New Hampshire
U.S.
Rank
Score:
72%
Grade:
C
Rank:
#30
A layered system of school board and voter approval without independent authorizers often results in far more organized opponents having the last word in this tiny charter movement state.
Law passed: 1995
Most recently amended: 2018
Number of charter schools: 28
Number of charter students: 4,938
Cap on the number of schools allowed:? No
Virtual charters allowed? Yes
AUTHORIZERS: Charters may either apply to the school districts which also requires both state board approval and approval by voters in the district. Applicants can also apply directly to the state board, but with no local funding available. The state board authorizes the vast majority of schools here.
GROWTH: The tiny charter sector has grown modestly but growth is not encouraged. In 2019, lawmakers rejected a $46 million federal grant to grow charters in the state.
OPERATIONS: Charters receive a blanket waiver from most rules and regulations that apply to traditional district schools.
EQUITY: Law guarantees that charters receive at least 80 percent of the per-pupil funding that districts receive, but this doesn’t always happen in practice. Many charters receive significantly less funding than their district counterparts. Often, charters do not receive federal categorical funds they should because of unclear guidance on how those funds should be distributed. No per-pupil facilities funds.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#29
The granite state now has three choice initiatives in the state, thanks to a new ESA program passed in June 2021. In the 2020-2021 school year, the state’s tax-credit and voucher program together served 715 students total.
Law enacted: 2012 and 2017
Number of programs: 3
Statewide Participation: 715
Types of programs: Voucher, Tax Credit Scholarship, Education Savings Account
Tax-Credit Scholarship
Education Tax Credit Program
The New Hampshire Education Tax Credit Program, was enacted in 2012, allows businesses that donate to scholarship-granting non-profits with tax credits. Families who meet the income limits can receive scholarships towards private schooling, tutoring, online learning, classes at colleges or universities, and/or homeschooling expenses.
Voucher
Town Tuitioning Program
New Hampshire’s voucher program was launched 2017, and allows students in towns without public schools to use funds to attend any public or approved private, non-religious school in or outside of New Hampshire. There are no income limits or enrollment caps. The voucher cap is 100% of public school per-pupil funds.
Education Savings Account
Education Freedom Accounts Program
In June 2021 New Hampshire Legislature established the Education Freedom Accounts Program to expand the use of educational options outside of the traditional public school system. The program diverts state educational funding for eligible students choosing to leave traditional public schools to attend private, parochial, or charter schools, or homeschooling. Eligible students are those whose annual household income is less than or equal to 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines as updated annually. EFA’s will approximately range from $3,700– $9,000 per student and average about $4,600 per student in 2021-22. A University of New Hampshire study indicated that approximately 69,000 children will be eligible for the program, while sponsors of the bill estimate that only about 2 percent of these children will take advantage of the program.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#44
Strong elementary and secondary teacher preparation programs in place, but “does not have any policies in place that offer teachers additional compensation based on evidence of effectiveness.”
TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 69%
General Teacher Preparation 62%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 90%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 78%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 55%
Alternate Routes 60%
STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 74%
Hiring 85%
Retaining Effective Teachers 63%
TEACHER EVALUATION: 55%
TEACHER COMPENSATION: 62%
Score:
72%
Grade:
C
Rank:
#30
A layered system of school board and voter approval without independent authorizers often results in far more organized opponents having the last word in this tiny charter movement state.
Law passed: 1995
Most recently amended: 2018
Number of charter schools: 28
Number of charter students: 4,938
Cap on the number of schools allowed:? No
Virtual charters allowed? Yes
AUTHORIZERS: Charters may either apply to the school districts which also requires both state board approval and approval by voters in the district. Applicants can also apply directly to the state board, but with no local funding available. The state board authorizes the vast majority of schools here.
GROWTH: The tiny charter sector has grown modestly but growth is not encouraged. In 2019, lawmakers rejected a $46 million federal grant to grow charters in the state.
OPERATIONS: Charters receive a blanket waiver from most rules and regulations that apply to traditional district schools.
EQUITY: Law guarantees that charters receive at least 80 percent of the per-pupil funding that districts receive, but this doesn’t always happen in practice. Many charters receive significantly less funding than their district counterparts. Often, charters do not receive federal categorical funds they should because of unclear guidance on how those funds should be distributed. No per-pupil facilities funds.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#29
The granite state now has three choice initiatives in the state, thanks to a new ESA program passed in June 2021. In the 2020-2021 school year, the state’s tax-credit and voucher program together served 715 students total.
Law enacted: 2012 and 2017
Number of programs: 3
Statewide Participation: 715
Types of programs: Voucher, Tax Credit Scholarship, Education Savings Account
Tax-Credit Scholarship
Education Tax Credit Program
The New Hampshire Education Tax Credit Program, was enacted in 2012, allows businesses that donate to scholarship-granting non-profits with tax credits. Families who meet the income limits can receive scholarships towards private schooling, tutoring, online learning, classes at colleges or universities, and/or homeschooling expenses.
Voucher
Town Tuitioning Program
New Hampshire’s voucher program was launched 2017, and allows students in towns without public schools to use funds to attend any public or approved private, non-religious school in or outside of New Hampshire. There are no income limits or enrollment caps. The voucher cap is 100% of public school per-pupil funds.
Education Savings Account
Education Freedom Accounts Program
In June 2021 New Hampshire Legislature established the Education Freedom Accounts Program to expand the use of educational options outside of the traditional public school system. The program diverts state educational funding for eligible students choosing to leave traditional public schools to attend private, parochial, or charter schools, or homeschooling. Eligible students are those whose annual household income is less than or equal to 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines as updated annually. EFA’s will approximately range from $3,700– $9,000 per student and average about $4,600 per student in 2021-22. A University of New Hampshire study indicated that approximately 69,000 children will be eligible for the program, while sponsors of the bill estimate that only about 2 percent of these children will take advantage of the program.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#44
Strong elementary and secondary teacher preparation programs in place, but “does not have any policies in place that offer teachers additional compensation based on evidence of effectiveness.”
TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 69%
General Teacher Preparation 62%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 90%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 78%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 55%
Alternate Routes 60%
STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 74%
Hiring 85%
Retaining Effective Teachers 63%
TEACHER EVALUATION: 55%
TEACHER COMPENSATION: 62%
Score:
Grade:
B
Rank:
#2
New Hampshire offers an abundance of programs, resources, grant programs, and support for school districts to transition into technology rich environments. A few examples of digital learning initiatives are:
GenYES New Hampshire is an initiative with the NHDOE and non-profit organization Generation YES to integrate educational technology into the classroom. There are 17 schools in the state that are participating and developing digital literacy skills.
Future Ready New Hampshire has participating school districts utilizing digital learning as a part of their curriculum to prepare students for college and career. School districts participating are following the Future Ready Framework to refine the traditional curriculum and school structure.
The Go Open program is a free digital library for educators to access openly licensed educational resources. Many school districts across the state are a part of the #GoOpen transition, and use high-quality OER digital content in the classroom.
The New Hampshire School Connectivity Initiative is a collaboration between agencies to expand internet connectivity and broadband access in K-12 schools.
The Virtual Learning Academy Charter School is a state virtual school that opened in 2007. VLACS offers middle school, high school, and adult education courses where students can enroll full-time or part-time. “During 2018-2019, the Virtual Learning Academy served approximately 13,000 students and close to 30,000 half-segment enrollments, making it one of the largest statewide virtual schools in the country.”
Bandwidth: “97.1% of students in New Hampshire can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds. But there is still work to be done. 5,075 students still need more bandwidth for digital learning.”
The state is a leader in supporting a statewide transition to competency based education through passing legislation. In 2005, New Hampshire enacted regulations that now require all high schools to award credit based on mastery of required competencies, rather than seat time.
Since then, lawmakers have further amended these regulations to expand personalized learning environments by requiring that all districts provide extended learning opportunities to all students outside of the school building and the school day aligns with graduation competencies, ensuring that “students will be able to attain acknowledgement of achievement through mastery of district or graduation competencies for extended learning activities, including, but not limited to, independent study, private instruction, team sports, performing groups, internships, community service, and work study.”
The state is also reshaping what accountability and assessment looks like with the Performance Assessment for Competency Education (PACE) program, which decreases the use of standardized testing and instead uses teacher-developed assessments that focus on students’ understanding of content.
Gov. Sununu ordered school closures on March 16th. Within his announcement, Sununu required districts to submit remote learning plans within a week, which accelerated New Hampshire’s transition to remote learning.
New Hampshire quickly issued guidelines and resources for remote learning for students in response to the COVID-19 crisis. They encouraged districts to continue teaching all students despite logistical challenges, stating, “The district shall create a plan that shall include procedures for participation by all students. Academic work shall be equivalent in effort and rigor to typical classroom work. There shall be an assessment of all student work for the day.” The state also took steps to ensure students had access to devices and the internet and provided professional development opportunities. They also created a website with resources.
Overall, a strong response by the state and, therefore, a strong response by schools. Students continued learning in New Hampshire. Heading into the fall, reopening plans were left up to the discretion of districts, although the NH education department provided many resources.
Fast Facts
4th Grade Math Proficiency:
8th Grade Math Proficiency:
12th Grade Math Proficiency:
4th Grade Reading Proficiency:
8th Grade Reading Proficiency:
12th Grade Reading Proficiency:
Graduation Rate:
Average SAT Score:
Average ACT Score:
Public School Enrollment:
Percent Enrolled in Charter Schools:
Average Student Funding:
Score:
Grade:
B
Rank:
#2
New Hampshire offers an abundance of programs, resources, grant programs, and support for school districts to transition into technology rich environments. A few examples of digital learning initiatives are:
GenYES New Hampshire is an initiative with the NHDOE and non-profit organization Generation YES to integrate educational technology into the classroom. There are 17 schools in the state that are participating and developing digital literacy skills.
Future Ready New Hampshire has participating school districts utilizing digital learning as a part of their curriculum to prepare students for college and career. School districts participating are following the Future Ready Framework to refine the traditional curriculum and school structure.
The Go Open program is a free digital library for educators to access openly licensed educational resources. Many school districts across the state are a part of the #GoOpen transition, and use high-quality OER digital content in the classroom.
The New Hampshire School Connectivity Initiative is a collaboration between agencies to expand internet connectivity and broadband access in K-12 schools.
The Virtual Learning Academy Charter School is a state virtual school that opened in 2007. VLACS offers middle school, high school, and adult education courses where students can enroll full-time or part-time. “During 2018-2019, the Virtual Learning Academy served approximately 13,000 students and close to 30,000 half-segment enrollments, making it one of the largest statewide virtual schools in the country.”
Bandwidth: “97.1% of students in New Hampshire can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds. But there is still work to be done. 5,075 students still need more bandwidth for digital learning.”
The state is a leader in supporting a statewide transition to competency based education through passing legislation. In 2005, New Hampshire enacted regulations that now require all high schools to award credit based on mastery of required competencies, rather than seat time.
Since then, lawmakers have further amended these regulations to expand personalized learning environments by requiring that all districts provide extended learning opportunities to all students outside of the school building and the school day aligns with graduation competencies, ensuring that “students will be able to attain acknowledgement of achievement through mastery of district or graduation competencies for extended learning activities, including, but not limited to, independent study, private instruction, team sports, performing groups, internships, community service, and work study.”
The state is also reshaping what accountability and assessment looks like with the Performance Assessment for Competency Education (PACE) program, which decreases the use of standardized testing and instead uses teacher-developed assessments that focus on students’ understanding of content.
Gov. Sununu ordered school closures on March 16th. Within his announcement, Sununu required districts to submit remote learning plans within a week, which accelerated New Hampshire’s transition to remote learning.
New Hampshire quickly issued guidelines and resources for remote learning for students in response to the COVID-19 crisis. They encouraged districts to continue teaching all students despite logistical challenges, stating, “The district shall create a plan that shall include procedures for participation by all students. Academic work shall be equivalent in effort and rigor to typical classroom work. There shall be an assessment of all student work for the day.” The state also took steps to ensure students had access to devices and the internet and provided professional development opportunities. They also created a website with resources.
Overall, a strong response by the state and, therefore, a strong response by schools. Students continued learning in New Hampshire. Heading into the fall, reopening plans were left up to the discretion of districts, although the NH education department provided many resources.
4th Grade Math Proficiency:
8th Grade Math Proficiency:
12th Grade Math Proficiency:
4th Grade Reading Proficiency:
8th Grade Reading Proficiency:
12th Grade Reading Proficiency:
Graduation Rate:
Average SAT Score:
Average ACT Score:
Public School Enrollment:
Percent Enrolled in Charter Schools:
Average Student Funding:
Chris Sununu (R)
First term began in 2017 (two year term; no term limit)
Governor Chris Sununu is a big supporter of innovation and opportunity but has to fight the sometimes parochial winds of small town New Hampshire communities to help more families have the options they want and need for their kids. With a growing national following, we’re hopeful Sununu will carry the baton for a bold new parent power agenda should his legislature be willing band members.
We know that parent power should not be partisan but in this state it clearly is. Both chambers of the New Hampshire General assembly which are in Democrat hands avoid taking positive positions on education opportunity and innovation. the governor’s signature recommendations to expand both are defeated regularly. Unless the Governor, like-minded legislators, and advocates do some major work, this will remain a low power state.
“It is well established within New Hampshire case law that tax exemptions aimed at promoting education for all New Hampshire citizens but incidentally affecting religious institutions are constitutionally acceptable. The New Hampshire Supreme Court has not ruled on the constitutionality of vouchers under its Blaine Amendment, but it did suggest in a 1992 advisory opinion that they would violate the Blaine Amendment.” (Institute for Justice)
School report cards are not easily accessible from New Hampshire’s DOE homepage. Reports do not contain current data, the most recent is two years old. The data is displayed in charts and graphs that are not useful and hard to read.
Educational options are easily found on the main page, which boosts transparency in the state.
School board elections are not held during the general election cycle, which usually means lower voter turnout.
Chris Sununu (R)
First term began in 2017 (two year term; no term limit)
Governor Chris Sununu is a big supporter of innovation and opportunity but has to fight the sometimes parochial winds of small town New Hampshire communities to help more families have the options they want and need for their kids. With a growing national following, we’re hopeful Sununu will carry the baton for a bold new parent power agenda should his legislature be willing band members.
We know that parent power should not be partisan but in this state it clearly is. Both chambers of the New Hampshire General assembly which are in Democrat hands avoid taking positive positions on education opportunity and innovation. the governor’s signature recommendations to expand both are defeated regularly. Unless the Governor, like-minded legislators, and advocates do some major work, this will remain a low power state.
“It is well established within New Hampshire case law that tax exemptions aimed at promoting education for all New Hampshire citizens but incidentally affecting religious institutions are constitutionally acceptable. The New Hampshire Supreme Court has not ruled on the constitutionality of vouchers under its Blaine Amendment, but it did suggest in a 1992 advisory opinion that they would violate the Blaine Amendment.” (Institute for Justice)
School report cards are not easily accessible from New Hampshire’s DOE homepage. Reports do not contain current data, the most recent is two years old. The data is displayed in charts and graphs that are not useful and hard to read.
Educational options are easily found on the main page, which boosts transparency in the state.
School board elections are not held during the general election cycle, which usually means lower voter turnout.