John W. McDevitt Middle School

Summary:

John W. McDevitt Middle School is a public middle school located in Waltham, Massachusetts, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 595. The school is part of the Waltham school district, which is ranked 253 out of 351 districts in Massachusetts and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, John W. McDevitt Middle School's performance, as measured by MCAS Next Generation assessments, is generally below the state and Waltham district averages. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (35.07%), Mathematics (34.2%), and Science (37.97%) are all lower than the state and district averages. However, the school has some strengths, with White students ranking very highly, in the top 29 in the state, and English Language Learner (ELL) students also performing relatively well, ranking in the top 50 in the state. On the other hand, other subgroups, such as Special Education students and Low Socioeconomic Status students, rank in the bottom half of the state.

Interestingly, when comparing John W. McDevitt Middle School to nearby schools like Watertown Middle and John F. Kennedy Middle, which have similar racial/ethnic compositions, the performance of John W. McDevitt Middle School is lower. In contrast, higher-performing schools like Gibbs School, Jonas Clarke Middle, and Winthrop L. Chenery Middle have significantly different student demographics, with larger proportions of White and Asian students. These comparisons suggest that factors beyond just student demographics, such as instructional quality, school leadership, and resource allocation, may be contributing to the academic performance differences.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 75 Church Street
       Waltham, MA  02453


(781) 314-5595

District: Waltham

SchoolDigger Rank:
236th of 493 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $23,117 Help


Students who attend John W. McDevitt Middle School usually attend:

High:    Waltham Senior High

Feeder schools for John W. McDevitt Middle School:

Elementary:    Henry Whittemore Elementary School
    James Fitzgerald Elementary School
    William F. Stanley Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  8.4 Help
Number of students:  595

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
63.0%
White:
24.2%
African American:
8.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  51.6% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details John W. McDevitt Middle School ranks better than 52.1% of middle schools in Massachusetts. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 47.41. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (63%), White (24.2%), African American (8.6%). (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at John W. McDevitt Middle School is 8.4. (See more...)
Help
Compare John W. McDevitt Middle School employs 70 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at John W. McDevitt Middle School is $23,117.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

John W. McDevitt Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks John W. McDevitt Middle School 236th of 493 Massachusetts public middle schools. (See John W. McDevitt Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Waltham:

SchoolDigger ranks Waltham 253rd of 351 Massachusetts school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for John W. McDevitt Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at John W. McDevitt Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 31.07 254th 339 25.1%
2004 38.05 232nd 344 32.6%
2005 34.62 254th 356 28.7%
2006 50.34 219th 399 45.1%
2007 49.57 231st 399 42.1%
2008 47.06 234th 407 42.5%
2009 53.16 216th 409 47.2%
2010 50.19 242nd 434 44.2%
2011 44.61 275th 449 38.8%
2012 46.79 272nd 455 40.2%
2013 47.64 259th 455 43.1%
2014 42.72 276th 455 39.3%
2015 37.84 290th 441 34.2%
2016 55.63 217th 482 55.0%
2017 60.41 188th 487 61.4%
2018 58.83 188th 484 61.2%
2019 59.32 192nd 498 61.4%
2021 43.86 267th 501 46.7%
2022 44.74 260th 497 47.7%
2023 40.53 282nd 501 43.7%
2024 47.41 236th 493 52.1%
See the entire list of Massachusetts Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at John W. McDevitt Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.05 68th 127 46.5%
2019 46.53 48th 138 65.2%
2021 48.50 37th 135 72.6%
2022 44.91 56th 154 63.6%
2023 61.52 19th 155 87.7%
2024 47.20 50th 180 72.2%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at John W. McDevitt Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 58.55 156th 467 66.6%
2019 60.38 146th 484 69.8%
2021 42.60 257th 489 47.4%
2022 46.18 243rd 503 51.7%
2023 41.57 218th 444 50.9%
2024 38.79 227th 441 48.5%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at John W. McDevitt Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 58.24 165th 438 62.3%
2019 57.39 176th 452 61.1%
2021 44.65 235th 462 49.1%
2022 42.14 274th 489 44.0%
2023 44.81 244th 481 49.3%
2024 44.43 235th 469 49.9%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at John W. McDevitt Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 58.43 196th 463 57.7%
2019 60.35 188th 478 60.7%
2021 46.63 242nd 483 49.9%
2022 42.72 266th 494 46.2%
2023 37.96 293rd 489 40.1%
2024 39.09 277th 481 42.4%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at John W. McDevitt Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.73 183rd 417 56.1%
2019 51.00 154th 424 63.7%
2021 50.71 149th 431 65.4%
2022 50.52 161st 445 63.8%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at John W. McDevitt Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 56.03 184th 466 60.5%
2019 54.55 203rd 478 57.5%
2021 39.80 282nd 485 41.9%
2022 46.41 244th 497 50.9%
2023 42.12 274th 489 44.0%
2024 54.66 188th 483 61.1%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Tested In Person students at John W. McDevitt Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 41.46 282nd 491 42.6%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Tested In Person Students!

Rank History for Tested Remotely students at John W. McDevitt Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 59.41 110th 339 67.6%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Tested Remotely Students!

Rank History for Asian students at John W. McDevitt Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 57.66 66th 128 48.4%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at John W. McDevitt Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 77.06 23rd 172 86.6%
2019 70.93 38th 195 80.5%
2021 46.07 101st 193 47.7%
2022 59.50 71st 212 66.5%
2023 60.68 67th 209 67.9%
2024 56.43 64th 202 68.3%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at John W. McDevitt Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.08 89th 309 71.2%
2019 58.99 110th 322 65.8%
2021 49.88 141st 335 57.9%
2022 47.70 158th 368 57.1%
2023 43.69 171st 364 53.0%
2024 44.90 174th 378 54.0%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at John W. McDevitt Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.06 83rd 395 79.0%
2019 77.25 79th 396 80.1%
2021 63.26 120th 401 70.1%
2022 77.47 71st 404 82.4%
2023 77.36 72nd 403 82.1%
2024 89.63 29th 392 92.6%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

John W. McDevitt Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for John W. McDevitt Middle School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 258 13 1 33 0 n/a n/a 0 305
1989 231 21 4 31 0 n/a n/a 0 287
1990 242 27 5 40 0 n/a n/a 0 314
1991 235 23 7 53 1 n/a n/a 0 319
1992 241 29 9 55 0 n/a n/a 0 334
1993 218 20 13 58 0 n/a n/a 0 309
1994 219 20 22 52 0 n/a n/a 0 313
1995 227 34 21 62 0 n/a n/a 0 344
1996 227 34 21 62 0 n/a n/a 0 344
1997 216 27 23 67 0 n/a n/a 0 333
1998 240 37 16 85 0 n/a n/a 0 378
1999 230 37 21 79 0 n/a n/a 0 367
2000 209 31 30 80 0 n/a n/a 0 350
2001 196 36 27 84 0 n/a n/a 0 343
2002 170 16 14 72 0 n/a n/a 0 272
2003 170 16 14 72 0 n/a n/a 0 272
2004 371 47 24 136 0 n/a n/a 0 578
2005 373 56 29 144 0 n/a n/a 0 602
2006 336 47 30 165 5 n/a n/a 8 591
2007 306 41 26 159 4 n/a n/a 10 546
2008 289 37 27 165 3 n/a n/a 18 539
2009 261 44 22 169 1 3 21 0 521
2010 249 41 24 171 1 2 21 0 509
2011 229 55 18 196 0 2 16 0 516
2012 229 42 25 209 1 2 11 0 519
2013 237 54 24 200 1 3 15 0 534
2014 235 50 24 203 2 2 18 0 534
2015 252 49 19 209 1 1 21 0 552
2016 269 53 19 233 1 0 16 0 591
2017 252 49 18 246 0 1 20 0 586
2018 250 56 23 288 0 1 13 0 631
2019 249 65 28 323 0 0 12 0 677
2020 238 56 29 379 0 0 11 0 713
2021 193 52 27 390 0 0 7 0 669
2022 172 55 12 370 0 0 8 0 617
2023 144 51 17 375 0 0 8 0 595

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at John W. McDevitt Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 305 n/a n/a n/a
1989 287 n/a n/a n/a
1990 314 n/a n/a n/a
1991 319 n/a n/a n/a
1992 334 n/a n/a n/a
1993 309 n/a 0.0 n/a
1994 313 n/a n/a n/a
1995 344 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 344 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 333 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 378 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 367 n/a 0.0 36
2000 350 n/a 0.0 39.1
2001 343 n/a 0.0 38.8
2002 272 n/a n/a 33.8
2003 272 n/a n/a 33.8
2004 578 54.7 10.6 34.1
2005 602 55.9 10.8 37.7
2006 591 57.3 10.3 39.8
2007 546 58.0 9.4 38.1
2008 539 52.2 10.3 46.6
2009 521 55.6 9.4 44.9
2010 509 52.7 9.6 42.4
2011 516 55.8 9.2 36
2012 519 53.5 9.6 46.6
2013 534 54.5 9.7 51.3
2014 534 53.3 10.0 46.1
2015 552 49.0 11.2 51.6
2016 591 50.0 11.8 n/a
2017 586 56.1 10.4 n/a
2018 631 61.3 10.2 n/a
2019 677 68.0 9.9 n/a
2020 713 70.2 10.1 n/a
2021 669 49.0 13.6 n/a
2022 617 79.4 7.7 n/a
2023 595 70.0 8.4 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio John W. McDevitt Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 305 n/a n/a n/a
1989 287 n/a n/a n/a
1990 314 n/a n/a n/a
1991 319 n/a n/a n/a
1992 334 n/a n/a n/a
1993 309 n/a 0.0 n/a
1994 313 n/a n/a n/a
1995 344 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 344 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 333 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 378 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 367 n/a 0.0 36
2000 350 n/a 0.0 39.1
2001 343 n/a 0.0 38.8
2002 272 n/a n/a 33.8
2003 272 n/a n/a 33.8
2004 578 54.7 10.6 34.1
2005 602 55.9 10.8 37.7
2006 591 57.3 10.3 39.8
2007 546 58.0 9.4 38.1
2008 539 52.2 10.3 46.6
2009 521 55.6 9.4 44.9
2010 509 52.7 9.6 42.4
2011 516 55.8 9.2 36
2012 519 53.5 9.6 46.6
2013 534 54.5 9.7 51.3
2014 534 53.3 10.0 46.1
2015 552 49.0 11.2 51.6
2016 591 50.0 11.8 n/a
2017 586 56.1 10.4 n/a
2018 631 61.3 10.2 n/a
2019 677 68.0 9.9 n/a
2020 713 70.2 10.1 n/a
2021 669 49.0 13.6 n/a
2022 617 79.4 7.7 n/a
2023 595 70.0 8.4 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for John W. McDevitt Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $526 (2.5%) $20,420 (97.5%) $20,946
2020 $612 (2.9%) $20,168 (97.1%) $20,780
2021 $1,233 (5.3%) $21,884 (94.7%) $23,117

Data source: Massachusetts Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on John W. McDevitt Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 192nd of 498 Middle schoolsRanks 282nd of 501 Middle schools
 17.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (John W. McDevitt Middle School)7244.4
 27.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Waltham)6442.7
 21.4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5442.3
 11.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (John W. McDevitt Middle School)5134.2
 16.8%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Waltham)4739.1
 7.9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)5141
 10%
7th Grade English Language Arts (John W. McDevitt Middle School)5539
 16%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Waltham)5540.8
 14.2%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)4840.5
 7.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (John W. McDevitt Middle School)4733.2
 13.8%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Waltham)4837.6
 10.4%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4838.1
 9.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (John W. McDevitt Middle School)5226.4
 25.6%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Waltham)4835.5
 12.5%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5143.7
 7.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (John W. McDevitt Middle School)4028.3
 11.7%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Waltham)4235.9
 6.2%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4737.7
 9.3%
8th Grade Science (John W. McDevitt Middle School)4621.2
 24.8%
   8th Grade Science (Waltham)4430.4
 13.6%
   8th Grade Science (Massachusetts)4640.9
 5.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (John W. McDevitt Middle School)6036.7
 23.3%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Waltham)5237
 15.1%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5242.3
 9.7%
All Grades Mathematics (John W. McDevitt Middle School)4632
 14.1%
   All Grades Mathematics (Waltham)4736.3
 10.7%
   All Grades Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.6
 8.4%
All Grades Science (John W. McDevitt Middle School)4621.2
 24.8%
   All Grades Science (Waltham)4331.1
 11.9%
   All Grades Science (Massachusetts)4741.2
 5.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students677595
 12.1%
African American6551
 21.5%
American Indian00
Asian2817
 39.3%
Hispanic323375
 16.1%
Pacific Islander00
White249144
 42.2%
Two or More Races128
 33.3%


Schools Near John W. McDevitt Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about John W. McDevitt Middle School

Students at John W. McDevitt Middle School are 63% Hispanic, 24% White, 9% African American, 3% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

Students who attend John W. McDevitt Middle School usually go on to attend Waltham Senior High

John W. McDevitt Middle School ranks 236th of 493 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 595 students attended John W. McDevitt Middle School.


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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.





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