Sussex Academy students shine in state assessments, AP exams

Sussex Academy students excelled in both state assessments and AP exams for the 2024-25 academic year.

Head of School Kyle Bentley said, “We are so proud of our students. The academic success of our charter school reflects the dedication of families, the hard work of students and the excellence of our educators. We are equally as excited about the opportunities we have to improve and remain focused on continued growth.”

Sussex Academy Chief Academic Officer Janet Owens said assessment scores are an important indicator of a school's effectiveness in providing a quality education for all students in all areas.

“Sussex Academy does continue to outperform the state average, but our school knows that there are content areas and grade levels where scores are not where we want them to be,” said Thomas. “We also recognize that high overall scores can sometimes mask individual learning gaps. By analyzing the data, we can identify and support students who may be struggling in specific areas.”

Overall, Sussex Academy’s school-wide proficiency in English Language Arts for grades three to eight is 70%, above the state average of 41%.

At the individual grade level at Sussex Academy, 64% of third-graders, 63% of fourth-graders, 63% of fifth-graders, 66% of sixth-graders, 71% of seventh-graders and 78% of eighth-graders scored proficient.

At the state level, 39% of third-graders, 42% of fourth-graders, 44% of fifth-graders, 38% of sixth-graders, 44% of seventh-graders and 41% of eighth-graders scored proficient.

Overall, Sussex Academy’s school-wide math proficiency for students in grades three to eight is 55%, compared with the state average of 34%.

At Sussex Academy, 80% of third-graders, 72% of fourth-graders, 44% of fifth-graders, 46% of sixth-graders, 52% of seventh-graders and 60% of eighth-graders scored proficient.

At the state level, 42% of third-graders, 41% of fourth-graders, 33% of fifth-graders, 30% of sixth-graders, 31% of seventh-graders and 27% of eighth-graders scored proficient.

In science, Delaware students are tested in fifth and eighth grades and in high school biology. Sussex Academy’s overall science proficiency is 57%, compared with the state average of 24%.

Data shows that science proficiency rates for Sussex Academy fifth-graders are 48%, eighth-graders are 50%, and high school biology students are 67%. Proficiency rates for Delaware fifth-graders are 48%, eighth-graders are 50%, and high school biology students are 26%.

In social studies, students are tested in grades four through eight and in 11th grade. Preliminary data shows that Sussex Academy’s social studies proficiency is 65%, compared with the state average of 42%.

Social studies proficiency rates for Sussex Academy fourth-graders are 55%, fifth-graders are 78%, sixth-graders are 57%, seventh-graders are 85%, eighth-graders are 64%, and 11th-graders are 54%.

Comparatively, proficiency rates for Delaware fourth-graders are 35%, fifth-graders are 55%, sixth-graders are 57%, seventh-graders are 55%, eighth-graders are 32%, and 11th-graders are 28%.

For high school ELA and math assessments, Delaware uses the SAT. In ELA, Sussex Academy students scored 83% proficient compared with the state average of 47% proficient. In math, Sussex Academy students scored 46% proficient while the state average was 18%.

Sussex Academy students earned a 79% pass rate on AP exams last year, with a record 314 students taking 547 exams. Nearly 30% of these AP students earned AP Scholar Awards, and 45 students were awarded the highest honor of AP Scholar with Distinction.

The assessment and AP scores come on the heels of recent US News & World Report data that ranked Sussex Academy the No. 2 high school in Delaware and No. 273 school in the nation, based on performance on state-required tests, graduation rates and how well students are prepared for college.