The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in English language arts. The lowest is 11% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Academy of Dover Charter School
Academy of Dover Charter School is a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade public charter sitting on Saulsbury Road in Dover, Delaware's capital city. As a charter, it operates as its own single-school district, open to families across the region rather than drawing from a traditional attendance zone. The enrollment is modest for a K-8, with fairly even class sizes in the early and middle grades that taper toward the upper grades, where seventh and eighth grade thin out considerably. The student body is predominantly Black, with smaller Hispanic, White, and multiracial populations. Data on free and reduced-price lunch, special education, and English learners was not available, so the economic and support-profile picture is incomplete from what we have.
On state assessments, the school's current results are low across the board. In the most recent year, roughly a quarter of tested students reached proficiency in math and about a third in English language arts. Science was the weakest area, with only a small fraction of tested students demonstrating proficiency. Social studies results from the prior year were somewhat stronger, with around a third of fourth and sixth graders meeting the bar, though eighth grade slipped below that. When positioned relative to districts in Kent County, the school's overall proficiency index lands below the midpoint. A parent evaluating academic outcomes may want to look into this further with the school, asking how it is targeting math and science in particular.
The longer trend adds context. Both ELA and math proficiency were meaningfully higher in the mid-2010s, with math and reading each reaching the midpoint range before declining. The pandemic year brought a sharp drop, and while scores have recovered some ground since then, they remain well below where they stood five or six years earlier. Math has hovered in a narrow band for several years without a clear upward trajectory. ELA has been somewhat more variable but has not returned to its earlier peak. This is a school still working to regain academic ground it lost.
Because the school stops at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and that metric simply does not apply here. Chronic absenteeism, discipline, course access, staffing, and attendance data were not available, which leaves a gap in understanding the day-to-day school environment.
Dover itself is a small capital city rooted in colonial history. The Green forms the civic heart of downtown, ringed by the Old State House, Legislative Hall, the Delaware Supreme Court, and the Kent County Courthouse. Publicly reported sources note downtown also hosts the Delaware State Library, the Delaware State Museum, and the Delaware State Archives, all open to residents. The Sewell C. Biggs Museum of American Art holds collections spanning Colonial era to the present. Just south of the city, the John Dickinson Plantation preserves the childhood home of the Revolutionary-era statesman. Dover Motor Speedway draws NASCAR races annually, and the Firefly Music Festival has been held in the speedway's Woodlands. The Dover Mall along US 13 serves as the area's only indoor shopping center. The city sits on the St. Jones River in the Delaware River coastal plain.
Housing in the school's zip code is moderately priced compared with state and national benchmarks. Typical home values sit below the Delaware state level and modestly below the national figure, with rents following a similar pattern. Recent year-over-year growth in both home values and rents has been gentle. For families considering the area, this means housing costs are relatively accessible for a capital-city location, though mortgage rates remain elevated by recent historical standards.
The district brief turned up no recent referendums, curriculum overhauls, facility expansions, or other parent-relevant changes with lasting impact. This is a quiet, single-school charter operation without large-scale initiatives visible in the public record.
What families get here is a small K-8 charter in an affordable state-capital setting, with a predominantly Black student body and a long history in the community. The academic results are currently the weakest part of the picture, sitting below the middle of the pack in Kent County, and the school has not yet climbed back to the proficiency levels it showed a decade ago. Families drawn to a charter option in Dover will want to ask hard questions about math and science instruction and what the school's recovery plan looks like.
See more original research from School Decision →