Public education in Delaware
| K-12 education in Delaware | |
 | |
| Education facts | |
| State superintendent: Mark Holodick | |
| Number of students: 123,566 | |
| Number of teachers: 8,737 | |
| Teacher/pupil ratio: 1:14.1 | |
| Number of school districts: 19 | |
| Number of schools: 202 | |
| Graduation rate: 89% | |
| Per-pupil spending: $17,235 | |
| See also | |
| Delaware Department of Education • List of school districts in Delaware • Delaware • School boards portal | |
 | |
Public education in the United States Public education in Delaware Glossary of education terms | |
| Note: The statistics on this page are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given were the most recent as of June 2015. | |
The Delaware public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2022, Delaware had 123,566 students enrolled in a total of 202 schools in 19 school districts. There were 8,737 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 14 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. In 2020, Delaware spent on average $17,235 per pupil.[1] The state's graduation rate was 89 percent in the 2018-2019 school year.[2]
General information
- See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states
The following chart shows how Delaware compares to the national level for the most recent years for which data is available.
| Public education in Delaware | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Schools | Districts | Students | Teachers | Teacher to pupil ratio | Per pupil spending* | |
| Delaware | 202 | 19 | 123,566 | 8,737 | 1:14.1 | $17,235 | |
| United States | 90,323 | 13,194 | 47,755,383 | 2,783,705 | 1:16 | $13,494 | |
| *Per pupil spending data reflects information reported for fiscal year 2020. Sources: Education statistics in the United States | |||||||
Academic performance
The sections below do not contain the most recently published data on this subject. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia.
| Education terms |
|---|
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| For more information on education policy terms, see this article. |
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NAEP scores
- See also: NAEP scores by state
The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The chart below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Delaware's scores were lower across the board than its neighboring states, (Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania).[3]
| Percent of students scoring at or above proficient, 2012-2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math - Grade 4 | Math - Grade 8 | Reading - Grade 4 | Reading - Grade 8 | |
| Delaware | 42% | 33% | 38% | 33% |
| Maryland | 47% | 37% | 45% | 42% |
| New Jersey | 49% | 49% | 42% | 46% |
| Pennsylvania | 44% | 42% | 40% | 42% |
| United States | 41% | 34% | 34% | 34% |
| Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables" | ||||
Graduation, ACT and SAT scores
The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Delaware and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.[4][5][6]
In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.[7]
Delaware schools reported a graduation rate of 80.4 percent during the 2012-2013 school year, lowest among its neighboring states.
In Delaware, more students took the SAT than the ACT in 2013, earning an average SAT score of 1351.
| Comparison table for graduation rates and test scores, 2012-2013 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Graduation rate, 2013 | Average ACT composite, 2013 | Average SAT composite, 2013 | ||||
| Percent | Quintile ranking** | Score | Participation rate | Score | Participation rate | ||
| Delaware | 80.4% | Fourth | 22.9 | 15% | 1351 | 100% | |
| Maryland | 85% | Second | 22.3 | 21% | 1483 | 73% | |
| New Jersey | 87.5% | First | 23 | 23% | 1521 | 78% | |
| Pennsylvania | 85.5% | Second | 22.7 | 18% | 1480 | 71% | |
| United States | 81.4% | 20.9 | 54% | 1498 | 50% | ||
| **Graduation rates for states in the first quintile ranked in the top 20 percent nationally. Similarly, graduation rates for states in the fifth quintile ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally. Sources: United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express" ACT.org, "2013 ACT National and State Scores" The Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT scores by state, 2013" | |||||||
Dropout rate
- See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states
The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Delaware was higher than the national average at 3.6 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 3.5 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.[8]
Educational choice options
- See also: School choice in Delaware
Delaware had the country's third highest private school attendance rate. In addition to private schools, the state has a number of other school choice options, including charter schools, open enrollment, online learning, and homeschooling.
Developments
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)
On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.[9]
In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.[10]
The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.
Delaware is one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.
Education funding and expenditures
- See also: Delaware state budget and finances
Source: National Association of State Budget Officers
According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.[11][12]
Delaware spent approximately 24.3 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. The state school systems' revenue came primarily from state funds. In fiscal year 2013, Delaware reported the second highest percent of the budget being spent on public education when compared to its neighboring states.
| Comparison of financial figures for school systems, fiscal year 2013 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Percentage of budget | Per pupil spending | Revenue sources | ||||
| Percent federal funds | Percent state funds | Percent local funds | |||||
| Delaware | 24.3% | $13,833 | 8% | 59.8% | 32.2% | ||
| Maryland | 19.2% | $13,829 | 6% | 44.1% | 49.9% | ||
| New Jersey | 24.9% | $17,572 | 4.1% | 38.7% | 57.2% | ||
| Pennsylvania | 14.9% | $13,864 | 7.6% | 36.1% | 56.3% | ||
| U.S. average | 19.8% | $10,700 | 9.1% | 45.6% | 45.3% | ||
| Sources: NASBO, "State Expenditure Report" (Table 8). U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 5 and Table 8). | |||||||
Revenue breakdowns
- See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.
According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.[12]
In Delaware, the primary source of school system revenue was state funds, at $1.1 billion. Delaware had significantly lower total revenue when compared to its neighboring states.
| Revenues by source, fiscal year 2013 (amounts in thousands) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Federal revenue | State revenue | Local revenue | Total revenue |
| Delaware | $151,096 | $1,124,112 | $604,386 | $1,879,594 |
| Maryland | $828,432 | $6,093,652 | $6,888,206 | $13,810,290 |
| New Jersey | $1,120,771 | $10,458,175 | $15,449,220 | $27,028,166 |
| Pennsylvania | $2,049,113 | $9,764,558 | $15,210,613 | $27,024,284 |
| U.S. total | $54,367,305 | $272,916,892 | $270,645,402 | $597,929,599 |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 1) | ||||
Expenditure breakdowns
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.[13]
Public education expenditures in Delaware totaled approximately $2 billion in fiscal year 2012. Delaware reported the lowest total expenditures when compared to its neighboring states.
| Expenditures by type, fiscal year 2012 (amounts in thousands) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | General expenditures | Capital outlay | Other | Total expenditures |
| Delaware | $1,751,143 | $160,863 | $66,556 | $1,978,562 |
| Maryland | $11,846,681 | $1,166,855 | $191,240 | $13,204,777 |
| New Jersey | $24,391,278 | $912,022 | $828,162 | $26,131,462 |
| Pennsylvania | $23,190,198 | $1,822,157 | $1,584,480 | $26,596,835 |
| United States | $527,096,473 | $48,773,386 | $25,897,123 | $601,766,981 |
| Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)" (Table 5) | ||||
Personnel salaries
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Delaware, the average salary decreased by 1.7 percent.[15]
| Estimated average salaries for teachers (in constant dollars**) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | 2009-2010 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | Percent difference | |
| Delaware | $60,724 | $60,930 | $59,779 | $59,679 | -1.7% |
| Maryland | $60,196 | $68,285 | $64,693 | $65,265 | 8.4% |
| New Jersey | $71,083 | $69,523 | $68,194 | $68,797 | -3.2% |
| Pennsylvania | $66,035 | $63,146 | $62,965 | $63,521 | -3.8% |
| United States | $57,133 | $58,925 | $56,340 | $56,383 | -1.3% |
| **"Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to a school-year basis. The CPI does not account for differences in inflation rates from state to state." | |||||
Organizations
State agencies
- See also: Delaware Department of Education
The Delaware Department of Education has four branches: Secretary of Education Office, Education Supports and Innovative Practices, Teaching and Learning and Financial Reform and Resource Management. Mark Murphy was appointed as the Delaware Secretary of Education in 2012.[16][17]
The mission statement of the Delaware Department of Education reads:[18]
| “ | Delaware’s Department of Education is committed to promoting the highest quality education for every Delaware student by providing visionary leadership and superior service.[19] | ” |
The Delaware State Board of Education has seven members who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Delaware State Senate. Its statutory duties include reviewing and approving regulations and applications for charter schools and setting long range goals for all aspects of public education in the state.[20]
Unions
In 2012, the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. Delaware ranked 19th overall for union power and influence, or "strong", which was in the second tier of five.[21]
The main union related to the Delaware school system is the Delaware State Education Association, an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA). Other local Delaware unions include[22]
- New Castle County Education Association
- Delaware State Education Association (Newark)
Government sector lobbying
- See also: Delaware government sector lobbying
The main education government sector lobbying organization is the Delaware School Boards Association.
Transparency
In May 2009, Governor Jack Markell announced that by July 30, 2009, citizens would be able to see the state's expenditures online in a searchable database. Markell said, "During these historically challenging financial times, it is critical Delawareans are confident their state tax dollars are being spent as effectively and efficiently as possible."[23]
The Caesar Rodney Institute launched an independent government spending transparency website, DelawareSpends.com, which allows users to search state employee payrolls and vendor payments. Visitors to the site can also post their own data, thoughts, questions, and concerns on the DelawareSpends Forum.
Studies and reports
State Budget Solutions education study
State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.
Quality Counts 2014
- See also: Education Week survey
Education Week, a publication that reports on many education issues throughout the country, began using an evaluation system in 1997 to grade each state on various elements of education performance. This system, called Quality Counts, uses official data on performance from each state to generate report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report card in 2014 used six different categories:
- Chance for success
- K-12 achievement
- Standards, assessments and accountability
- The teaching profession
- School finance
- Transitions and alignment
Each of these six categories had a number of other elements that received individual scores. Those scores were then averaged and used to determine the final score in each category. Every state received two types of scores for each of the six major categories: A numerical score out of 100 and a letter grade based on that score. Education Week used the score for the first category, "chance for success," as the value for ranking each state and the District of Columbia. The average grade received by the entire country was 77.3, or a C+ average. The country's highest average score was in the category of "standards, assessments and accountability" at 85.3, or a B average. The lowest average score was in "K-12 achievement", at 70.2, or a C- average.
Delaware received a score of 79.8, or a B- average in the "chance for success" category. This was above the national average. The state's highest score was in "standards, assessments and accountability" at 87.5, or a B+ average. The lowest score was in "K-12 achievement" at 68.5, or a D+ average. Delaware had the lowest scores in chance of success and K-12 achievement when compared to its neighboring states. The chart below displays all of the scores of Delaware and its surrounding states.[24]
Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.
| Public education report cards, 2014 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Chance for success | K-12 achievement | Standards, assessments and accountability | The teaching profession | School finance | Transitions and alignment |
| Delaware | 79.8 (B-) | 68.5 (D+) | 87.5 (B+) | 74.4 (C) | 80.0 (B-) | 78.6 (C+) |
| Maryland | 85.9 (B) | 83.1 (B) | 88.3 (B+) | 83.7 (B) | 85.2 (B) | 96.4 (A) |
| New Jersey | 88.2 (B+) | 82.1 (B-) | 75.5 (C) | 67.2 (D+) | 84.5 (B) | 82.1 (B-) |
| Pennsylvania | 82.6 (B) | 75.6 (C) | 77.7 (C+) | 74.6 (C) | 82.0 (B-) | 78.6 (C+) |
| United States | 77.3 (C+) | 70.2 (C-) | 85.3 (B) | 72.5 (C) | 75.5 (C) | 81.1 (B-) |
| Source: Education Week, "Quality Counts 2014" A full discussion of how these numbers were generated can be found here. | ||||||
School districts
- See also: School board elections portal
District types
Delaware operates both public school districts and 12 private charter schools. There are also a few schools that constitute their own school district, such as the Family Foundations Academy, Gateway Lab School and Prestige Academy.[25]
School board composition
School board members are elected by residents of the school district. If it becomes necessary to fill a vacancy (except for expiration of a term), the school district will inform the public and the Department of Elections that conducts elections for that specific school district that the vacancy has occurred no later than five business days following the vacancy. School boards in Delaware generally consist of five to seven members, elected to five-year terms. Elections are held annually on the second Tuesday in May.[26]
Term limits
Delaware does not impose statewide term limits on school board members.[27]
Elections
- See also: Delaware school board elections, 2024
No Delaware school districts within Ballotpedia's coverage scope are holding school board elections in 2024.
Path to the ballot
A qualified person wishing to become a candidate for election to the board in a public school district in Delaware must:[28]
- Complete a candidate filing form, have his/her signature notarized and submit the form to the Department of Elections
- Complete the Certification of Intention form and mail it to the Office of the State Election Commissioner Office
- Be qualified to vote in public school elections within the school district
- Not have a paid position that is subject to the rules and regulations of the school board
- Have not been convicted of embezzlement of public money, bribery, perjury or other crimes
Campaign finance
Delaware state law does not require candidates with campaign contributions less than $1,000 to file a campaign finance report. However, if the campaign receives or expends more than $2,000 (including any contributions or expenditures by the candidate) before the end of the year in which the election for such office is held, the candidate must notify the Office of the State Election Commissioner within seven days of the receipt or expenditure which brings the total to more than $2,000. The candidate must then form a committee and file all required reports with the Campaign Finance Section of the Office of the State Election Commissioner.[28]
Recent legislation
The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Delaware state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.
- Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.
Education ballot measures
- See also: Education on the ballot and List of Delaware ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked no ballot measures relating to education matters in Delaware.
In the news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Delaware education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Historical public education information in Delaware
- Delaware state budget and finances
- Delaware Department of Education
- List of school districts in Delaware
- School choice in Delaware
- Charter schools in Delaware
- Delaware
- Education Policy in the U.S.
External links
- Delaware Department of Education
- State Board of Education
- Delaware School Report Cards
- Delaware Charter Schools
- Delaware Virtual School
- Delaware Public School Statistics
- Delaware Public School Ratings by PSK12
- Delaware Public School Ratings by Great Schools
Footnotes
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "U.S. School System Current Spending Per Pupil by Region: Fiscal Year 2020," May 18, 2022
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Fast Facts: High school graduation rates," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistices, "State Profiles," accessed May 14, 2014
- ↑ United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ ACT, "2012 ACT National and State Scores," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT Scores by State 2013," October 10, 2013
- ↑ StudyPoints, "What's a good SAT score or ACT score?" accessed June 7, 2015
- ↑ United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data (CCD), State Dropout and Graduation Rate Data File, School Year 2010-11, Provision Version 1a and School Year 2011-12, Preliminary Version 1a," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue: "Petition for a writ of certiorari," accessed July 3, 2019
- ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, decided June 30, 2020
- ↑ NASBO, "State Expenditure Report," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ Maciver Institute, "REPORT: How much are teachers really paid?" accessed October 29, 2014
- ↑ United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 211.60. Estimated average annual salary of teachers in public elementary and secondary schools, by state: Selected years, 1969-70 through 2012-13," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Delaware Department of Education, "About DOE," accessed May 14, 2014
- ↑ Delaware Department of Education, "DOE Secretary of Education," accessed May 14, 2014
- ↑ Delaware Department of Education, "DOE Mission Statement," accessed May 14, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Delaware State Board of Education, "About the State Board of Education," accessed May 14, 2014
- ↑ Thomas E Fordham Institute, " How Strong Are U.S. Teacher Unions? A State-By-State Comparison," October 29, 2012
- ↑ Center for Union Facts, "Delaware teachers unions," accessed November 3, 2009
- ↑ State of Delaware, "Delaware State Government Will Open Checkbook to Public," May 7, 2009
- ↑ Education Week "Quality Counts 2014," accessed February 19, 2015
- ↑ State of Delaware, "Delaware Education," accessed July 9, 2014
- ↑ Find Law, "Delaware Code - Title I4: EDUCATION," accessed July 9, 2014
- ↑ Electronic School, "Survey of the State School Boards Associations on Term Limits for Local Board Members," accessed July 9, 2014
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 State of Delaware, "School Board Member Filing Packet," accessed July 9, 2014
