On August 18, 2026, the Delaware Department of Education released the first phase of its 2026 statewide assessment results, showing that grades 3-8 English language arts proficiency rose one percentage point to 42 percent and math proficiency rose one point to 35 percent. The state's education secretary highlighted the small gains but also noted that SAT math proficiency for 11th-graders remained at 18 percent for the third consecutive year, one of the clearest areas of concern.
Statewide trends and targets
Before the pandemic, overall proficiency for grades 3-8 stood at 53 percent in ELA and 44 percent in math. Current ELA proficiency is about 11 points behind that level, and math is about 9 points behind. The state's 2028 strategic plan targets are 53 percent for Grade 3 ELA and 35 percent for Grade 8 math. Grade 3 ELA reached 40 percent in 2026, and Grade 8 math reached 29 percent.
Literacy coaching shows promise, but evidence is mixed
Among nine schools with state-supported literacy coaches and comparable Grade 3 ELA results, eight showed proficiency increases averaging 5.4 percentage points, compared with a 1-point statewide increase. The largest gains were 12 points at two schools. The Delaware Department of Education's own data is descriptive and does not include a controlled design, so it cannot establish that coaching caused the gains. No independent peer-reviewed evaluation of the program was identified in the available results.
Achievement gaps remain wide
Achievement gaps across demographic groups remain significant. Among grades 3-8, Asian students scored 74 percent ELA proficiency, white students 55 percent, Hispanic students approximately 31 percent, and Black students approximately 29 percent. English-language learners scored 15 percent, students from lower-income households 25 percent, and students with disabilities approximately 11 percent.
Comparative context: NAEP and regional peers
On the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, Delaware's average Grade 4 mathematics scale score of 234 was significantly lower than the national public average of 237. Nine jurisdictions scored significantly higher than Delaware, 14 scored lower, and 30 were not significantly different. On Grade 8 mathematics, 22 jurisdictions scored higher and 20 lower. In nearby states, 44 percent of New Jersey public school students and 41 percent of Pennsylvania students performed at or above NAEP Proficient in Grade 4 mathematics, compared with 36 percent nationally. NAEP proficiency standards are set independently of state assessments and are not directly comparable to Delaware's DeSSA proficiency rates.
District and school variation
Among traditional districts, Cape Henlopen posted the highest grades 3-8 scores at 60 percent ELA and 53 percent math. Appoquinimink and Caesar Rodney also performed above the state average. The lowest-performing traditional district was Capital, with 26 percent ELA and 19 percent math. Among charter schools, Newark Charter School scored 74 percent ELA and 71 percent math. Lake Forest High School, highlighted by the department as a sustained-improvement example, raised SAT math proficiency from 13 percent in 2024 to 19 percent in 2026, and SAT evidence-based reading and writing from 32 percent to 44 percent.
Secretary of Education Cindy Marten said the department is working with districts and stakeholders to create a clearer support system for monitoring and accountability, with tiers of support and consequences for continued underperformance. The General Assembly has funded a review of Delaware's high school assessment approach to align with academic standards and postsecondary expectations.