Pioneer Charter School of Science II (Pcss-II)
- Public, Charter
- SAUGUS, MA
Charter School
Pioneer Charter School of Science II (Pcss-II)
- grade AOverall Grade
- Public, Charter
- 7-12
- SAUGUS, MA
- Rating 3.6 out of 5 35 reviews
Report Card
- Academicsgrade A minus
- Diversitygrade A
- Teachersgrade A minus
- College Prepgrade A
- Clubs & Activitiesgrade C minus
- Administrationgrade B+
- Sportsgrade B minus
- Foodgrade C minus
- Resources & Facilitiesgrade C+
editorial
About
Pioneer Charter School of Science II (Pcss-II) Rankings
Niche ranks nearly 100,000 schools and districts based on statistics and millions of opinions from students and parents.
Academics
Percent Proficient - Reading
67%
Percent Proficient - Math
62%
Average Graduation Rate
90%
Average SAT
1320
87 responses
Average ACT
29
8 responses
AP Enrollment
32%
Popular Colleges
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Map
Map
Home Listings
- Cost of Livinggrade C+
- Good for Familiesgrade B minus
- Housinggrade C minus
Median Household Income
$93,737
National
$69,021Median Rent
$1,140
National
$1,163Median Home Value
$468,300
National
$244,900Culture & Safety
Poll
50%
of students agree that they feel safe at their school. 6 responsesPoll
33%
of students agree that they like their school and feel happy there. 6 responsesStudents
Diversity
grade A
Based on racial and economic diversity and survey responses on school culture and diversity from students and parents.
Students
376
Free or Reduced Lunch
50%
33%
of students and parents agree that students at this school are competitive. 6 responses17%
of students and parents agree that students at this school are creative and artsy. 6 responses33%
of students and parents agree that students at this school are athletic. 6 responsesTeachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
11:1
National
17:1Average Teacher Salary
No data available
Teachers in First/Second Year
43%
67%
of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons. 6 responses67%
of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students. 6 responses83%
of students and parents agree that the teachers adequately lead and control the classroom. 6 responsesClubs & Activities
Clubs & Activities
grade C minus
Based on student and parent reviews of clubs and activities.
Girls Athletic Participation
High
Boys Athletic Participation
Very High
Expenses Per Student
No data available
National
$12,23950%
of students and parents agree that there are plenty of clubs and organizations for students to get involved in. 6 responses0%
of students and parents agree that clubs and organizations get the funding they need. 6 responses50%
of students and parents agree that lots of students participate in clubs and organizations. 6 responsesSimilar Schools
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Pioneer Charter School of Science II (Pcss-II) Reviews
Rating 3.6 out of 5 35 reviews
As an Alumni of the School the academics of the school are pretty great. The teachers generally care a lot about students, and you can really get an individualized experience. I had some excellent teachers at this school. However, there are some problems with the school which are AP selection and Extracurriculars. Smaller school size decreases the availability of some APs. This means that some APs like Calc AB, Lit, and History are always offered, while other APs like any AP Physics, and Calculus BC are unavailable. However, other STEMs like Chem and Bio are still offered. Additionally, the School does not allow AP loading, meaning that students can graduate with at most 9 APs over 4 years of High School. The other weak area of Pioneer is its lackluster club scene. During all 6 of my years at Pioneer there was no consistent structure for clubs. The only clubs that were offered were simple ones like homework, or math. The only real extracurricular opportunities offered where sports.
Okay, so many of these reviews seem impossibly high, so I figure that somebody’s got to tell the truth about this place. The whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Of the student experience, the work is doable, but teacher help is either really wonderful, or will leave you with PTSD. I’m still clueless as to how our school receives such (allegedly) high scores when so many students are failing, and badly. The school seems to try in vain to encourage students to learn, but it’s kind of a lost cause at this point. Part of the problem is behavior management. Most teachers don’t understand that yelling at children doesn’t yield positive results or remorse. It only makes some kids lose self-esteem, and the kids whom the animosity is directed at do not care. Don’t even get me started at the yelling in the halls by the chief Disciplinarian… I have yet to wake up from that nightmare.
The handling of issues is okay, but the vandalism in the bathroom hasn’t been handled after almost a year.
Of the student experience, the work is doable, but teacher help is either really wonderful, or will leave you with PTSD. I’m still clueless as to how our school receives such (allegedly) high scores when so many students are failing, and badly. The school seems to try in vain to encourage students to learn, but it’s kind of a lost cause at this point. Part of the problem is behavior management. Most teachers don’t understand that yelling at children doesn’t yield positive results or remorse. It only makes some kids lose self-esteem, and the kids whom the animosity is directed at do not care. Don’t even get me started at the yelling in the halls by the chief Disciplinarian… I have yet to wake up from that nightmare.
The handling of issues is okay, but the vandalism in the bathroom hasn’t been handled after almost a year.
This is a great school. It's a really close and tight-knit community because of its smaller size. The teachers really help the students out as much as possible, and the school really tries to push the students to perform their best academically. There are plenty of ways that students can get help if they are struggling including two after-school academies during the week, and one on Saturday. Sometimes the school just pushes a little too hard. The workload can be really overwhelming sometimes.