Cape students score first in most state assessments

Cape Henlopen students scored highest in the state in most student assessment categories, but district leaders say more work needs to be done to improve proficiency.

Supervisor of Elementary Education Amanda Archambault and Supervisor of Secondary Education Michael Young presented assessment results for the 2022-23 academic year at the Aug. 24 school board meeting.

For the second straight year, Cape students in grades 3-8 scored highest in the state in math and English Language Arts. At the high school level, Cape students scored highest in the state in the reading and math portions of the SAT and third in the state in the essay test, just three percentage points from first.

“Although we are scoring considerably higher than the state, we still have lots of work to do,” Archambault said.

The district team is working with each school building’s leaders to support the individual needs of all students, she said.

Superintendent Bob Fulton said Cape is scoring higher than most districts and schools in the state, but not, for example, at rates of 96% proficiency. 

“We’re making headway. We’re making progress trying to recover and surpass where we were prior to the pandemic, and I know we can do that,” Fulton said.

English language arts scores

Overall, Delaware ELA scores for grades 3-8 dropped from 54% proficiency in 2018 to 40% in 2023, which is also down 2 percentage points from 2022. However, Cape ELA students in grades 3-8 scored 55% proficient in 2023, the highest in the state. 

Proficiency rates for Delaware third-graders are 38%, fourth-graders are 40%, fifth-graders are 44%.

Proficiency rates for Cape elementary students overall are 53% for third-graders, and 56% for both fourth- and fifth-graders.

At H.O. Brittingham Elementary, 39% of third-graders, 54% of fourth-graders and 37% of fifth-graders scored proficient. At Love Creek, 49% of third-graders, 53% of fourth-graders and 69% of fifth-graders scored proficient. Milton Elementary third-graders scored 57% proficient, fourth-graders scored 48% proficient and fifth-graders scored 60% proficient.

At Rehoboth Elementary, 59% of third-graders, 73% of fourth-graders and 52% of fifth-graders scored proficient. At Lewes Elementary, 65% of third-graders, 52% of fourth-graders and 65% of fifth-graders scored proficient.

Proficiency scores for middle schools statewide are sixth-graders, 35%; seventh-graders, 43%; and eighth-graders, 41%. Cape proficiency scores for middle schools combined are sixth- and seventh-graders, both 55%; and eighth-graders, 53%. 

At Mariner Middle, 41% of both sixth- and seventh-graders and 42% of eighth-graders scored proficient. At Beacon Middle, 73% of sixth-graders, 69% of seventh-graders and 65% of eighth-graders scored proficient.

Math scores

Overall, Delaware math scores also decreased from 44% proficiency in 2018 to 32% for grades 3-8 in 2023, up from 30% in 2022. Cape math students in grades 3-8 scored 52% proficient in 2023, the highest in the state. 

Proficiency rates for Delaware third-graders are 32%, fourth-graders are 39%, and fifth-graders are 32%.

Proficiency rates for Cape elementary students overall are 62% for third-graders, 57% for fourth-graders and 50% for fifth-graders. 

At H.O.B., 49% of third-graders, 48% of fourth-graders and 33% of fifth-graders scored proficient. At Love Creek, 61% of third-graders, 56% of fourth-graders and 72% of fifth-graders scored proficient. Milton Elementary third-graders scored 62% proficient, fourth-graders scored 57% proficient and fifth-graders scored 49% proficient.

At Rehoboth Elementary, 67% of third-graders, 64% of fourth-graders and 49% of fifth-graders scored proficient. At Lewes Elementary, 74% of third-graders, 65% of fifth-graders and 47% of fifth-graders scored proficient.

Proficiency scores for middle schools statewide are sixth-graders, 26%; seventh-graders, 29%; and eighth-graders, 24%. Cape proficiency scores for middle schools combined are sixth-graders, 49%; seventh-graders, 46%; and eighth-graders, 45%.

At Mariner Middle, 39% of sixth-graders, 34% of seventh-graders and 38% of eighth-graders scored proficient. At Beacon Middle, 61% of sixth-graders, 58% of seventh-graders and 53% of eighth-graders scored proficient.

SAT results 

For high school statewide assessment, Delaware uses the SAT. Statewide in 2023, 44% of students scored proficient on the reading test, down 3 percentage points from last year, while 23% scored proficient in math, down 1 percentage point from last year. On the essay, 42% scored proficient, up 4% from last year.

At Cape High, students scored 59% proficient in reading, down 1% from 2022, and 32% proficient in math, 4% higher than in 2022. Both scores are highest in the state. 

Cape High students scored 52% proficient in the essay, which is 14% higher than last year. Cape High students scored third-highest in the state, coming after Concord High at 54% proficiency and Indian River High School at 53% proficiency.

The complete presentation is available at tinyurl.com/4f7vsfhk.