The Vermont Agency of Education released the preliminary 2023-24 Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program (CEAP) results on Friday, Sept. 27. The assessment is administered annually in the spring to students in grades 3-9, and 11. The assessment measures students’ mastery of the Common Core State Standards in English language arts (ELA), mathematics, and the Next Generation Science Standards.
The 2023-24 school year was the second year that Vermont schools administered the Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program. Now, with two years of data, Vermont can start comparing yearly trends again, something that hasn’t been done since before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are excited to leverage this data as a new tool to measure change and equity in the coming years,” said Director of Assessment and Accountability Danielle Dupuis. “The smooth administration of the assessment in its second year is a testament to the hard work of our educators, and we thank them for their dedication.”
Average proficiency percents remained steady compared to the previous year, with the highest in English languages arts (45%-58%), followed by science (41%-46%), and then math (30%-47%). Results continue to show significant gaps between students from historically marginalized backgrounds and their peers. These results are preliminary and final results will be made available in the winter.
“Through the Agency’s Listen and Learn Tour, we’ve heard the call for earlier reporting of state assessment results,” said Interim Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders. “The Agency is committed to accelerating this process to ensure schools and school boards have the data they need to support timely decision making. At the same time, we will continue focusing on improving student outcomes in reading, math, and science. Our educators are dedicated to promoting academic achievement, and the agency remains an active partner. We recognize that our work isn’t done until we ensure that every student has an equal opportunity to succeed.”
Assessment results
The data release was the preliminary statewide results. Final statewide results will be released in early winter and are not expected to differ substantially from the results presented below. In addition, school and district level results will remain private until all student information can be validated. These results will also be made public in early winter, according to the Agency of Education.
Equity comparisons
The data shows a comparison between students from historically marginalized backgrounds (HM) and students not from HM backgrounds. The HM group includes students from racial and ethnic minorities, students living in poverty, students on IEPs, English learners and migrant students, those experiencing homelessness or living in foster care, and students from military-affiliated families. The not HM group includes all other students.
Large achievement gaps are evident, with differences in average percent proficient between the two groups ranging from 25% to 35% depending on grade and subject. Specifically, average percent proficient for students from HM backgrounds range from 19% to 43%, while the same percents range from 47% to 76% for students not from HM backgrounds.
