Delaware
U.S.
Rank
Score:
65%
Grade:
D
Rank:
#34
The First State had an ambitious charter school movement in its first few years but moratoriums imposed by state lawmakers where they are needed most and lack of support has reduced their reach and support base.
Law passed: 1995
Most recently amended: 2019
Number of charter schools: 22
Number of charter students: 16,366
Cap on the number of schools allowed:? No
Virtual charters allowed? No
AUTHORIZERS: Local districts only for conversion charters and State Board of Education for new charters.
GROWTH: While there is no cap in law on the number of charters permitted in the state, there has been a moratorium on new charter schools in Wilmington, the largest city, since 2015. And all existing schools must submit a new application for extra campuses, which limits expansion of successful schools.
OPERATIONS: The law grants charters a blanket waiver from regulations that apply to districts, but the state DOE can make new regulations for charters. Virtual charter schools are not allowed here.
EQUITY: The law funds charters as it funds districts, but per-pupil state funding is a unit funding formula and local funding is based on the previous year’s per-pupil expenditures, which results in charters being funded at only 65%, on average, of the amount traditional district schools receive because districts do not always pass on the full per pupil amount to charters.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#22
There are no choice programs in this state.
Score:
Grade:
C
Rank:
#7
“Delaware requires that 20 percent of its teacher evaluation rating be derived from objective evidence of student growth.” Requirements for teacher prep and knowledge are also strong.
TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 75%
General Teacher Preparation 97%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 63%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 85%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 55%
Alternate Routes 75%
STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 79%
Hiring 90%
Retaining Effective Teachers 67%
TEACHER EVALUATION: 83%
TEACHER COMPENSATION: 68%
Score:
65%
Grade:
D
Rank:
#34
The First State had an ambitious charter school movement in its first few years but moratoriums imposed by state lawmakers where they are needed most and lack of support has reduced their reach and support base.
Law passed: 1995
Most recently amended: 2019
Number of charter schools: 22
Number of charter students: 16,366
Cap on the number of schools allowed:? No
Virtual charters allowed? No
AUTHORIZERS: Local districts only for conversion charters and State Board of Education for new charters.
GROWTH: While there is no cap in law on the number of charters permitted in the state, there has been a moratorium on new charter schools in Wilmington, the largest city, since 2015. And all existing schools must submit a new application for extra campuses, which limits expansion of successful schools.
OPERATIONS: The law grants charters a blanket waiver from regulations that apply to districts, but the state DOE can make new regulations for charters. Virtual charter schools are not allowed here.
EQUITY: The law funds charters as it funds districts, but per-pupil state funding is a unit funding formula and local funding is based on the previous year’s per-pupil expenditures, which results in charters being funded at only 65%, on average, of the amount traditional district schools receive because districts do not always pass on the full per pupil amount to charters.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#22
There are no choice programs in this state.
Score:
Grade:
C
Rank:
#7
“Delaware requires that 20 percent of its teacher evaluation rating be derived from objective evidence of student growth.” Requirements for teacher prep and knowledge are also strong.
TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 75%
General Teacher Preparation 97%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 63%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 85%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 55%
Alternate Routes 75%
STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 79%
Hiring 90%
Retaining Effective Teachers 67%
TEACHER EVALUATION: 83%
TEACHER COMPENSATION: 68%
Score:
Grade:
C
Rank:
#33
Delaware has only a few statewide initiatives that promote digital learning opportunities for students. There is a Digital Learning Cadre which is a partnership open to all public school entities that agree to collaborate in the systemic improvement of efforts related to digital learning.
eLearning Delaware is a learning management system which provides professional development and training for educators. Courses from the platform are used by over 14,000 Delaware educators, public and private. This platform is not used for directly educating students.
Bandwidth: “100% of students in Delaware can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds.”
Delaware has significant private sector leadership for personalized learning through the Rodel Foundation’s Blueprint for Personalized Learning. They work with several districts and the Department of Education to adopt policies encouraging personalized learning.
The state also implemented Next Generation Science Assessments, which gives 3rd-10th graders multiple types of assessments to demonstrate what they know instead of a singular way of testing, which is a step in the right direction toward competency education, a key in successful personalized learning.
Gov. Carney ordered a two week closure on March 13th, a time period used for educators to prepare plans to transition to remote learning. On March 27th, Gov. Carney extended this closure through May 15th. After closing schools, Gov. Carney’s administration issued guidelines for remote learning, with a focus on wellness and equity. It included guidance to motivate schools to continue instruction, but could have provided more concrete recommendations. “The Delaware Department of Education requires districts to provide an overview of their remote learning delivery model, including specifics for different grade levels, and to account for a specific number of instructional minutes and teaching days.” A website and materials for students, parents, teachers, and schools were eventually provided.
State Secretary of Education Dr. Susan Bunting ordered district plans for remote learning to be submitted by April 3rd in order to prevent a delay in delivery for Delaware students.
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:
C
Rank:
#33
Delaware has only a few statewide initiatives that promote digital learning opportunities for students. There is a Digital Learning Cadre which is a partnership open to all public school entities that agree to collaborate in the systemic improvement of efforts related to digital learning.
eLearning Delaware is a learning management system which provides professional development and training for educators. Courses from the platform are used by over 14,000 Delaware educators, public and private. This platform is not used for directly educating students.
Bandwidth: “100% of students in Delaware can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds.”
Delaware has significant private sector leadership for personalized learning through the Rodel Foundation’s Blueprint for Personalized Learning. They work with several districts and the Department of Education to adopt policies encouraging personalized learning.
The state also implemented Next Generation Science Assessments, which gives 3rd-10th graders multiple types of assessments to demonstrate what they know instead of a singular way of testing, which is a step in the right direction toward competency education, a key in successful personalized learning.
Gov. Carney ordered a two week closure on March 13th, a time period used for educators to prepare plans to transition to remote learning. On March 27th, Gov. Carney extended this closure through May 15th. After closing schools, Gov. Carney’s administration issued guidelines for remote learning, with a focus on wellness and equity. It included guidance to motivate schools to continue instruction, but could have provided more concrete recommendations. “The Delaware Department of Education requires districts to provide an overview of their remote learning delivery model, including specifics for different grade levels, and to account for a specific number of instructional minutes and teaching days.” A website and materials for students, parents, teachers, and schools were eventually provided.
State Secretary of Education Dr. Susan Bunting ordered district plans for remote learning to be submitted by April 3rd in order to prevent a delay in delivery for Delaware students.
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:
Jim Carney (D)
First term began in 2017 (two-term limit)
Governor Jim Carney seems to be moving more toward a pro-reform stance, and has stated his support for expanding opportunities for Delaware’s students, but what he intends to do to achieve that is unclear. One concrete action taken by the Carney administration is the Governor’s Opportunity Funding plan which provides around $75 million over three years for English learners, low-income students, and new mental health services in schools across the state. Both districts and charter schools are receiving weighted funding from Gov. Carney’s plan. We encourage him to lead the state in expanding educational choice.
Governor Jim Carney won re-election in 2021. Let’s hope he continues to move in what seems to be a pro-education opportunity stance.
Both the House and Senate are Democrat controlled. Any major education reform initiatives would be difficult here, but they have passed small improvements for charter schools recently, including allowing charter students to use the public transit system. There is no private school choice, though, and previous attempts to pass ESA legislation for low-income families failed. No other education reform bills have even been filed recently.
“The Delaware Constitution contains both a Compelled Support Clause and a Blaine Amendment. The restrictive interpretation of the latter by Delaware state courts makes [choice programs] problematic.” (Institute for Justice)
In Delaware, data is transparent and parents can find the information they need easily. Delaware’s school report card is easily accessible in two clicks from the state DOE homepage under Accountability and Performance, Accountability, and Delaware Report Card. The report card is user-friendly, and gives you the option to view a quick, high-level snapshot, or click the accountability page, which shows how the school is performing in key academic and nonacademic measures regarding college and career readiness. It’s also worth noting that Delaware has easily accessible report cards for charters, which other state sites are not so accessible.
Educational options are also easily accessible from the DOE homepage under the Schools tab, further increasing transparency in the state.
School Board Elections are not held during the General Election cycle, which usually means less power for parents to get their voices heard because of lower voter turnout.
Jim Carney (D)
First term began in 2017 (two-term limit)
Governor Jim Carney seems to be moving more toward a pro-reform stance, and has stated his support for expanding opportunities for Delaware’s students, but what he intends to do to achieve that is unclear. One concrete action taken by the Carney administration is the Governor’s Opportunity Funding plan which provides around $75 million over three years for English learners, low-income students, and new mental health services in schools across the state. Both districts and charter schools are receiving weighted funding from Gov. Carney’s plan. We encourage him to lead the state in expanding educational choice.
Governor Jim Carney won re-election in 2021. Let’s hope he continues to move in what seems to be a pro-education opportunity stance.
Both the House and Senate are Democrat controlled. Any major education reform initiatives would be difficult here, but they have passed small improvements for charter schools recently, including allowing charter students to use the public transit system. There is no private school choice, though, and previous attempts to pass ESA legislation for low-income families failed. No other education reform bills have even been filed recently.
“The Delaware Constitution contains both a Compelled Support Clause and a Blaine Amendment. The restrictive interpretation of the latter by Delaware state courts makes [choice programs] problematic.” (Institute for Justice)
In Delaware, data is transparent and parents can find the information they need easily. Delaware’s school report card is easily accessible in two clicks from the state DOE homepage under Accountability and Performance, Accountability, and Delaware Report Card. The report card is user-friendly, and gives you the option to view a quick, high-level snapshot, or click the accountability page, which shows how the school is performing in key academic and nonacademic measures regarding college and career readiness. It’s also worth noting that Delaware has easily accessible report cards for charters, which other state sites are not so accessible.
Educational options are also easily accessible from the DOE homepage under the Schools tab, further increasing transparency in the state.
School Board Elections are not held during the General Election cycle, which usually means less power for parents to get their voices heard because of lower voter turnout.