Vermont Agency of Education Releases 2024-2025 Assessment & Accountability Results

Montpelier, VT - The Vermont Agency of Education released assessment and accountability results from the 2024-2025 school year. The release includes the Vermont State Report Card, assessment results, school accountability ratings, and the list of schools identified for Comprehensive and Targeted Support and Improvement.

"While Vermont's accountability framework remains the foundation of our education system, we are deepening our commitment to transparency," said Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders. "The standards have not changed - but access to clear, actionable information has. By making data accessible to parents, educators, and communities, we are strengthening a true statewide partnership focused on continuous improvement and ensuring every Vermont student thrives."

As part of this identification cycle, the Vermont Agency of Education is strengthening its approach to school improvement through increased support, oversight, and engagement with identified schools.

"School improvement works best when it's grounded in strong partnership and shared accountability" said Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders. "Our goal is to ensure high quality support reaches the schools that need it most, so we can close equity gaps and deliver strong outcomes for every Vermont student."

The Agency will provide targeted technical assistance and coaching focused on evidence-based strategies, effective use of resources, and continuous improvement practices. Additionally, Supervisory Unions/Districts with identified schools will receive funding to support student success.

Under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), state accountability systems must incorporate multiple measures of school performance. In Vermont, these measures include academic achievement, graduation rates, progress of English learners, and an indicator of school quality or student success which is referred to as college and career readiness. Together, these indicators are used to calculate progress toward Vermont's goals.

Accountability ratings also help to identify schools most in need of additional support. ESSA requires states to designate schools for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) and Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI). Schools identified for comprehensive support are designated every three years and include schools where overall student performance is significantly below state expectations and continues to decline. Schools identified for targeted support are those with significant and persistent achievement gaps between one or more student groups and their peers. A school may be identified for both comprehensive and targeted support.

Across Vermont, student proficiency in English language arts (ELA), mathematics, and science remains well below the state's long-term goals under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ELA proficiency rates ranged from 46% to 61% across grades. In math, there was a notable decrease of 3 percentage points among 3rd graders. Overall, math proficiency rates remained lower than ELA, ranging from 33% to 48% across grades. In science, proficiency rates remained steady, ranging from 41% to 45% across grades. There also continues to be significant achievement gaps between students from historically marginalized backgrounds and their peers.

Fewer than 60% of seniors demonstrated proficiency on at least one college and career readiness (CCR) assessment, and only 46% of graduates enrolled in a postsecondary institution within 16 months of graduation, well below the state's 80% goal.

"These results are a clear signal that our current student outcomes are not where they need to be," said Vermont's Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Erin Davis. "To change the results downstream, we must look upstream - identifying the system-level challenges and supports needed in classrooms. It is our collective responsibility to confront these challenges head-on and ensure every Vermont student receives the high-quality education they deserve."

Accountability ratings also help identify schools that are exceeding expectations, which provides an opportunity to highlight best practices that can serve as a model for schools across Vermont. These schools are recognized in the State Report Card.

About the Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program

The Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program is administered annually in the spring to students in grades 3 through 9 in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics; and to students in grades 5, 8, and 11 in science. The ELA and mathematics assessments are designed to measure students' mastery of the Common Core State Standards. The science assessments are designed to measure students' mastery of the Next Generation Science Standards.

The ELA assessments focus on reading skills related to the comprehension and analysis of texts, the analysis of pieces of writing and knowledge of standard language conventions, listening skills, and the production of writing while using standard language conventions. The mathematics assessments focus on applying skills and concepts and understanding multi-step problems that require abstract reasoning and modeling real-world problems, precision, perseverance, and strategic use of tools. The science assessments focus on important disciplinary core ideas, scientific and engineering practices (e.g., asking questions, developing and using models), and crosscutting concepts (e.g., patterns, cause and effect, stability and change) that apply across scientific disciplines.

About the Annual Snapshot

The Annual Snapshot is an online tool designed to offer valuable quantitative insights into school performance while fostering equitable education for all students. The Annual Snapshot's primary mission is to support schools and encourage collaboration within communities to enhance educational outcomes. This comprehensive tool evaluates key aspects of education, including preparing students for career and college readiness, promoting authentic student engagement and personalized learning, ensuring safe and supportive environments, employing qualified educators and delivering quality experiences. By providing a holistic view of school performance, the Annual Snapshot empowers communities to work together to create the best possible educational environment for students across Vermont. For more information, please visit schoolsnapshot.vermont.gov.