Manchester Proud has reviewed a number of local and state reports and other data sources to better understand the opportunities and challenges within the Manchester School District. Some of the most detailed resources are below.

Community Engagement Research

In order to authentically create community-driven plan to transform our schools, it was imperative to begin with a broad range of Manchester stakeholders — students, families, community members, educators, business leaders, and more, from those who opt out of Manchester School District to those who have no school-age children to those who have multiple Manchester public school students. Reaching Higher NH led a robust community engagement effort over ten months that included neighborhood canvassing in all 12 city wards, a community-wide survey, interviews with all 22 principals, and in-depth community and school-based listening sessions, totaling 2,053 participants.

The findings from that community engagement work are in the reports below:

The Manchester School District and student achievement

Reaching Higher New Hampshire compiled an in-depth profile of Manchester, its school district, and its students in June 2018. The report includes a detailed look at community, student, and school district demographics, student achievement, immigration, class sizes, educator salaries, student discipline, school district finances, the 2013 curriculum audit findings, and current initiatives.

Educational experience of students with disabilities in Manchester schools

The DOE’s profile and “report card” looks at general and special education indicators. The “IDEA Report” focuses on indicators for students with disabilities, including level of parental involvement, dropout and graduation rates, and the percentage of students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) enrolled in higher education within one year of leaving high school. The site allows you to search for individual schools

Closing opportunity gaps for underserved students in Manchester

The Manchester School District’s Equity Education Initiative is working to ensure all students – especially underserved learners – have equitable access to opportunities for a high-level education.Their work is ongoing, but you can find their school district research in their April 2019 presentation to the Board of School Committee. 

Educational disparities linked to leveling

In 2019, the Board of School Committee voted to begin the process of eliminating academic leveling or tracking, where students are separated into different classes based on past performance. In his leveling presentation to the board, then Superintendent Dr. Bolden Vargas told board members that leveling leads to students being stratified by race and social class. 

Assessment of curriculum and instruction in the Manchester School District

The Phi Kappa Delta 2013 Curriculum Audit of the Manchester School District includes 20 findings and 10 comprehensive recommendations. Auditors relied on documents, conducted interviews, and made site visits as part of their review. 

State of health outcomes and social and economic ratings in Manchester

The City Health Dashboard compares Manchester against other New England cities on a number of issues including high school graduation rates, school attendance, income inequality, neighborhood racial segregation, and health outcomes.

August 29, 2019