DeSSA Alternate Assessment results are in, and 24.2% of Caesar Rodney School District students were considered proficient in ELA in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Delaware Open Data. This is higher than the average proficiency level recorded in the state.
The student’s overall success rate in the subject rose by 0.7% compared to the previous school year.
The Delaware System of Student Assessments (DeSSA) is a group of statewide standardized tests measuring student performance in math, English, and science for students in grades 3 through 8 and 11.
In comparison to other school districts across Delaware, Appoquinimink School District students were considered the best-performing students in the ELA section of the DeSSA Alternate Assessment at the time, with a proficiency rate of 31.8%.Based on overall performance, Red Clay Consolidated School District students fared the best on the DeSSA Alternate Assessment in the 2023-24 school year.
Governor Matt Meyer declared a ‘literacy emergency’ after NAEP scores released in 2024 showed Delaware eighth-graders’ reading proficiency hit a 27-year low. That year, only 41% of eighth-graders were considered proficient in reading, while 49% did not meet the math benchmarks of the national assessment.
Fourth-graders showed slight improvements in both subjects compared to 2023 but still remained below pre-pandemic levels.
| District | Proficiency Rate (%) | Total Students Tested |
|---|---|---|
| Appoquinimink School District | 31.8% | 85 |
| Caesar Rodney School District | 24.2% | 99 |
| Christina School District | 22.9% | 214 |
| Red Clay Consolidated School District | 19.4% | 67 |
| Brandywine School District | 19.2% | 26 |
| Cape Henlopen School District | 13.6% | 44 |
| Indian River School District | 12.9% | 70 |
| Capital School District | 10.9% | 55 |
