The state's standards were developed by teachers, professors in the field, business people, parents and students, with wide public participation in forums around the state and with involvement of teachers in each discipline. They are intended to guide local standards and curriculum development. Recently, a state Supreme Court decision which found the state's educational funding unconstitutional has led the legislature to rethink the state's education programs, including the provision of equal opportunity to learn and the use of standards. Vermont's assessments are voluntary for districts through this year, but next year will become mandatory for public schools and for private schools that receive state funding. To obtain state data, the state re-scores samples from each school in each subject in alternating years.
Districts score a sample in each subject annually to obtain district and school scores.
Students have the final say about what goes into their portfolios, but use the state content requirements, the scoring guides, and teacher advice in their selections. Half the schools in a statewide survey reported using the portfolios across the grades, not just in the grades in which the state collects data. The SEA reports that the NS exams are aligned with the state's standards because Vermont participated in developing NS standards, and the NS and state standards were developed together. With a contractor, the state is developing a science exam, for grades 6 and 11. It was piloted in 1996 and will be introduced in spring 1998.