Top-ranked 8th grade districts

Here are the school systems and charter schools that performed the best on the 8th-grade MCAS exams given in the spring of 2007. Boston.com ranked them by adding the percentage of students who scored either "advanced" or "proficient" in English, Math, and Science. 100 is the highest possible score.

8th GRADE ENGLISH 2007 Rank  District name Number tested Score 1 Boston Preparatory Charter, Hyde Park 38 98 1 Marblehead Community Charter 44 98 1 Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter, Hadley 44 98 4 Benjamin Franklin Charter, Franklin 28 97 5 Carlisle Public Schools 91 96 5 Community Day Charter, Lawrence 26 96 5 Dover-Sherborn Regional 137 96 5 Marblehead Public Schools 244 96 5 Wayland Public Schools 243 96 10 Concord Public Schools 223 95 10 Harvard Public Schools 127 95 10 Longmeadow Public Schools 262 95 10 Manchester Essex Regional 108 95 10 Norwell Public Schools 167 95 10 Tisbury Public Schools 38 95 10 Westborough Public Schools 291 95 10 Westford Public Schools 424 95 10 Weston Public Schools 185 95 19 Francis W Parker Charter, Devens 65 94 19 Hilltown Cooperative Charter, Haydenville 18 94 19 Lexington Public Schools 521 94 19 Medfield Public Schools 249 94 19 Needham Public Schools 337 94 19 Oak Bluffs Public Schools 52 94 19 River Valley Charter, Newburyport 33 94 19 Sharon Public Schools 270 94 19 Sudbury Public Schools 323 94 19 Wellesley Public Schools 314 94 29 Acton-Boxborough Regional 521 93 29 Andover Public Schools 497 93 29 Cohasset Public Schools 114 93 29 Prospect Hill Academy Charter, Somerville 71 93 29 Robert M. Hughes Academy Charter, Springfield 14 93 34 Bedford Public Schools 160 92 34 Duxbury Public Schools 242 92 34 Groton-Dunstable Regional 246 92 34 Hanover Public Schools 221 92 34 Lincoln Public Schools 118 92 34 Roxbury Preparatory Charter 49 92 40 Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter, Marlborough 118 91 40 Amherst-Pelham Regional 271 91 40 Arlington Public Schools 338 91 40 Ashland Public Schools 204 91 40 Avon Public Schools 62 91 40 Edward Brooke Charter, Brighton 44 91 40 Hingham Public Schools 263 91 40 Hopkinton Public Schools 272 91 40 Littleton Public Schools 103 91 40 Martha's Vineyard Charter, West Tisbury 22 91 40 Northborough Public Schools 224 91 40 Reading Public Schools 323 91 40 Southborough Public Schools 167 91 40 Westwood Public Schools 221 91 54 Belmont Public Schools 299 90 54 Boston Collegiate Charter 57 90 54 Brookline Public Schools 421 90 54 Canton Public Schools 242 90 54 Chatham Public Schools 58 90 54 Douglas Public Schools 134 90 54 Holliston Public Schools 230 90 54 Lunenburg Public Schools 145 90 54 Mount Greylock Regional, Williamstown 96 90 54 Nauset Regional, Orleans 204 90 54 Newton Public Schools 856 90 54 North Reading Public Schools 222 90 54 Richmond Public Schools 29 90 54 Shrewsbury Public Schools 502 90 54 Southwick-Tolland Regional 141 90 54 Swampscott Public Schools 184 90 54 Winchester Public Schools 296 90 71 Chelmsford Public Schools 434 89 71 Georgetown Public Schools 119 89 71 Newburyport Public Schools 190 89 71 Pentucket Regional, West Newbury 273 89 71 Scituate Public Schools 235 89 71 Sutton Public Schools 139 89 71 Wachusett Regional, Jefferson 586 89 78 Hampden-Wilbraham Regional 289 88 78 Hopedale Public Schools 88 88 78 Ipswich Public Schools 172 88 78 Mansfield Public Schools 400 88 78 Marshfield Public Schools 355 88 78 Masconomet Regional, Topsfield 379 88 78 Melrose Public Schools 255 88 78 Mystic Valley Regional Charter, Malden 96 88 78 Sandwich Public Schools 310 88 78 Somerset Public Schools 192 88 78 South Shore Charter, Hull 34 88 78 Stoneham Public Schools 221 88 78 Up-Island Regional, Vineyard Haven 32 88 91 Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter, Orleans 68 87 91 East Longmeadow Public Schools 245 87 91 Easton Public Schools 310 87 91 Foxborough Public Schools 241 87 91 Franklin Public Schools 499 87 91 Lynnfield Public Schools 186 87 91 Maynard Public Schools 107 87 91 Medway Public Schools 241 87 91 Milton Public Schools 292 87 91 Wakefield Public Schools 270 87 91 Walpole Public Schools 305 87 102 Berlin-Boylston Regional 90 86 102 Burlington Public Schools 295 86 102 Excel Academy Charter School, East Boston 68 86 102 Foxborough Regional Charter 64 86 102 Hadley Public Schools 41 86 102 Hamilton-Wenham Regional 155 86 102 Nashoba Regional, Bolton 253 86 102 Natick Public Schools 312 86 102 North Andover Public Schools 386 86 102 Norton Public Schools 252 86 102 Salem Academy Charter, Salem 56 86 102 Wilmington Public Schools 341 86 102 Winthrop Public Schools 160 86 115 Dighton-Rehoboth Regional 271 85 115 Freetown-Lakeville Regional 260 85 115 Granville Public Schools 20 85 115 North Attleborough Public Schools 399 85 115 North Middlesex Regional, Townsend 363 85 115 Old Rochester Regional, Mattapoisett 234 85 115 Provincetown Public Schools 20 85 115 Rockland Public Schools 212 85 115 South Hadley Public Schools 185 85 124 Berkshire Hills Regional, Stockbridge 110 84 124 Braintree Public Schools 414 84 124 Carver Public Schools 170 84 124 Danvers Public Schools 306 84 124 King Philip Regional, Wrentham 405 84 124 Mendon-Upton Regional 231 84 124 Milford Public Schools 333 84 124 Neighborhood House Charter, Dorchester 19 84 124 Silver Lake Regional, Kingston 303 84 124 Tyngsborough Public Schools 164 84 134 Amesbury Public Schools 201 83 134 Ashburnham-Westminster Regional 200 83 134 Central Berkshire Regional, Dalton 180 83 134 Edgartown Public Schools 36 83 134 Falmouth Public Schools 314 83 134 Four Rivers Charter School, Greenfield 31 83 134 Plymouth Public Schools 672 83 134 Rising Tide Charter, Plymouth 52 83 134 Swansea Public Schools 180 83 143 Abby Kelley Foster Charter, Worcester 67 82 143 Blackstone-Millville Regional 169 82 143 Bridgewater-Raynham Regional 494 82 143 East Bridgewater Public Schools 188 82 143 Hampshire Regional, Westhampton 166 82 143 Hatfield Public Schools 34 82 143 Quabbin Regional, Barre 283 82 143 West Bridgewater Public Schools 107 82 143 Whitman-Hanson Regional, Whitman 340 82 152 Belchertown Public Schools 241 81 152 Frontier Regional, Deerfield 120 81 152 Harwich Public Schools 109 81 152 Millbury Public Schools 189 81 152 Monson Public Schools 145 81 152 Nantucket Public Schools 89 81 152 North Brookfield Public Schools 59 81 152 Shirley Public Schools 54 81 152 Woburn Public Schools 354 81 161 Abington Public Schools 200 80 161 Auburn Public Schools 189 80 161 Billerica Public Schools 510 80 161 Dudley-Charlton Regional 365 80 161 Middleborough Public Schools 277 80 161 New Bedford Global Charter 67 80 161 Northampton Public Schools 242 80 161 Rockport Public Schools 83 80 161 Taunton Public Schools 689 80 161 Waltham Public Schools 375 80 161 Watertown Public Schools 178 80 172 Agawam Public Schools 361 79 172 Attleboro Public Schools 483 79 172 Dedham Public Schools 228 79 172 Grafton Public Schools 220 79 172 Granby Public Schools 104 79 172 Northbridge Public Schools 206 79 172 Peabody Public Schools 551 79 172 Stoughton Public Schools 331 79 172 Triton Regional, Byfield 247 79 181 Acushnet Public Schools 135 78 181 Adams-Cheshire Regional 134 78 181 Barnstable Public Schools 407 78 181 Berkley Public Schools 106 78 181 Hudson Public Schools 235 78 181 Murdoch Middle Charter, Chelmsford 73 78 181 Pembroke Public Schools 273 78 181 Uxbridge Public Schools 151 78 181 West Boylston Public Schools 96 78 190 Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter, Hyde Park 62 77 190 Bellingham Public Schools 211 77 190 Dartmouth Public Schools 332 77 190 Dennis-Yarmouth Regional 329 77 190 Dracut Public Schools 375 77 190 Gloucester Public Schools 302 77 190 Norwood Public Schools 263 77 190 Southern Berkshire Regional, Sheffield 70 77 198 Atlantis Charter, Fall River 47 76 198 Beverly Public Schools 313 76 198 Gardner Public Schools 247 76 198 Millis Public Schools 114 76 198 Smith Leadership Academy Charter, Boston 54 76 198 Weymouth Public Schools 508 76 204 Lenox Public Schools 64 75 204 Ludlow Public Schools 235 75 204 Mohawk Trail Regional, Shelburne Falls 106 75 204 Narragansett Regional, Baldwinville 146 75 204 Sabis International Charter, Springfield 167 75 204 Tewksbury Public Schools 422 75 210 Christa McAuliffe Regional Charter, Framingham 89 74 210 Gateway Regional, Huntington 110 74 210 Hull Public Schools 105 74 210 Palmer Public Schools 172 74 214 Bourne Public Schools 190 73 214 Malden Public Schools 468 73 214 Mashpee Public Schools 179 73 214 Methuen Public Schools 620 73 214 Quaboag Regional, Warre 125 73 214 Quincy Public Schools 671 73 214 Seven Hills Charter, Worcester 66 73 214 Spencer-East Brookfield Regional 157 73 214 Westport Community Public Schools 182 73 223 Ayer Public Schools 81 72 223 Gill-Montague Regional 89 72 223 Leicester Public Schools 149 72 223 Leominster Public Schools 442 72 223 Tantasqua Regional, Fiskdale 326 72 228 Clinton Public Schools 167 71 228 Community Charter School of Cambridge 57 71 228 Fairhaven Public Schools 200 71 228 Ralph Mahar Regional, Orange 144 71 228 Saugus Public Schools 279 71 228 Wareham Public Schools 255 71 228 West Springfield Public Schools 333 71 235 Clarksburg Public Schools 20 70 235 Framingham Public Schools 600 70 235 Marlborough Public Schools 372 70 235 Oxford Public Schools 182 70 235 Seekonk Public Schools 180 70 240 North Central Charter, Fitchburg 55 69 240 Westfield Public Schools 510 69 242 Holbrook Public Schools 138 68 243 Athol-Royalston Regional 186 67 243 Cambridge Public Schools 376 67 243 Salem Public Schools 348 67 246 Pittsfield Public Schools 487 66 246 Somerville Public Schools 352 66 248 Easthampton Public Schools 137 65 248 Haverhill Public Schools 621 65 248 Revere Public Schools 411 65 251 Medford Public Schools 367 64 251 Ware Public Schools 99 64 253 Everett Public Schools 384 62 254 Greenfield Public Schools 123 61 254 Pioneer Valley Regional, Northfield 95 61 254 Winchendon Public Schools 153 61 257 Fitchburg Public Schools 428 60 257 Lee Public Schools 82 60 259 North Adams Public Schools 135 59 260 Chicopee Public Schools 574 58 260 Lawrence Family Development Charter 50 58 262 Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter, Adams 48 56 262 Brockton Public Schools 1,268 56 262 Fall River Public Schools 820 56 262 Randolph Public Schools 307 56 266 Boston Public Schools 4,208 55 266 Lynn Public Schools 1,029 55 266 Worcester Public Schools 1,712 55 269 Lowell Public Schools 1,154 54 269 New Bedford Public Schools 1,005 54 271 Southbridge Public Schools 187 53 272 Webster Public Schools 140 50 273 Uphams Corner Charter, South Boston 52 48 274 Lawrence Public Schools 1,032 47 275 New Leadership Academy Charter, Springfield 84 46 276 Chelsea Public Schools 389 43 277 Springfield Public Schools 1,953 39 278 Holyoke Community Charter 24 38 278 Holyoke Public Schools 476 38 280 Lowell Community Charter 41 24

8th GRADE MATH 2007 Rank  District name Number tested Score 1 Roxbury Preparatory Charter 49 94 2 Community Day Charter, Lawrence 26 93 3 Excel Academy Charter School, East Boston 67 91 4 Carlisle Public Schools 92 88 5 Boston Preparatory Charter, Hyde Park 38 84 6 Dover-Sherborn Regional 138 83 7 Wayland Public Schools 242 82