New Data Raises Key Questions for Vermont Schools: NESSC Common Data Project

by Nancy Cornell February 9, 2015

The Common Data Project, released in December, 2014 by the New England Secondary Schools Consortium (NESSC), shines a light on some key indicators of school effectiveness, and raises important questions that should inform state and local conversations about school improvement, community supports for struggling students and their families, equity and basic fairness.

The 2014 Common Data Project Report compares information on graduation rates, drop out rates, college enrollment, and college persistence for all of the New England states except Massachusetts: (Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont).

Here are some key findings related to Vermont:

           How did high school graduation rates compare across the five New England states included in the study?

·      In 2013, Vermont had the 2^nd highest high school graduation rate (86.6%) of the five states included in the report - higher than CT (85.5%), but lower than NH (87.9%)

o   However, in Vermont, the 2013 graduation rate for economically disadvantaged students was 75.2%

            How did the 2013 high school dropout rates compare across the five states?

·      In 2013, Vermont had the highest high school dropout rate (9.6%) of the five New England States.

o   The 2013 dropout rate for economically disadvantaged students was 18% - second highest of all five states (exceeded only by CT at 18.4%)

o   Vermont’s dropout rate for students with disabilities was 19.2%, the highest in the five New England states.

            How did 2013 college enrollment rates compare across the five states?

·      In 2013, Vermont had the lowest college enrollment rate (52%) of the five states.

o   Only 35% of Vermont’s economically disadvantaged students enrolled in college (this was the lowest of all five states).

o   Only 18.1% of students with disabilities in Vermont enrolled in college – the second lowest college enrollment rate of the 5 states.

            How did the college persistence rates in 2012 compare across the five states?

·      Vermont’s 2012 college persistence rate was 80.6% (lower than every other New England state in the report, except Rhode Island – 77.7%).

o   College persistence for Vermont’s economically disadvantaged students was 70%.

o   College persistence for Vermont students with disabilities was 63.1%.

If we’re serious about equity - about whether public schools should serve all students; if we’re serious about aiming to ensure that all Vermont students participate successfully in some form of post-secondary education (2-year college, 4-year college, or post-secondary technical training), this report is most helpful.   It raises important questions, that should be the focus of action-oriented discussions in school districts, in the Legislature, in the Vermont State College system, at the Agency of Education, at the Agency of Human Services, and in state and local inter-agency planning sessions.  Here are some of the questions this data raised for me:

·      What should Vermont do to eliminate childhood poverty?

·      How do Vermont secondary schools, and Vermont post-secondary institutions support economically disadvantaged families in planning for the post-secondary education of their children – and what additional support should they provide?

o   How are schools in other New England states, (especially New Hampshire), reducing their high school drop out rates, especially for economically disadvantaged students?

o   What steps are schools in other New England states taking (especially Connecticut and Maine) to increase the college enrollment rate for economically disadvantaged students?

o   What explains higher college persistence rates for economically disadvantaged students in other New England states (especially New Hampshire and Maine)?

·      How should Vermont elementary and middle schools, and Vermont post-secondary institutions, assist economically disadvantaged families in starting early in their planning for the post-secondary education of their children?