School district posts gains in 2026 state report, high school remains a concern

Waltham Public Schools made progress toward state targets in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s annual achievement report, but Waltham High School remains a point of concern as the state says it still needs focused support. 

Assistant Superintendent Shannon Conley reacted to the results, crediting Waltham’s teachers for gains made. “What remains most commendable in Waltham is our educators and the community’s collective commitment to student success,” she said. “While accountability data captures only a portion of these efforts, Waltham remains dedicated to … continuous improvement across all schools.”

According to the 2026 report released on Sept. 22, the district as a whole is “not requiring assistance or intervention” and had made “substantial progress toward targets,” with the exception of the high school. WHS moved up two percentage points to the 11th percentile. It’s the first time since 2022 that the high school has been ranked above the 10th percentile. 

DESE’s accountability report evaluates school districts and how well they serve students, using metrics such as test scores, attendance and graduation rates. Schools receive a percentile rating that compares their performance with other schools statewide. 

Wins and losses at WHS

The state cited “low student group performance among low income and high needs students” as one reason for WHS’s low ranking. 

However, the school’s annual progress percentage toward state goals jumped from 17% last year to 47% this year. DESE certified that as “moderate progress,” an improvement from the “limited progress” it found in 2025. 

Several other indicators improved. Chronic absenteeism fell from 30% to 21%, while English learners’ progress toward English proficiency exceeded the state’s target. Math achievement was also a bright spot for the high school, with eight out of the nine student groups tracked by the state showing improvement.

Graduation rates, however, declined for vulnerable student populations: low-income students, Hispanic and Latino students, and English learners. Each fell by about 10%. By comparison, the graduation rate was 95.2% for white students and 92.9% for black students. Students with disabilities were the only group to exceed the state’s target, with their graduating rate rising 13 points to 89%. 

Waltham’s ‘comparable’ peers

The state’s report also lists 10 “comparable schools” with similar enrollment and student populations. For Waltham, that list includes public high schools in Somerville, Lowell, Malden, Marlborough and Worcester. Among the 10 comparable schools, Waltham ranks eighth in English language arts test scores and is tied for sixth in math test scores. 

Waltham’s growth scores, which track how much students have improved since last year, also provided more insights into the district’s performance. Waltham’s English language arts growth ranked sixth among 10 of its peers, and its math growth ranked ninth. Marlborough posted the highest growth in both subjects, with Milford and Worcester’s Doherty Memorial High School close behind.

Younger grades show promise 

Fitzgerald Elementary was named a School of Recognition, the state’s top improvement category. It marks the second year in a row that a Waltham school has received this distinction, after Plympton Elementary last year. Fitzgerald scored in the 64th percentile of elementary schools, with notable strides made in standardized test scores. Its annual improvement score climbed from 25% last year to 92% this year.

Despite earning the distinction last year, Plympton saw a drop in its accountability rating, down from the 29th percentile last year to the 23rd percentile this year. Its improvement score also dropped sharply, from 74% last year to 34% this year. Test results account for 60% of an elementary school’s improvement score, meaning a single year of test results can move a school’s score by dozens of points. 

The Waltham school with the highest accountability ranking this year was Kennedy Middle School, scoring in the 66th percentile. One of its strongest areas was progress among English language learners, with 63% meeting the state’s expectations for progress toward English proficiency, up from 32% last year. McDevitt Middle School ranked in the 40th percentile, meeting targets for chronic absenteeism and progress toward English proficiency but declining in English language arts test scores. 

Dynamic scores for the district

Overall, the 2026 report shows results moving in different directions depending on where one looks. The district’s cumulative score, WHS’s percentile ranking and chronic absenteeism all improved from last year, while graduation rates declined. At the elementary level, school rankings moved sharply in both directions.