The assessment tool will help gauge the health and safety of school facilities.

State releases online tool to help schools evaluate facilities

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

The Delaware Department of Education released a new tool to establish an evaluation and assessment system to determine whether a school facility is in good repair.  The facility assessment tool will help school districts review and assess conditions in a standardized way.  Structured like a rubric, the assessments will help identify areas in need of attention, so school facilities are …

Delaware's school choice application window closes Jan. 10.

School choice window closes next week 

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Parents have eight days to submit applications if they wish to send their children to a school outside of their residential district or assigned school. Delaware is one of the 13 states in the country that allows families to apply for their children to attend any public school – district or charter – rather than sending them to the neighborhood …

School funding

Report: State should put more $$$ into schools, allot by student need

bshupeEducation, Headlines

The Delaware Department of Education on Monday released a heavily anticipated independent study of Delaware’s education funding system that, among other things, the state should put more money into education, allocate money according to student need and allow districts flexibility in how that money is used. The $700,000 study by the American Institutes for Research was a part of the …

Red Clay and Colonial school districts were the biggest funding beneficiaries of this year's certificate of necessity approvals.

Colonial, Red Clay biggest winners in state funding requests

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

The state Department of Education has made some school districts very happy by deeming their requests for state funding necessary to fulfill building projects. For fiscal year 2025, the Department of Education approved 50 certificate of necessity requests, 44 of which involved state funding. They were concentrated in six districts. Districts submit certificates of necessity each year to the department, …

The 2024 Delaware Educational Support Professional of the Year will be announced Dec. 5.

2024 Educational Support Pro of the Year named Dec. 5

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

One education support professional will be chosen Dec. 5 as the state’s best out of the 19 chosen by school districts and one charter school. This is the fourth year the Department of Education has recognized a State Educational Support Professional of the Year. “Educational support professionals’ roles vary greatly,” said Mark Holodick, secretary of education. “They provide one-on-one support …

Currently, free meals are based on income levels of either a student's family or the community the school is located in.

Bill to mandate free school meals could cost state millions

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Six Democratic state legislators are sponsoring legislation that would require all public schools to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students. House Bill 125, whose primary sponsor is Rep. Sherae’a Moore, D-Middletown, was introduced in April, but never heard by the General Assembly, which returns to session in January. Moore declined an interview to discuss the bill. The bill …

In addition to the online move, the SATs are getting shorter.

SATs to move exclusively online in 2024 with adaptive format

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

The SATs – a standardized test widely used for college admissions and mandated in Delaware – will be taken exclusively online for First State students starting in 2024. “The College Board is moving to a full digital adaptive test,” said Theresa Bennett, director of the Office of Assessment at the Delaware Department of Education.  Adaptive tests vary the difficulty level …

The AIR report on Delaware's school funding system should be given to the state by the end of December.

Ed. leaders discuss equity ahead of December funding report

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Two dozen leaders from state and national educational organizations on Monday got a sneak peek of potential recommendations on how Delaware should fund schools.  A report by the American Institutes for Research, being paid for by the Delaware Department of Education and designed to help guide state recommendations on changing the way schools are funded is expected to be released …

Brandywine's Harlan Elementary School is one of 53 Delaware schools on support and improvement plans.

53 schools on improvement plans to be re-evaluated next year 

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

The First State has 53 public schools on support and improvement plans due to consistent underachievement.  They are divided into three categories, determined by factors such as whether the whole student body or only a student subgroup are underachieving and whether there’s a pattern of underperformance from year to year. Schools on support and improvement plans receive extra funding for …

Positive Outcomes Charter School is one of six charters up for renewal this year.

Positive Outcomes Charter kicks off 6 renewal hearings

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Positive Outcomes Charter School of Camden came prepared for its sixth meeting with a state committee that reviews Delaware’s charter schools’ progress. Positive Outcomes showed the committee a short video presenting a lot of anecdotal and data-based successes.  We’re very proud to be in front of you today seeking our sixth renewal of our school,” said Ed Emmett, school director. …