Department of Education | Newsroom | Date Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2026 Education Scorecard ranks Delaware 4th in math recovery and 14th in reading recovery while state leaders em

Department of Education | Newsroom | Date Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2026 Education Scorecard ranks Delaware 4th in math recovery and 14th in reading recovery while state leaders emphasize urgency around literacy and long-term student outcomes The new national Education Scorecard report shows Delaware students are making important academic recovery gains, with the state ranking 4th out of 38 states in math growth and 14th out of 35 states in reading recovery between 2022 and 2025. The report also shows chronic absenteeism in Delaware has declined sharply, falling from 24.7 percent in 2022 to 16.6 percent in 2025, though rates remain slightly above pre-pandemic levels. Delaware students remain below 2019 achievement levels in both reading and math, reinforcing the urgency of continued implementation of the state’s Strategic Plan and Early Literacy Plan. State leaders said the findings are an encouraging external proof point, while emphasizing that Delaware students remain below 2019 achievement levels and that continued, disciplined implementation is critical. “This report shows real movement, but Delaware still has substantial work ahead,” Secretary of Education Cindy Marten said. “This is good news with a clear warning label. Delaware students are still working to recover from the academic disruption of the pandemic, especially in reading. That is exactly why Delaware has a strategic plan, why we are focused on early literacy, and why implementation, accountability, and support for districts must remain our priority.” According to the Education Scorecard, Delaware students have gained ground in math since 2022, with the average student performing 0.42 grade equivalents above 2022 levels. However, Delaware students remain 0.83 grade equivalents below 2019 levels in math. In reading, Delaware students remain 0.8 grade equivalents below 2019 levels, reinforcing the need for sustained focus on evidence-based literacy instruction, attendance, and district-level implementation. The Education Scorecard –  a collaboration between the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University, and faculty at Dartmouth College – combines state test results for roughly 35 million students in grades 3 through 8 with national assessment data to examine academic recovery across states and districts. The report is not the National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly known as NAEP, and not all states are included in the state ranking comparisons. Still, Delaware officials said the report provides useful directional insight into where recovery is taking hold and where additional work is needed. The report also identifies several Delaware districts showing strong relative progress. Brandywine and Appoquinimink were cited among districts outperforming peers in both math and reading, while Seaford and Woodbridge were noted for progress in math. Delaware’s response is centered on implementation of its statewide education priorities. State leaders point to a coherent set of policy levers now being executed across the state: The report comes as Delaware continues to focus on improving literacy outcomes, strengthening instructional supports, reducing chronic absenteeism, and helping districts use data to identify students and schools that need additional support. Key findings for Delaware include: Delaware education officials said the report reinforces the importance of staying focused on the fundamentals: improving reading instruction, supporting math recovery, reducing absenteeism, and ensuring districts have the tools and accountability structures needed to accelerate student progress. “Recovery is real, but it is not automatic,” Marten said. “The next phase is about disciplined execution. Delaware has the plan. Delaware has the levers. Now we have to continue doing the hard work of implementation so progress reaches every classroom.” To learn more, visit: https://cepr.harvard.edu/education-recovery-scorecard Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov. Here you can subscribe to future news updates. Department of Education | Newsroom | Date Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2026 Education Scorecard ranks Delaware 4th in math recovery and 14th in reading recovery while state leaders emphasize urgency around literacy and long-term student outcomes The new national Education Scorecard report shows Delaware students are making important academic recovery gains, with the state ranking 4th out of 38 states in math growth and 14th out of 35 states in reading recovery between 2022 and 2025. The report also shows chronic absenteeism in Delaware has declined sharply, falling from 24.7 percent in 2022 to 16.6 percent in 2025, though rates remain slightly above pre-pandemic levels. Delaware students remain below 2019 achievement levels in both reading and math, reinforcing the urgency of continued implementation of the state’s Strategic Plan and Early Literacy Plan. State leaders said the findings are an encouraging external proof point, while emphasizing that Delaware students remain below 2019 achievement levels and that continued, disciplined implementation is critical. “This report shows real movement, but Delaware still has substantial work ahead,” Secretary of Education Cindy Marten said. “This is good news with a clear warning label. Delaware students are still working to recover from the academic disruption of the pandemic, especially in reading. That is exactly why Delaware has a strategic plan, why we are focused on early literacy, and why implementation, accountability, and support for districts must remain our priority.” According to the Education Scorecard, Delaware students have gained ground in math since 2022, with the average student performing 0.42 grade equivalents above 2022 levels. However, Delaware students remain 0.83 grade equivalents below 2019 levels in math. In reading, Delaware students remain 0.8 grade equivalents below 2019 levels, reinforcing the need for sustained focus on evidence-based literacy instruction, attendance, and district-level implementation. The Education Scorecard –  a collaboration between the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University, and faculty at Dartmouth College – combines state test results for roughly 35 million students in grades 3 through 8 with national assessment data to examine academic recovery across states and districts. The report is not the National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly known as NAEP, and not all states are included in the state ranking comparisons. Still, Delaware officials said the report provides useful directional insight into where recovery is taking hold and where additional work is needed. The report also identifies several Delaware districts showing strong relative progress. Brandywine and Appoquinimink were cited among districts outperforming peers in both math and reading, while Seaford and Woodbridge were noted for progress in math. Delaware’s response is centered on implementation of its statewide education priorities. State leaders point to a coherent set of policy levers now being executed across the state: The report comes as Delaware continues to focus on improving literacy outcomes, strengthening instructional supports, reducing chronic absenteeism, and helping districts use data to identify students and schools that need additional support. Key findings for Delaware include: Delaware education officials said the report reinforces the importance of staying focused on the fundamentals: improving reading instruction, supporting math recovery, reducing absenteeism, and ensuring districts have the tools and accountability structures needed to accelerate student progress. “Recovery is real, but it is not automatic,” Marten said. “The next phase is about disciplined execution. Delaware has the plan. Delaware has the levers. Now we have to continue doing the hard work of implementation so progress reaches every classroom.” To learn more, visit: https://cepr.harvard.edu/education-recovery-scorecard Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov. Here you can subscribe to future news updates. 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