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SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CAMBRIDGE·NCES 250327002768

Putnam Avenue Upper School

100 Putnam Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 · (617) 349-7780 · Middlesex County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE12-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL283 STUDENTS
A-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 82% of Massachusetts public middle schools
  • B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
  • ·Beats expectations Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
  • A+Three-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.

Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Massachusetts public middle schools

Enrollment
283
Middle
DISTRICT 294 · STATE 547
Student : Teacher
9.0:1
32 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 8.4:1 · STATE 11.5:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.

Enrollment by grade, 2024-25

GradeStudentsShare
Grade 69734%
Grade 79634%
Grade 89032%
Student demographics
78%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 76% · STATE 65% · US 70%
White
7928%
DISTRICT 35% · STATE 51% · US 43%
Hispanic
2910%
DISTRICT 14% · STATE 26% · US 30%
Black
7225%
DISTRICT 23% · STATE 10% · US 15%
Asian
5519%
DISTRICT 15% · STATE 7% · US 6%
Two+
4717%
DISTRICT 12% · STATE 5% · US 5%
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
Male
14451%
Female
13849%

School pathway

Students here typically continue to
Putnam Avenue Upper School→Cambridge Rindge and Latin
Based on grade levels within Cambridge. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.

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Test scores

MCAS 2024-25 . % Meeting or Exceeding Expectations
English Language Arts
62.0%
MA avg 43.8% . +21.0pp since 2016
Math
52.0%
MA avg 42.2% . +20.0pp since 2016

What this means: On the MCAS, Massachusetts's statewide test, about 62 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 52 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Massachusetts schools, those numbers are about 44 and 42. Reading and writing scores are up about 21 points since 2016, while math scores are up about 20 points.

MCAS results by year

School yearEnglish Language ArtsMath
2024-2562.0%52.0%
2023-2458.0%53.0%
2022-2354.0%44.0%
2021-2251.0%33.0%
2020-2148.0%28.0%
2018-1947.0%33.0%
2017-1850.0%38.0%
2016-1741.0%32.0%
% Meeting or Exceeding Expectations, all students and all tested grades.
Source: MCAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →

Where Putnam Avenue Upper School ranks

Among middle schools
MeasureThis schoolIn MassachusettsIn Middlesex County
Math proficiency
ranked highest first
52.0%#91 of 304
▼ 7
#35 of 70
no change
Reading proficiency
ranked highest first
62.0%#57 of 304
▲ 5
#30 of 70
▲ 1
3-year test score change
ranked biggest gain first
+15.0pp#2 of 299#1 of 69
Enrollment
ranked largest first
283#274 of 310#69 of 72
Students per teacher
ranked fewest first
9.0:1#12 of 296#6 of 70
Diversity index
ranked most diverse first
78.0%#1 of 296#1 of 70
Enrollment change since 2017-18
ranked fastest growth first
+7.6%#35 of 82#14 of 27
Ranked against other public middle 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 2024-25
Enrollment
283
+22 (+8%) vs 2020
Student : Teacher
9.0:1
was 7.5:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Enrollment and staffing by year

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Students per teacherFree and reduced lunch
2024-2528331.69.0:1N/A
2023-2427035.47.6:1N/A
2022-2325136.96.8:1N/A
2020-21261357.5:1N/A
2017-1826333.17.9:1N/A
2015-16249337.5:1N/A
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Putnam Avenue Upper School.

Since 2017-18: students up 8% (263 to 283); teachers down 5% (33.1 to 31.6).

About Putnam Avenue Upper School

Putnam Avenue Upper School is a small middle school. Its address is in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is open to students in grades 6 through 8 and enrolls 283 students. It has 48% fewer students than the average for middle schools in Massachusetts (about 547).

Cambridge oversees Putnam Avenue Upper School and 16 other schools, with 7,027 students in total.

Of every 100 students at Putnam Avenue Upper School, about 28 are White, the largest group. Smaller groups are 25% Black, 19% Asian, 17% multiracial, and 10% Hispanic. For comparison, the population of Middlesex County is roughly 67% White. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 78, compared with 70 nationally.

The school had 31.6 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25. Its student-to-teacher ratio is 9.0:1. By comparison, the average for middle schools in Massachusetts is 11.5:1.

Putnam Avenue Upper School earns an A- on the allk12 Grade, which blends test scores, results against poverty-based expectations, and the three-year trend. It scored higher than 82% of Massachusetts public middle schools.

In Middlesex County, where the school is located, median household income comes to about $130,847, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 60%, and roughly 5% of residents are in poverty. The county has 386 public schools and about 215,896 students.

Martin Luther King Jr., less than a tenth of a mile away, is the closest public school. Within five miles of Putnam Avenue Upper School, there are at least 8 other public schools.

Its NCES locale code is City: Mid-size: the school is inside a principal city with a population between 100,000 and 250,000.

Federal enrollment counts rose from 261 (2020-21) to 283 (2024-25). In 2020-21, the student-to-teacher ratio was 7.5:1; by 2024-25 it was 9.0:1.

Use the discussion section to ask about homework, tutoring, and testing dates at Putnam Avenue Upper School. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.

Middlesex County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
1,638,365
Census ACS
Median income
$130,847
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
60%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
5%
Below federal line
Schools in county
386
215,896 students

Quick facts

School name
Putnam Avenue Upper School
District
Cambridge
Address
100 Putnam Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone
(617) 349-7780
County
Middlesex County
Level
Middle
Grade range
06–08
Total enrollment
283
Teachers (FTE)
32
Student–teacher ratio
9.0:1
Locale
12-City: Mid-size
NCES ID
250327002768
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in Cambridge
Other schools in Cambridge
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About Putnam Avenue Upper School
What is the total enrollment at Putnam Avenue Upper School?
Putnam Avenue Upper School enrolls approximately 283 students in grades 06-08.
What grades does Putnam Avenue Upper School serve?
Putnam Avenue Upper School serves grades 06-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Putnam Avenue Upper School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Putnam Avenue Upper School is approximately 9.0:1 (32 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Putnam Avenue Upper School?
At Putnam Avenue Upper School, the student body is approximately 28% White, 10% Hispanic, 25% Black, 19% Asian, 17% Two or more.
Is Putnam Avenue Upper School public or private?
Putnam Avenue Upper School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Cambridge.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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