Regional Trends
Regional Trends
Urban Core Trends
Urban Core Trends
Supply the Region with an Educated, Skilled, and |
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Percent of Students Scoring Proficient or Above on MCAS Third Grade English Language (Reading) Test
Description:
The percent of students scoring proficient or above on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) English Language test includes all students scoring “Proficient” or “Above Proficient,” and was calculated by dividing the percent of students who received these scores on the test by the total number of students in the region who took the test. Between 2009 and 2010 the Pioneer Valley saw a 3.7% increase (from 52.4% to 56.1%) in the number of students who scored proficient or above on the MCAS third grade English language test. Of the three counties, Hampshire County experienced the largest increase (7.2%), while Hampden County and Franklin County increased by 2.8% and 2.9%, respectively.
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Indicator Trend
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Percent of Students Passing the MCAS Tenth Grade Math Test
Description:
The percent of students passing the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) math test was calculated by dividing the percent of students who passed the test by the total number of students in the region who took the test. Overall, between 2009 and 2010, the Pioneer Valley saw a 0.5% increase (from 87.4% to 87.9%) in the number of students who passed the MCAS math test. Hampden and Franklin counties both also experienced slight increases (0.7% and 0.3% respectively), while Hampshire County had a decrease of 0.2% students passing the MCAS tenth grade math test.
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Indicator Trend
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Percent of Students Passing the MCAS Tenth Grade English Test
Description:
The percent of students passing the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tenth grade English test was calculated by dividing the percent of students who passed the test by the total number of students in the region who took the test. Overall, between 2009 and 2010, the Pioneer Valley saw a slight increase of 0.5% (from 93.5% to 94.0%) in the number of students who passed the MCAS English test. Hampden and Hampshire counties both saw slight increases (0.5% and 0.6% respectively), while Franklin County’s proportion of students passing the MCAS math test decreased by 1.0 percent.
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Indicator Trend
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Dropout Rate of High School Students
Description:
Drop out rates are the percentage of all 9th through 12th grade students who drop out of high school in a single year (the annual drop out rate). The Pioneer Valley saw a decreased drop out rate between 2008 and 2009; from 4.9 to 3.9 percent.
All three counties had decreases in dropout rate. Hampden County decreased by 1.1%, Hampshire County decreased 0.9%, and Franklin County decreased 0.1 percent.
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Indicator Trend
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Educational Attainment of the Workforce 25 or Older as Measured by the Percentage of High School Graduates
Description:
Educational attainment is calculated by determining the percentage of high school graduates above the age of 25 who have a high school diploma, including those who have attained more advanced degrees (Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Graduate, or Professional). Between 2008 and 2009, the percentage of the Pioneer Valley workforce who were high school graduates decreased from 86.7% to 85.7% for a 1.0% change, though both measures were greater than the rate in 2000 (82.7 percent). Hampden County had a decrease of 1.2%, Hampshire County had a decrease of 1.1%, and Franklin County had an increase of 1.4 percent.
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Indicator Trend
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Educational Attainment of the Workforce 25 or Older as Measured by the Percentage of College Graduates
Description:
Educational attainment is calculated by determining the percentage of the population above the age of 25 who have at least an Associate’s degree, including those who have attained more advanced degrees (Bachelor’s, Graduate or Professional). Between 2008 and 2009, the percentage of the Pioneer Valley workforce who were college graduates decreased from 28.5% to 27.4% representing a 1.1% change, though both measures were greater than the rate in 2000 (25.5 percent). This decreased educational attainment was a trend that held true for Hampden County and Hampshire County, which had decreases of 1.1% and 4.2% respectively. However, Franklin County saw an increase of 4.2 percent.
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Indicator Trend
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The Percent of Older Workers (55 to 75 years old) Who Remain Engaged in the Workforce
Description:
The percent of older workers who remain engaged in the workforce is calculated by dividing the number of people between the ages 55 to 75 years old who are in the labor force by the total number of people between the ages of 55 to 75 years old. Between 2008 and 2009, the percent of older workers who remain engaged in the workforce in the Pioneer Valley decreased from 55.6 to 52.5 percent. Franklin County experienced an increase of 3.4%, while Hampden County and Hampshire County experienced decreases of 3.7% and 4.9 % respectively.
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Indicator Trend
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The Median Age of the Region's Workforce Encompassing Ages 16 to 64
Description:
The median age of the regions workforce is the middle age of all people engaged in the labor force between the ages of 16-64 years old. In the Pioneer Valley, the median age of the workforce increased by 4.1% between 2008 and 2009, from 39.4 to 41 years old. Trends followed consistent patterns in the three counties. Each county’s median worker age increased. Hampden County had a 2.5 % increase in median worker age, while Hampshire and Franklin Counties saw 8.2% and 5.4% increases respectively.
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Indicator Trend
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Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC)
60 Congress Street • Springfield, MA 01104-3419 www.pvpc.org
For more information on the State of the Region and Plan for Progress Performance Indicators,
contact the PVPC's
Regional Information & Policy Center at (413) 781-6045