As outlined in the Education Quality Standards, each supervisory union board shall ensure that the written and delivered curriculum within their supervisory union is aligned with the standards approved by the State Board of Education. Each school shall enable students to engage annually in rigorous, relevant and comprehensive learning opportunities that allow them to demonstrate proficiency in English Language Arts (Literacy), Mathematics, Science, Global Citizenship, Physical Education and Health Education, Artistic Expression, Financial Literacy, and Transferable Skills. Each content area is linked to designated webpages that include Vermont State Board of Education adopted standards and required state assessments if applicable.
Content Areas
Vermont State Board Adopted Standards
Vermont has adopted a variety of standards including the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English and Mathematics, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the SHAPE America Physical Education Standards, the National Health Education Standards, the College, Career and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards, the National Core Arts Standards (NCAS), and Jump$tart Standards in K-12 Personal Finance Education. Content standards can be found under the individual content area webpages that are listed on the side bar of this web page. The Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities (2000), which were was created in conjunction with Grade Expectations, to improved student learning in 2000, have has been mostly phased out and replaced by more current standards that are national in scope. The Grade Expectations that are still relevant for Vermont are Family Consumer Sciences.
State Assessments
The Agency of Education coordinates the implementation and administration of all components of the Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program (VTCAP). The Agency also identifies, analyzes, and reports on outcomes and data measured by the VTCAP. The Vermont CAP evaluates student performance in the state's schools based on Common Core State Standards (CCSS), Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), CCSS Essential Elements and English Language Proficiency Standards with the goal of improving teaching and learning for all students.
Vermont’s ESSA State Plan includes Physical Education as an additional academic content area to be assessed. In the Education Quality Standards, Vermont has articulated a commitment to education and evaluation that supports the whole child, knowing that healthier students perform better in every aspect of school. The Vermont Agency of Education has developed the Vermont Physical Education Assessment (VTPEA) as a measure of health-related fitness. It includes FitnessGram, the Brockport Physical Fitness test, and an Individualized Fitness Assessment which provides access to students with all abilities.
These assessments serve three major purposes and enable the Agency to:
- identify schools in need of comprehensive support;
- provide data for schools to use to evaluate and improve their programs; and
- make information regarding school quality available to parents and community members.
