This dataset contains student responses to each item on the Views of Climate and Learning (VOCAL) survey since 2018. These responses are aggregated at the state level by grade and student group to protect student privacy.

The VOCAL survey is designed to provide information on student perceptions of school climate. There are two reports with different types of data: responses to individual items and aggregate index scaled scores that combine item responses. For more information about the VOCAL survey, please visit the VOCAL home page.

This dataset is one of two containing the same data that is also published in the VOCAL state dashboard:
VOCAL Index Scaled Scores and Favorability
VOCAL Item Response Scores

Engagement - Cultural Competence

• ENGCLC1: Adults working at this school treat all students respectfully, regardless of a student's race, culture, family income, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.
• ENGCLC2: Teachers at this school accept me for who I am.
• ENGCLC3: My textbooks or class materials include people and examples that reflect my race, cultural background and/or identity.
• ENGCLC4: Within school, I am encouraged to take upper level courses (honors, AP).
• ENGCLC5: Students from different backgrounds respect each other in our school, regardless of their race, culture, family income, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.
• ENGCLC6: Students like to have friends who are different from themselves (for example, boys and girls, rich and poor, or classmates of different color).
• ENGCLC7: Students are open to having friends who come from different backgrounds (for example, friends from different races, cultures, family incomes, or religions, or friends of a different sex, or sexual orientation).
• ENGCLC8: I read books in class that include people who are similar to me (for example, we look the same, speak the same, or live in similar neighborhoods).
• ENGCLC9: Adults working at this school treat all students with respect.
• ENGCLC10: In my academic classes, I work with groups of students who are from different backgrounds (for example, students from different races, cultures, family incomes, or religions, or students of a different sex or sexual orientation).

Engagement - Participation

• ENGPAR1: I get the chance to take part in school events (for example, science fairs, art or music shows).
• ENGPAR2: My parents feel respected when they participate at our school (e.g., at parent-teacher conferences, open houses).
• ENGPAR3: I feel welcome to participate in extra-curricular activities offered through my school, such as, school clubs or organizations, musical groups, sports teams, student council, or any other extra-curricular activities.
• ENGPAR4: My teachers use my ideas to help my classmates learn.
• ENGPAR5: I have a choice in how I show my learning (e.g., write a paper, prepare a presentation, make a video).
• ENGPAR6: My teachers will explain things in different ways until I understand.
• ENGPAR7: When I need help, my teachers use my interests to help me learn.
• ENGPAR8: My teachers ask me to share what I have learned in a lesson.
• ENGPAR9: When I am stuck, my teachers want me to try again before they help me

This report shows the number and rate of Massachusetts public school students in grades 11 and 12 who completed advanced coursework since 2018.

Advanced coursework includes the following: Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Project Lead the Way, dual enrollment courses, Chapter 74-approved vocational/technical secondary cooperative education programs, and other selected rigorous courses. For a full list of advanced coursework, please see the List of Advanced Courses for Accountability Reporting on the Accountability Lists, Materials, and Tools website.

Economically Disadvantaged was used 2015-2021. Low Income was used prior to 2015, and a different version of Low Income has been used since 2022. Please see the DESE Researcher's Guide for more information.

This dataset contains the same data that is also published on our DESE Profiles site:
Advanced Course Completion Report

Massachusetts offers a variety of pathways and programs to ensure students graduate college and career ready. These include Career Technical Education (CTE) programs, Early College, and Innovation Pathways. For more information about these pathways and programs, visit the Office of College, Career, and Technical Education website.

This dataset contains student enrollment data for all public and charter schools and districts since 2022. It is a wide file with three groups of columns representing the following enrollment indicators:

• Number of students in CTE programs, Early College, and Innovation Pathways by grade, including grades 9-12 and special education beyond grade 12 (SP)
• Percent of students in CTE programs, Early College, and Innovation Pathways by race and gender
• Number and percent of students in CTE programs, Early College, and Innovation Pathways in student groups: First Language Not English, English Learners, Students with Disabilities, High Needs, Low Income, and Economically Disadvantaged

Economically Disadvantaged was used 2015-2021. Low Income was used prior to 2015, and a different version of Low Income has been used since 2022. Please see the DESE Researcher's Guide for more information.

After Dark Chapter 74 enrollment is a subset of Chapter 74 Program enrollment. Also, in 2022, some districts reported enrollment in additional Innovation Pathway sectors. This report includes only the five designated sectors.

This dataset contains the same data that is also published on our DESE Profiles site:
Pathways/Programs Enrollment by Grade
Pathways/Programs Enrollment by Race/Gender
Pathways/Programs Enrollment by Selected Population

Pathways

• After Dark
• Career Connections (Non-Chapter 74 Programs)
• Career Technical Education (Chapter 74 Programs)
• Early College
• Innovation Career Pathways

After Dark

• Advanced Manufacturing Technology
• Automotive Collision Repair & Refinishing
• Automotive Technology
• Carpentry
• Construction Craft Laborer
• Cosmetology
• Design & Visual Communications
• Electricity
• Exploratory
• Health Assisting
• Heating - Ventilation - Air Conditioning - Refrigeration
• Horticulture
• Information Support Services & Networking
• Metal Fabrication & Joining Technologies
• Plumbing

Career Connections (Non-Chapter 74 Programs)

• Airplane Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician
• Automotive Collision Repair & Refinishing
• Automotive Technology
• Biotechnology
• Building/Property Maintenance
• Business Technology
• Cabinetmaking
• Carpentry
• Construction Craft Laborer
• Criminal Justice
• Culinary Arts
• Design & Visual Communications
• Drafting
• Early Education and Care
• Engineering Technology
• Environmental Science & Technology
• Exploratory
• Family & Consumer Studies (formerly vocational home economics)
• Fashion Technology
• Graphic Communications
• Health Assisting
• Heating - Ventilation - Air Conditioning - Refrigeration
• Hospitality Management
• Information Support Services & Networking
• Marketing/Finan

This dataset contains state-level index scores and their favorability distributions from the Views of Climate and Learning (VOCAL) survey since 2018. These scores are composite measures that summarize student responses across several content-related items.

The VOCAL survey is designed to provide information on student perceptions of school climate. There are two reports with different types of data: responses to individual items and aggregate index scaled scores that combine item responses. For more information about the VOCAL survey, please visit the VOCAL home page.

Favorability data and average topic scores are reported at the state level, and are not disaggregated by student group.

This dataset is one of two containing the same data that is also published in the VOCAL state dashboard:
VOCAL Index Scaled Scores and Favorability
VOCAL Item Response Scores

List of Indices

• Overall School Climate
• Engagement Dimension
  • Participation Topic (state-level)
• Safety Dimension
  • Bullying Topic (state-level)
• Environment Dimension
  • Instructional Environment Topic (state-level)

This report includes indicators that reflect attendance data for students in Massachusetts public schools since 2018. Because the information collected has changed over time, not all indicators are available across all years.

Attendance indicators are calculated for students enrolled in grades PK-12 with at least 20 days in membership. For more information, please view the Profiles Help - About the Data page.

Massachusetts defines chronically absent as missing at least 10 percent of days enrolled (for instance, 18 days absent if enrolled for a typical school year of 180 days), regardless of the reason for the absence. Being chronically absent can have a significant impact on a student's academic progress and their ability to access the variety of academic and non-academic supports that schools provide.

Chronic absenteeism grew during the COVID-19 pandemic and, as of the 2022-23 school year, had not returned to pre-pandemic rates. For more information about chronic absence, visit the Chronic Absence and Student Attendance page.

Economically Disadvantaged was used 2015-2021. Low Income was used prior to 2015, and a different version of Low Income has been used since 2022. Please see the DESE Researcher's Guide for more information.

This dataset contains the same data that is also published on our DESE Profiles site:
Student Attendance Report

This dataset provides the number and percentage Massachusetts public high school students who dropped out of high school since 2008. It also includes the percentage of dropouts by grade.

Dropout rate is calculated as the percentage of students in a given grade who dropped out of school between July 1 and June 30 prior to the listed year and who did not return to school by the following October 1. Dropouts are defined as students who leave school prior to graduation for reasons other than transfer to another school. Dropout rates are not reported for any student group where the number of students is less than 6.

Economically Disadvantaged was used 2015-2021. Low Income was used prior to 2015, and a different version of Low Income has been used since 2022. Please see the DESE Researcher's Guide for more information.

This dataset contains the same data that is also published on our DESE Profiles site:
Dropout Report

This dataset contains the number and percentage of Massachusetts public school students completing at least one arts course in grades K-12 since 2018. Arts courses are reported in the Student Course Schedule (SCS) system and align with the Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework. For a full list of courses and subjects, see the Arts Course List.

Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, the arts course list was updated the "Media Arts" category. In addition, a number of arts courses were reclassified from the "General Arts" category to "Visual Arts" to more closely align to the industry standard. Since 2022, courses are no longer assigned to the "General" category.

Economically Disadvantaged was used 2015-2021. Low Income was used prior to 2015, and a different version of Low Income has been used since 2022. Please see the DESE Researcher's Guide for more information.

This dataset contains the same data that is also published on our DESE Profiles site:
Arts Coursetaking Report

This dataset displays the number or percentage of students in Massachusetts public and charter schools and districts completing at least one Digital Literacy or Computer Science course in grades K-12.

For a full list of courses and subjects, see the Digital Literacy and Computer Science course list. For course descriptions please see EPIMS Appendices G1 and G2.

This dataset contains the same data that is also published on our DESE Profiles site:
Enrollment by Grade

This dataset shows the percentage of students who graduated from Massachusetts public schools with a regular high school diploma within 4 or 5 years. It is a long file that contains multiple rows for each school and district, with rows for different years and different student groups.

Note: Data is currently available at the school level only, as well as the state overall. For district-level graduation rates, please see the Graduation Rates report on our DESE Profiles site.

For more data about student experiences and outcomes in high school and beyond, please see the main DART: Success After High School dataset and dashboard.

This dataset provides the average earnings by student group per district.

Wage records are obtained from the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) using a secure, anonymized matching process with limitations. For details on the process and suppression rules, please visit the Employment and Earnings of High School Graduates dashboard.

This dataset is one of three containing the same data that is also published in the Employment and Earnings of High School Graduates dashboard:
Average Earnings by Student Group
Average Earnings by Industry
College and Career Outcomes