Delaware System of Student Assessment (DeSSA) results are in, and 22.7% of New Castle County students were considered proficient in science in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Delaware Open Data. This is higher than the average proficiency level recorded in the state.
The student’s overall success rate in the subject rose by 2.2% compared to the previous school year.
Compared to other counties across Delaware, New Castle County students were considered the best-performing students in science section of the DeSSA at the time.
Governor Matt Meyer declared a ‘literacy emergency’ after NAEP scores released in 2024 showed Delaware eighth-graders’ reading proficiency hit a 27-year low. That year, only 41% of eighth-graders were considered proficient in reading, while 49% did not meet the math benchmarks of the national assessment.
Fourth-graders showed slight improvements in both subjects compared to 2023 but still remained below pre-pandemic levels.
| County | Proficiency Rate (%) | Total Students Tested |
|---|---|---|
| New Castle County | 22.7% | 15,320 |
| Sussex County | 20.6% | 7,401 |
| Kent County | 16.8% | 6,526 |
