, highlighting a significant gap in achievement.

One of the most interesting findings is the school’s inconsistent performance across different student groups. Coakley has shown a strong positive trend for its low socio-economic status (SES) students, who improved from a 1-star rating in 2022-2023 to a 3-star rating in 2024-2025, suggesting recent support initiatives may be working. However, the school experienced a dramatic 42-percentile-point drop for its English Language Learner (ELL) students, who fell from the 77th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 35th percentile in 2024-2025—a sharp decline that warrants attention. In contrast, the school performs relatively well for its male and Hispanic students but struggles with its Asian students, showing variability that many top-performing nearby schools do not have.

Despite these challenges, there are bright spots. Eighth-grade math (40.93% proficient) and science (40.23%) both exceed the state average, suggesting the school may be particularly effective in preparing students for high school. Coakley’s student-teacher ratio of 11.4:1 is moderate, and its spending per student ($18,945) is comparable to its neighbors. While the school is a solid choice, it sits in a region dominated by exceptional schools like Dover-Sherborn Regional Middle School and Wm H. Galvin Middle in Canton, which are consistently ranked in the top 10% of the state. For parents, Coakley offers a balanced environment with some areas of strength, but it’s important to be aware of the disparities compared to nearby districts.

807

Students ?

11.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,123

Per pupil spending ?

29.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1315 Washington Street
Norwood, MA 02062

(781) 762-7880

District: Norwood

Students who attend Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School usually attend:

High:

Norwood High

Feeder schools for Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School:

Elementary:	Balch
	Charles J Prescott
	Cornelius M Callahan
	F A Cleveland
	More...
	George F. Willett
	John P Oldham

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.9%

Hispanic:

21.2%

African American:

16.0%

See top rated Massachusetts middle schools

Compare Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 46th percentile in 2019 → 57th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 57th (2025) from a 46th-percentile low (2019)

✓Above the Massachusetts median (57th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg38%

Massachusetts avg41%

210^th of 484

Massachusetts public middle schools ?

Top 43%▼ down 15 pts since 2015

From top 29% (2015) to top 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

229^th of 348Norwood 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
2025	51.3	210 of 484	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.0	198 of 493	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.1	257 of 501	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.6	250 of 497	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.9	254 of 501	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.1	267 of 498	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.5	236 of 484	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	55.4	211 of 487	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	69.3	138 of 482	71.4%	★★★★☆
2015	71.7	127 of 441	71.2%	★★★★☆
2014	62.4	174 of 455	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	54.7	217 of 455	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	64.8	170 of 455	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	55.0	220 of 449	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	54.8	205 of 434	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	52.1	218 of 409	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	59.2	178 of 407	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	55.6	196 of 399	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	60.0	165 of 399	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2005	61.3	143 of 356	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2004	59.2	149 of 344	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2003	59.9	137 of 339	59.6%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	40.7	121 of 206	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.8	106 of 202	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.7	84 of 209	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.4	110 of 212	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.4	129 of 193	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.0	132 of 195	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.0	108 of 172	37.2%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	42.5	83 of 127	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.0	82 of 120	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.8	101 of 135	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	53.2	71 of 128	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.1	65 of 119	45.4%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	33.1	272 of 445	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.9	199 of 431	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	31.8	272 of 424	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	55.0	138 of 417	66.9%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	37.2	117 of 181	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.2	41 of 180	77.2%	★★★★☆
2023	42.8	74 of 155	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.6	102 of 154	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.1	40 of 135	70.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	46.2	231 of 473	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.7	201 of 481	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.5	264 of 489	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.4	242 of 494	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.9	216 of 483	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.8	238 of 478	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.7	221 of 463	52.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	46.2	172 of 376	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.4	135 of 378	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.5	204 of 364	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.0	202 of 368	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.8	150 of 335	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	32.8	224 of 322	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.9	213 of 309	31.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	45.3	233 of 464	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.9	186 of 469	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	32.9	338 of 481	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.7	323 of 489	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.6	379 of 462	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.6	301 of 452	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.5	246 of 438	43.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	55.0	190 of 473	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.3	193 of 483	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.4	231 of 489	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.7	255 of 497	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.7	269 of 485	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.0	290 of 478	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.8	235 of 466	49.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	40.2	208 of 435	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.4	209 of 441	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.9	257 of 444	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.0	324 of 503	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.1	367 of 489	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.5	340 of 484	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.9	227 of 467	51.4%	★★★☆☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	48.4	243 of 491	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Tested Remotely

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	45.9	165 of 339	51.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	48.7	177 of 386	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.2	171 of 392	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.7	221 of 403	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.6	201 of 404	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.0	208 of 401	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.9	219 of 396	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.4	184 of 395	53.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

Male (2025)60th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)54th percentile~ school

White (2025)54th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)52nd percentile-4 vs school

Tested Remotely (2021)51st percentile~ school

Female (2025)51st percentile-5 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)51st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)50th percentile-7 vs school

African American (2025)41st percentile-15 vs school

Disabled (2022)39th percentile-11 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)35th percentile-21 vs school

Asian (2025)35th percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2024-2025) ?

Civics42%+3 vs state

English Language Arts41%~ state avg

Science40%~ state avg

Mathematics34%-6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Dr. Philip O. Coakley 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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2025)							MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2025)							MCAS Next Generation Science (2025)			MCAS Next Generation Civics (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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 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 3rd Grade	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
Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School	Public	6-8	1315 Washington Street	Norwood	02062	Norfolk County	Norwood	No	No	No	No	(781) 762-7880	807	70	11.4		427 (52.9%)	129 (16.0%)	171 (21.2%)	46 (5.7%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.0%)	25 (3.1%)	51.3	210^th of 484 public middle schools	56.6%		55	198^th of 493 public middle schools	59.8%	12				41.1	37.7	42.8	40.6				29.4	32.9	40.9	34.5		40.2	40.2	42.3	$20,123
Walpole Middle School	Public	6-8	625 Washington Street	East Walpole	02032	Norfolk County	Walpole	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(508) 660-7226	829	74	11.2		613 (73.9%)	38 (4.6%)	71 (8.6%)	67 (8.1%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	35 (4.2%)								(n/a)
E W Thurston Middle	Public	6-8	850 High Street	Westwood	02090	Norfolk County	Westwood	No	No	No	No	(781) 326-7500	664	51	13.0		463 (69.7%)	13 (2.0%)	41 (6.2%)	98 (14.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (7.2%)	93.5	30^th of 484 public middle schools	93.8%		94.5	24^th of 493 public middle schools	95.1%	6				72.9	69.6	75.5	72.6				72.0	67.9	70.6	70.2		72.1	72.1	58.7	$24,915
Wm H Galvin Middle	Public	6-8	55 Pecunit Street	Canton	02021	Norfolk County	Canton	No	No	No	No	(781) 821-5070	716	68	10.5		437 (61.0%)	92 (12.8%)	61 (8.5%)	73 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	52 (7.3%)	85.2	71^st of 484 public middle schools	85.3%		82.3	83^rd of 493 public middle schools	83.2%	12				60.2	65.2	61.6	62.3				50.4	61.2	70.8	60.8		54.7	54.7	61.6	$22,066
Thomas Blake Middle	Public	6-8	24 Pound Street	Medfield	02052	Norfolk County	Medfield	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 359-2396	574	53	10.8		485 (84.5%)	10 (1.7%)	30 (5.2%)	26 (4.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.7%)	93.3	33^rd of 484 public middle schools	93.2%		92.9	35^th of 493 public middle schools	92.9%	2				68.4	76.2	67.6	70.7				63.9	68.1	67.9	66.6		70.0	70.0	80.1	$20,909
Sharon Middle	Public	6-8	75 Mountain Street	Sharon	02067	Norfolk County	Sharon	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 784-1560	815	77	10.5		391 (48.0%)	56 (6.9%)	48 (5.9%)	254 (31.2%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (7.5%)	92.2	42^nd of 484 public middle schools	91.3%		90.4	49^th of 493 public middle schools	90.1%	7				64.3	59.2	77.5	67.1				66.6	69.8	64.7	67.0		73.4	73.4	75.6	$21,200
Dedham Middle School	Public	6-8	70 Whiting Avenue	Dedham	02026	Norfolk County	Dedham	No	No	No	No	(781) 310-7000	555	60	9.2		336 (60.5%)	55 (9.9%)	118 (21.3%)	12 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.9%)	62.8	165^th of 484 public middle schools	65.9%		59.3	183^rd of 493 public middle schools	62.9%	18				46.2	44.3	46.5	45.7				52.2	33.3	51.9	46.0		32.8	32.8	52.5	$26,760
O'Donnell Middle School	Public	6-8	211 Cushing Street	Stoughton	02072	Norfolk County	Stoughton	No	No	No	No	(781) 344-7002	801	71	11.3		334 (41.7%)	244 (30.5%)	136 (17.0%)	43 (5.4%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (5.1%)	40.6	266^th of 484 public middle schools	45.0%		41.1	275^th of 493 public middle schools	44.2%	9				30.2	30.0	37.4	32.6				33.6	30.5	28.9	31.0		38.3	38.3	33.1	$18,081
Dover-Sherborn Regional Middle School	Public	6-8	155 Farm Street	Dover	02030	Norfolk County	Dover-Sherborn	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 785-0635	471	50	9.4		340 (72.2%)	22 (4.7%)	14 (3.0%)	61 (13.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (6.8%)	94	27^th of 484 public middle schools	94.4%		95.2	18^th of 493 public middle schools	96.3%	9				62.5	75.7	74.7	70.7				71.1	75.7	70.6	72.3		71.6	71.6	69.1	$26,484
Ohrenberger School	Public	3-8	175 W Boundary Road	West Roxbury	02132	Suffolk County	Boston	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 635-8157	477	42	11.2		72 (15.1%)	183 (38.4%)	189 (39.6%)	14 (2.9%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.9%)	22.1	378^th of 484 public middle schools	21.9%		15.9	421^st of 493 public middle schools	14.6%	43	41.7	22.4	26.6	34.3	15.3	16.7	26.1	34.4	44.0	38.5	31.4	12.1	22.1	31.0	23.4	13.6	18.5	18.2	$37,211

Frequently Asked Questions about Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School

What high school do graduates of Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School attend?

Students who attend Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School usually go on to attend Norwood High

What is the racial makeup of Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School?

Students at Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School are 53% White, 21% Hispanic, 16% African American, 6% Asian, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 807 students attended Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School.

What district is Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School in?

Norwood

Is Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School a good school?

Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School ranks 210^th of 484 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School!

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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.