The Education Quality Standards, or EQS, describe what a high-quality education should look like for students attending Vermont’s public schools. The Rules are an update to 1997’s School Quality Standards, and were approved by the Vermont State Board of Education in 2013, going into effect on April 5, 2014.
EQS requirements have resulted in the creation or continuation of multiple prominent AOE-led education initiatives, including:
• Proficiency-based graduation requirements
• An expansion of Vermont’s required Curriculum Content Areas and Transferable Skills
• Vermont Multi-tiered System of Supports (VTmtss)
• Local-level Continuous Improvement Plans
• Local Comprehensive Assessment Systems
• Flexible Pathways (originally mandated in Act 77)
• Personalized Learning Plans (originally mandated in Act 77)