Sullivan Middle

Sullivan Middle School is a grades 6–8 school at 140 Apricot Street in Worcester, MA, serving about 940 students — one of the larger middle schools in the region — as part of Worcester Public Schools, a district that ranks 304th of 351 in Massachusetts.

Within that context, Sullivan Middle is a clear bright spot: it sits at the 34th percentile of Massachusetts middle schools (two stars), well above its own district, and it is the strongest of the four Worcester middle schools compared here in both English language arts (32.4%) and math (30.7%). It leads Burncoat Middle School by roughly 7 points in ELA and 4 in math, Forest Grove Middle by about 6 and 12, and Worcester East Middle by about 10 and 17. The long-term trend is genuinely upward — from about the 20th percentile in 2016–2019 to a 34th–38th percentile plateau since 2022 — though the last two years have flattened and slipped slightly. Even so, nearby suburban schools such as Auburn Middle, Mountview Middle, and Oak Middle School score 20–55 percentile points higher.

Science is the biggest concern: at 21.8%, it is the only subject where Sullivan falls below its own district, it trails the state by about 19 points, and it has dropped from 26.7% four years ago, with 8th-grade civics also well below state levels. Students with disabilities (13th percentile) and English language learners (down from the 70th to the 44th percentile in two years) are the clearest gaps, while students experiencing homelessness rank at the 82nd percentile — roughly 48 points above the school overall. Notably, Sullivan spends $17,673 per pupil, more than Mountview or Oak, and has a smaller student-teacher ratio (12.7), so funding and class size do not appear to be what separates it from higher-scoring neighbors. Reported 6th-grade figures (84% ELA, 94% math) look inconsistent with the school's own totals and should be verified.