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Teachers: what resource would make the biggest difference at Needham High this year?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,633
High
DISTRICT 687 · STATE 777
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NEEDHAM·NCES 250837001315
Needham High
609 Webster Street, Needham, MA 02494 · (781) 455-0800 · Norfolk County
GRADES 09–12HIGH21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL1,633 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
11.9:1
137 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.3:1 · STATE 23.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 424 | 26% |
| Grade 10 | 377 | 23% |
| Grade 11 | 422 | 26% |
| Grade 12 | 410 | 25% |
Student demographics
42%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 47% · STATE 65% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Needham. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
MCAS 2024-25 . % Meeting or Exceeding ExpectationsEnglish Language Arts
86.0%
MA avg 43.8% . +0.0pp since 2018
Math
85.0%
MA avg 42.2% . -4.0pp since 2018
What this means: On the MCAS, Massachusetts's statewide test, about 86 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 85 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Massachusetts schools, those numbers are about 44 and 42. Reading and writing scores have held steady since 2018, while math scores are down about 4 points.
MCAS results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 86.0% | 85.0% |
| 2023-24 | 86.0% | 86.0% |
| 2022-23 | 84.0% | 90.0% |
| 2021-22 | 84.0% | 83.0% |
| 2020-21 | 92.0% | 87.0% |
| 2018-19 | 86.0% | 89.0% |
% Meeting or Exceeding Expectations, all students and all tested grades.
Source: MCAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Needham High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Massachusetts | In Norfolk County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 85.0% | #5 of 327 ▲ 4 | #2 of 30 no change |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 86.0% | #4 of 326 ▲ 9 | #3 of 30 no change |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +2.0pp | #46 of 315 | #6 of 30 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,633 | #39 of 379 | #4 of 32 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.9:1 | #205 of 325 | #15 of 30 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 42.2% | #190 of 325 | #21 of 30 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -3.1% | #167 of 188 | #14 of 18 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
1,633
-37 (-2%) vs 2020
+65% since 1990-91, when it was 987
Student : Teacher
11.9:1
was 13.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,633 | 137.4 | 11.9:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 1,622 | 129.9 | 12.5:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 1,645 | 131.6 | 12.5:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 1,670 | 123 | 13.6:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 1,686 | 124.6 | 13.5:1 | N/A |
| 2015-16 | 1,664 | 118 | 14.1:1 | N/A |
| 2010-11 | 1,433 | 98 | 14.6:1 | 5% (74) |
| 2000-01 | 1,214 | N/A | N/A | 1% (16) |
| 1990-91 | 987 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Needham High.
Since 2017-18: students down 3% (1,686 to 1,633); teachers up 10% (124.6 to 137.4).
About Needham High
Needham High is a large high school located in Needham, Massachusetts. It has an enrollment of 1,633 students in grades 9 through 12. On average, high schools in Massachusetts enroll around 777, and this school is 110% bigger than that mark.
Needham has 5,493 students spread across 8 schools.
The student body at Needham High is 74% White. After that, the student body is 9% Asian, 8% Hispanic, 5% multiracial, and 3% Black. Its diversity index, the chance that two randomly chosen students belong to different racial or ethnic groups, is 42%.
Needham High lists 137.4 full-time-equivalent teachers; that is about 11.9 students per teacher. By comparison, the average for high schools in Massachusetts is 23.4:1.
In the surrounding county, Norfolk County, median household income comes to about $130,739, about 59% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 4%. The county's public schools total 198, with about 101,300 students.
Needham High's closest public school neighbor is William Mitchell, about 0.5 miles away. Counting only straight-line distance, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles.
The school's federal locale classification is Suburb: Large.
Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, enrollment moved from 1,670 to 1,633, a small change. By 2024-25, the school had 11.9 students per teacher, compared with 13.6 in 2020-21.
This page is set up for the Needham High community to discuss homework, tutoring, and testing dates. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Norfolk County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
730,082
Census ACS
Median income
$130,739
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
59%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
4%
Below federal line
Schools in county
198
101,300 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Needham
- Pollard MiddleMiddle · 867 students
- Newman ElementaryElementary · 696 students
- Sunita L. Williams ElementaryElementary · 533 students
- BroadmeadowElementary · 502 students
- High Rock SchoolMiddle · 441 students
- William MitchellElementary · 424 students
Other schools in Needham
- Pollard MiddleMiddle · 867 students
- Newman ElementaryElementary · 696 students
- Sunita L. Williams ElementaryElementary · 533 students
- BroadmeadowElementary · 502 students
- High Rock SchoolMiddle · 441 students
- William MitchellElementary · 424 students
Nearby schools
- William Mitchell0.5 mi · 424
- Pollard Middle0.7 mi · 867
- High Rock School1.1 mi · 441
- Sunita L. Williams Elementary1.2 mi · 533
- Broadmeadow1.3 mi · 502
- Newman Elementary1.3 mi · 696
Frequently asked questions
About Needham HighHow many students attend Needham High?
Needham High enrolls approximately 1,633 students in grades 09-12.
Is Needham High an elementary, middle, or high school?
Needham High is a high school covering grades 09-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Needham High?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Needham High is approximately 11.9:1 (137 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Needham High?
At Needham High, the student body is approximately 74% White, 8% Hispanic, 3% Black, 9% Asian, 5% Two or more.
Is Needham High public or private?
Needham High is a public K-12 school, overseen by Needham.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.