The Sharon Academy

Every year, the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) collects data on the state’s high school seniors. The data collected focuses primarily on students’ post-high school plans. The most recent survey shows that Vermont students are increasingly drawn towards higher education. The Vermont high school class of 2008 had a postsecondary education aspiration rate of 76.3 percent — the highest rate in the nearly 30 years. The “aspiration rate” indicates how many students intend to pursue education within six months of graduation. While the rate was only two-tenths of a percent higher than that of 2007, it was almost four percentage points higher than the rate 10 years ago.

Here are some points to note about this survey and the responses of our graduates.

* Twenty-three of the twenty-nine students were present the day the survey was administered. It therefore does not have data for the entire senior class.
* The Sharon Academy “aspiration rate” may be misleading, as it only includes the students who intend to pursue college within six months of graduation, which would mean by December 2008. The Sharon Academy’s seniors had an aspiration rate of 78.3% (18 students). However, the remaining 11.7% of students (five students) indicated that they intended to pursue a college education beginning in 2009. (See page 8 of the report.)
* Of the 23 students, one intends to pursue a two-year degree, and the remaining 22 intend to pursue at least a four-year degree, if not a graduate degree.
* We strive to be a place where students feel respected. Therefore we are proud to note that 95.7% of the surveyed students strongly agreed that teachers respect them here (versus 18.9% state-wide).
* The value we place on independent thinking and problem solving is reflected in the 34.8% who agree and the 60.9% who strongly agree that there are opportunities for that here (versus 38.3% and 13.4% respectively, state-wide).
* Of the 17 students intending to pursue education within six months of graduation: three (3) are in a science or technology field; five (5) are in a humanities or social science field; four (4) are in the performing arts; one (1) in health care; one (1) in business; and four (4) are undecided.
* The strong majority of college-bound TSA students intend to go to college out of state (76.5%). Statewide, that number is 52.4%.

VSAC School Highlights

VSAC Survey 2008 for The Sharon Academy