Why Should Delaware Care?
Earlier this month, a new report found that Delaware is among the top states for math proficiency recovery rates since the COVID pandemic. Although four school districts were highlighted for their progress, all education officials have noted that more work needs to be done to meet their pre-pandemic proficiency levels. 

Six years after COVID began, Delaware students still have not returned to their pre-pandemic proficiency rates for reading and math, according to new test scores from the state’s youngest learners. 

But many are making progress. 

The results from the 2026 Education Scorecard – a large-scale academic study of federal and state testing data by Harvard and Stanford researchers – placed Delaware fourth out of 38 states in math recovery and in the top half of states in reading between 2022 and 2025. Additionally, a handful of school districts – Appoquinimink, Brandywine, Seaford, and Woodbridge – were reported to be among the top 500 in the country for math gains during those three years. 

Brandywine and Appoquinimink also were recognized as being among the top reading performers.

Still, no Delaware district has bounced back to match their pre-pandemic math or reading scores. 

The report comes as Delaware schools for years have been dogged by low standardized test scores and high rates of chronic absenteeism. And, despite the modest rebounds, education officials say continued growth is needed to get students back to their pre-pandemic proficiency levels. 

“Delaware students are still working to recover from the academic disruption of the pandemic, especially in reading,” Delaware Secretary of Education Cindy Marten said in a statement. “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.”

Stephanie Ingram, president of the state’s educators’ union, pointed toward a need to update Delaware’s public education funding system in order to achieve scores that mirror pre-pandemic proficiency rates. 

“If we want to reach – and exceed – pre-pandemic levels of student achievement, then it’s time to replace our post-World War II education funding system with a formula that delivers support where it’s needed most, so every child truly has an opportunity to succeed,” she said. 

Focusing on growth, addressing absenteeism

Although Brandywine was one of two school districts that outperformed others in math and reading, Superintendent Lisa Lawson says the district is “absolutely not” where it wants to be in terms of proficiency. 

“I do appreciate that we are growing faster in order to get there, but we have miles to go before we sleep,” Lawson said. 

She said part of the way to match and surpass pre-pandemic levels is to ensure that students are in school every day.

“When you’re missing 20 or more days in the school year, there isn’t even a chance that we’re going to get you to where you need to be on grade level,” Lawson said. 

In 2022, the Brandywine School District had a 29% chronic absenteeism rate, according to the Education Scorecard data. It dropped to just under 16% in 2025.

The United States Department of Education defines chronic absenteeism as a student missing 10% or more of school in a year. 

While absenteeism is still above pre-pandemic rates, Lawson said the district will continue to work with organizations, such as the Boys and Girls Club, to ensure students are coming to school. 

Breaking down the math

Like the Brandywine School District, Seaford students’ proficiency levels also rose substantially in recent years. 

Seaford Director of Instruction Kirsten Jennette credits the increase in part to the district’s efforts to use “illustrative math,” which helps students better understand concepts rather than just step-by-step math processes. 

In kindergarten, Seaford students use “math vocabulary,” Jennette said.  

“They’re talking about math, they are deeply manipulating and learning about the concept,” she said. 

Seaford Superintendent Sharon DiGirolamo said the illustrative style helps students better understand the concept of multiplication or addition as they go through higher grade levels. 

“As they get older they start to see that multiplication is just a really fast way of adding,” she said.

The district also saw improvements in its chronic absenteeism rate, which decreased from 29.7% to 8.7% between 2022 and 2025. 

‘The beauty and the danger of a scorecard’

In recent years, Delawareans across the political spectrum have grown increasingly frustrated with the state’s education spending compared to students’ test scores.

During a legislative budget committee hearing in March, State Sen. Dave Lawson (R-Marydel) noted his appreciation for Marten’s work, but said he has heard proclamations about improving metrics for the last 14 years, and test scores have still declined.

“So if [performance metrics] aren’t accomplished, what are going to be your actions?” he asked Marten during the meeting. “Are you still going to be secretary?” 

For the districts that are not among the top performers, there is a concern that their scores could be weaponized against them if the district goes out for a referendum request. 

The fear of weaponization exists in districts, such as Indian River, which saw mixed results on the Education Scorecard. The district’s math score showed improvement between 2022 and 2025, but reading scores declined. 

Blair Catlin Brown, president of the district’s educators’ union, said the reading score decline cannot be attributed to just one reason.

While all districts worked toward pre-pandemic proficiency levels, Catlin Brown said her district was also in deficit spending. Those results create a Catch-22: taxpayers may feel less inclined to support a struggling district, but that would lead to deeper cuts that would only further inflame issues.

She said Indian River educators knew a future referendum would not pass, and they were left waiting for decisions regarding which staff members and programs would be cut. 

“That just creates a feeling of unease, dissatisfaction, feeling like you’re not being valued, because at the same time we don’t stop working hard,” Catlin Brown said. 

At the same time, the district was working toward incorporating a new curriculum that focused on the science of reading. 

In August 2022, then-Gov. John Carney signed House Bill 304 into law, which prioritized the science of reading and required all public school students in kindergarten through third grade to participate in a screening three times a year to identify potential reading challenges.

Catlin Brown said the district did find a curriculum aligned with the science of reading, but acknowledged that it can take several years before a district sees improvement from a new curriculum. 

She also said that reports, such as the Education Scorecard, do not show community members how hard teachers are working to get to pre-pandemic levels and higher, or that the district has recently updated and enhanced its curriculum. 

“That’s the beauty and the danger of a scorecard,” she said. 

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