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Percent of Students Scoring Proficient or Above on MCAS Third Grade English Language (Reading) Test

Description:

The percent of third grade 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.  Overall, 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 English language test. 

Proficient scores were not as prevalent in the urban core, although the trends were also positive, increasing from 33.7% to 37.5 percent. Both Holyoke and Springfield showed positive change (increases of 5.1% and 3.0% respectively) while Chicopee had the largest increase, with an significant 15.3 percent.

Data Source:  Massachusetts Department of Education

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating 3.8%

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Percent of Students Passing the MCAS Tenth Grade Math Test

Description:

The percent of tenth grade 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 little change in this area, experiencing a 0.5% increase (from 87.4% to 87.9%) in the number of students who passed the MCAS math test. 

The proportion of students passing the math test in the urban core was more than 15% lower than the Pioneer Valley as a whole at 72.3% in 2010. Trends were relatively stable with a minor decrease of 0.4% between 2009 and 2010. Trends varied drastically in the urban areas surveyed, Holyoke had a significant positive change (6.3%), while Springfield experienced a 2.2% decrease in passing rates.

Data Source: Massachusetts Department of Education (Chicopee not included in Urban Core for this measure)

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating -0.4%

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Percent of Students Passing the MCAS Tenth Grade English Test

Description:

The percent of tenth grade students passing the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) 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 (from 93.5% to 94.0%) in the number of students who passed the MCAS English test. 

Passing rates were noticeably lower in the urban core. In 2010, students passed at a rate of more than 7% lower than the Pioneer Valley as a whole. The trend rate was similar to the region, with an increase of 0.9% from 2009 to 2010. Of the urban areas included, Holyoke experienced a 4.3% increase in scores, while Springfield’s passing rate remained the same as the previous year.

Data Source: Massachusetts Department of Education (Chicopee not included in Urban Core for this measure)

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating 0.9%

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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. 

In the urban core, dropout rates were higher than the Pioneer Valley in significantly larger proportions. Schools in the urban core in 2009 had a dropout rate of 8.1%, more than double the rate of the Pioneer Valley as a whole. Trends were positive however, with a decrease of 1.9 percent from 2008 to 2009. Trends in Holyoke and Springfield were similar, with decreases in dropout rates of 1.6% and 2.2%, respectively.

Data Source: Massachusetts Department of Education (Chicopee not included in Urban Core for this measure)

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating -1.9%

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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 86.3% to 86.0% respectively, for a 0.3% change. 

In 2008 the urban core had a proportion of high school graduates that was more than 9% lower than the Pioneer Valley. Although the proportion of high school graduates decreased between 2008 and 2009 for both the Urban Core and the Pioneer Valley, the gap in attainment between the urban core and the region has increased to more than 10 percent. Holyoke’s high school attainment rates decreased by 3.7%, and Springfield had a decrease of 0.3 percent.

Data Source: United States Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2006-8 and 2007-09 Three-Year Estimates (Chicopee not included in Urban Core for this measure.)

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating -1.1%

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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 28.6% to 27.7% representing a 0.9% change. 

Data Source: United States Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2006-8 and 2007-09 Three-Year Estimates (Chicopee not included in Urban Core for this measure.)

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating -0.8%

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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 U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the percent of older workers who remain engaged in the workforce in the Pioneer Valley increased from 53.2% to 58.0 percent. 

Trends in the urban core were similar to those of the region, with a 6.3% increase in the number of older workers in the labor force.  Another difference was that the proportion of older workers was also less in the urban core when compared with the region (36.7% in 2008 and 37.6% in 2009). Trends varied in the two urban areas, Holyoke experienced a slight decrease (1.0%) and Springfield experienced a significant increase of 8.4% in older workers in the labor force.

Data Source: United States Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2006-8 and 2007-09 Three-Year Estimates (Chicopee not included in Urban Core for this measure.)

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating 6.3%

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The Median Age of the Region's Workforce Encompassing Ages 16 to 64

Description:

The median age of the region’s 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 3.8% between 2008 and 2009. 

The median age in the urban core areas increased more than that of the region.  From 2008 to 2009, there was an increase of 2.5 percent. The median age in Holyoke and Springfield was 38.7 (a 1.3% increase) and 37.3 (a 2.8% increase), respectively.

Data Source: United States Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2006-8 and 2007-09 Three-Year Estimates (Chicopee not included in Urban Core for this measure.)

Indicator Trend Percent Change Rating 2.5%

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