DELAWARE - Delaware students continue to need extra supports according to recent data released by the Delaware Department of Education. Statewide assessment results for the 2022-2023 school year show that less than half of students in late elementary through middle school were proficient in English language arts and math.
STATEWIDE RESULTS BY SUBJECT
For students in third through eighth grade, 40 percent scored at or above their grade's proficiency level in language arts and just 32 percent were proficient or above in math. While math was up two points from last year, language arts was down two percent.
Delaware high schoolers are assessed using the SAT. The Department of Education said that this year, 44 percent of students were proficient or higher on the reading portion of the test, 23 percent were proficient or higher in math, and 42 percent were proficient or higher on the essay portion.
Students in fifth, eighth, and high school grades are tested in biology. The percentages proficient were 24, 16, and 22, respectively, with increasing proficiency for fifth graders but decreasing for eighth graders and high schoolers.
In social studies testing, just over a quarter of 11th graders were proficient. Results for eighth grade social studies have not yet been released.
INVESTMENTS IN LEARNING
Secretary of Education Mark Holodick said the state will continue to invest in academic and non-academic supports to help students succeed in the classroom. These include new investments in early learning, additional requirements for teacher training and intervention and workforce support by approving teacher salary increases.
"We know recovery will take time and we will not be deterred," Holodick said in reference to the aftermath of the COVID-19 years of virtual learning. "To no one's surprise, this effort will also require the work of everyone committed to Delaware students, including families, educators, community partners and beyond... To rebound from what we've been through is going to require everyone's effort."
Holodick went on to acknowledge growth shown even if students are not yet proficient. Students who have not reached the cusp of the next performance level may show growth that isn't seen in proficiency scores.
More testing data by grade level and subject area can be found here.