Delaware has a law requiring struggling third-grade readers to be held back and given additional support—but no one is publicly tracking whether it’s actually working. While other states report results and show measurable gains, Delaware families and policymakers are left without clear answers. Without transparency and timely data, it’s impossible to know whether students are improving or simply being passed along.

Delaware’s $8 million push for early literacy may not help students already behind, as those who can’t read by third grade face higher dropout risks. Stronger retention policies—paired with targeted support—can improve outcomes, but inconsistent standards across districts weaken their impact.

Delaware’s students face a serious literacy crisis, but an effective, evidence-based solution already exists: cursive handwriting instruction. Research shows cursive strengthens reading, spelling, memory, and written expression, yet Delaware’s current law lacks enforcement and support. Strengthening cursive instruction offers a low-cost, science-backed opportunity to improve student outcomes statewide.

Delaware’s students are in crisis. New national and state test results show steep declines in reading and math proficiency — only 41% of students meet reading standards and 34% meet math. Teachers are overburdened with nonacademic duties, while programs meant to close achievement gaps show little progress. Delaware must urgently refocus on classroom instruction, evidence-based reading, and teacher support to restore literacy, accountability, and student success.

A bill sponsored by Sen. Laura Sturgeon, Senate Bill 165, titled "An Act to Amend Title 14 of the Delaware Code Relating to Student Improvement Component," has just passed in the Delaware General Assembly. The bill requires the Delaware Department of Education to pilot a new method of teacher evaluation that allows teachers to choose how they are evaluated and considers factors that may negatively affect student performance, such as student absences, noncompliance, or a lack

Delaware is in the middle of a "literacy crisis" as both Delaware's Governor Meyer and Education Secretary Marten have acknowledged. Despite this, the Vision Coalition-an influential group that has guided education policy for nearly two decades-continues to prioritize "student-centered learning" over proven, evidence-based instruction. As reading and math scores remain low across the state, it's time to take a closer look at who is shaping Delaware's education agenda-and what

I have carefully read your education plan for Delaware multiple times. There are several aspects of your plan that I think would be extremely beneficial in improving Delaware public education. These include...

About 26,000 students in Delaware, or 22% of publicly funded students, used open enrollment to attend a public school other than their assigned one. K-12 open enrollment, where students are allowed to change which public schools they attend, is an often overlooked school choice policy. While education savings accounts and vouchers attract the most attention, open enrollment helps many students attend schools that are the right fit, especially in blue states like Delaware...

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Delaware's Next Governor Must Declare a State of Emergency in Education By Tanya Hettler, PhD Director, Center for Education Policy October 28, 2024 Delaware’s educational performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) peaked in 2013. Since then, proficiency scores for 4 th and 8 th grade math and reading have plummeted, underscoring the urgent need for improvements in student achievement. Delaware is among the top ten states in the country