A comprehensive study by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) has revealed a significant decline in the educational aspirations of Vermont’s high school seniors, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, focusing on the Class of 2022, indicates a noticeable shift in post-high school plans, with a trend towards diminished interest in pursuing further education or training.
The research, which compares data from the Classes of 2022, 2018, and 2012, shows that only 70 percent of the Class of 2022 plan to continue their education after high school, a decrease from the roughly 75 percent in previous years. This change is understood to be a direct consequence of the pandemic’s disruption on educational norms and future planning.
A more alarming trend noted in the study is the widening gap in educational aspirations based on gender and parental educational attainment. The report highlights a 24-percentage point difference in aspiration rates between first-generation high school seniors (those whose parents did not attain a four-year degree) and their second-generation counterparts (those with at least one parent who attained a four-year degree). This gap, the widest in the past decade, suggests increasing inequality in educational ambitions.
The survey also found a significant drop in educational aspirations among first-generation male students, the group with the lowest rate of aspiration. This subgroup showed a drastic decline from 58 percent in 2018 to 45 percent in 2022.
Additionally, the study reveals a decline in parental encouragement for further education. The percentage of students reporting their parents’ desire for them to continue education fell from 60 percent in 2018 to 51 percent in 2022. This decline is significant across various demographics, indicating a shift in parental perspectives on post-secondary education.
The full Research Brief of the Vermont High School Class of 2022 is available on the VSAC website.
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Covid just bared the inherent weakness of the VT educational system.
It is not the root cause of the failure.
The current status of Johnnie/ Jane / they not being able to read , write or do arithmetic is that the AFT has inflicted itself into thinking that they solely are the educational system and not the caretakers of imparting knowledge into our children’s minds. Their only solution is self serving- dump more money into the failed system with sadly predictable end results .
When you have no standards of accountability you get no accountability as your planned end result. In that regard, they have been wildly successful.
Bingo!
This is a study by the folks who fund the post-secondary education establishment. The proverbial fox guarding the chicken coop. As the performance of students continues to decline to dystopian levels, calls to change the system continue to increase. Blaming the pandemic for poor performance is the continued misdirection away from the underlying cause of this indifference and lethargy. Yes, the pandemic exacerbated this change in behavior. But it isn’t the cause. The pandemic enhanced the cause.
Everyone needs to consider the precepts of Self Determination Theory, the contradiction of the common belief that the best way to get human beings to perform tasks is to reinforce their behavior with Pavlovian rewards.
“Perhaps no single phenomenon reflects the positive potential of human nature as much as intrinsic motivation, the inherent tendency to seek out novelty and challenges, to extend and exercise one’s capacities, to explore, and to learn.”
“….the more students were externally regulated the less they showed interest, value, and effort toward achievement and the more they tended to disown responsibility for negative outcomes, blaming others such as the teacher.”
“Recent research has indicated that self-determined students were more likely to have achieved more positive adult outcomes, including being employed at a higher rate and earning more per hour than peers who did not possess these skills” (Wehmeyer & Schwartz, 1997).
Parents having the opportunity to choose the education programs they believe best meet the needs of their children not only improves financial efficiency of education services (lowering taxes), and improves student academic performance, the mere option of being able to choose one’s personal interests, significantly improves individual motivation… for parents, their children, and, just as importantly, their teachers.
What smart, white young man would want to go into tens of thousands in debt, just to be nagged, shamed and run through constant race & gender-communist struggle sessions? And that’s if the DIE Admissions folx even let him in. Learn a trade, run your own business, no HR shrews to backstab you, and you can retire early without all that student loan debt. You’re actually financially better off. You can read Plato on your own. They don’t teach those dead old white men in colleges anymore anyway.
scam demic////// you have to except the truth/////
I don’t think that a decrease in interest in going to college is a problem at all provided the students still plan to pursue some sort of training after high school. This could be in the military, an apprenticeship program etc. No training after HS would relegate most to jobs at fast food restaurants, convenience stores etc. I think college has become very overrated and unaffordable. And horribly woke and leftist. And sadly VT, unlike many other states, doesn’t have good trades programs in our community colleges. So the most affordable option would just provide coursework in academics that would enable a transfer to a 4-year college as opposed to graduating with skills in plumbing, electrical, welding, HVAC, nursing etc as can be found in other states.
“Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives – choice, not chance, determines your destiny.”
― Aristotle
One of my favorite quotes… “The harder I work, the luckier I get!”
Can’t blame the virus…blame the VTNEA teachers union which owns the VT Democrat party, for demanding a “3-year paid vacation” for it’s members.
Has anyone looked closely at the “study”? In my profession, papers/studies/experiments that are published are typically critically reviewed and the flaws are made apparent if the authors have not already done so in the body of their work. I will not go into detail of how scientific critical reviews are performed and sadly when you do an internet search for “critical review of scientific literature” or some semblance of that phrase, you get very recent articles which do not cover the principles I was educated to, back in the late 80’s/early 90’s. However, I would like to point out some things and would be curious if someone has a different viewpoint or has read the study. I will only be looking at this article above. The education system is out of my wheelhouse.
The unknown author states: “This change is understood to be a direct consequence of the pandemic’s disruption on educational norms and future planning.” By what measure/metric/marker was this conclusion made? By “dates” is not enough correlation to make a conclusion however obvious it may appear. This is an assumption. It may be true. But for the author to state this, if not made apparent in the study, is folly. What other reasons might there be for this change? How were those identified and examined?
Another example is this sentence, “The percentage of students reporting their parents’ desire for them to continue education fell from 60 percent in 2018 to 51 percent in 2022.” Did the study look at all cause potential? Like cost, for instance? Or the massive change in direction all secondary education has made? Might that be a reason? Again, I did not look at the study.
I just find that so many readers today do not ask the questions that are obvious to me but may not be apparent to them and thought it might be helpful to point this out. Following the funding is very telling as well. But a lot of folks already get this idea. Looking at the pool of participants, the author states “the class of 2022” but doesn’t mention where the pool of participants are located, what percentage of respondents as opposed to numbers of students where looked at. Again, I did not take the time to look at the study.
The point is, the author makes a significant assumptions and conclusions and may not be supported by data or evaluation. And the average reader will not pick up on these glaring omissions and possibly incorrect assumptions.
I may be way off the mark here but thought it a good teachable moment if you will pardon the phrase.
Respectfully,
Pam Baker
I believe the all encompassing default excuse for incompetenence, policy failures, and misdirected money will be the greatest psyop of all time, COVID-19. Many have not come to terms with all the damage done and yet to be seen. All the Truth will be revealed and it will be free will to accept it or not. In the meantime, the paid for science will continue committing fraud, warping minds with lies, killing people, and pretending it’s all just the “new normal.” Woe onto those who committed and captitulated these crimes against humanity – particularly against children and elders. The day of judgment approaches for all of them. Declared and decreed.