State Report

Delaware

Delaware is building the foundation for high school transformation across 1 Policy Action.

State Report

Delaware

Delaware is building the foundation for high school transformation across 1 Policy Action.

Overview

Delaware is building the foundation for high school transformation, with a focus on giving students access to high-quality work-based learning experiences. In 2015, state leaders launched the Delaware Pathways program, a collaboration between the Delaware Department of Education, postsecondary institutions, and industry partners designed to prepare high school students for in-demand careers through work-based learning experiences within career-focused pathways. The initiative offers students opportunities to earn college credits and industry-recognized certifications, and to participate in work-based learning experiences in fields such as healthcare, information technology, and advanced manufacturing.

The Delaware Pathways program plays a pivotal role in supporting local workforce and economic development needs. As of 2025, over 30,000 students are enrolled in the program across 89 middle and high schools. Students are able to gain valuable workforce experience in high school that supports their career success after graduation.

To build on these efforts, state leaders in Delaware could work with communities to develop a Portrait of a Graduate that reflects the broad set of competencies all graduates should have by the time they leave high school, and explore opportunities to launch a statewide initiative with dedicated resources to incentivize community-led high school redesign.

Share your story

We want to hear how high school shaped your path—and how you think it needs to change.

Share your story

We want to hear how high school shaped your path—and how you think it needs to change.

Share your story

We want to hear how high school shaped your path—and how you think it needs to change.

Highlights from Delaware

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Highlights from Delaware

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Highlights from Delaware

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Delaware
Delaware’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 36,000 (64 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P. and others. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Delaware
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Delaware’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $39 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P. and others (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Delaware
In Delaware and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 23 percent of Delaware seniors graduated ready for college in math and 50 percent did so in English (94 percent of students participated in that year’s SAT).⁴ 19 percent of Delaware’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down ten percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 23 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Tools: State Profiles, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Delaware
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Delaware workers by $806 annually, totaling $16,125 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,331 per year, adding up to $26,631 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Delaware
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/;
Delaware
Delaware’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 36,000 (64 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P. and others. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Delaware
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Delaware’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $39 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P. and others (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Delaware
In Delaware and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 23 percent of Delaware seniors graduated ready for college in math and 50 percent did so in English (94 percent of students participated in that year’s SAT).⁴ 19 percent of Delaware’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down ten percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 23 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Tools: State Profiles, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Delaware
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Delaware workers by $806 annually, totaling $16,125 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,331 per year, adding up to $26,631 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Delaware
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/;
Delaware
Delaware’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 36,000 (64 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P. and others. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Delaware
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Delaware’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $39 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P. and others (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Delaware
In Delaware and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 23 percent of Delaware seniors graduated ready for college in math and 50 percent did so in English (94 percent of students participated in that year’s SAT).⁴ 19 percent of Delaware’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down ten percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 23 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Tools: State Profiles, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Delaware
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Delaware workers by $806 annually, totaling $16,125 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,331 per year, adding up to $26,631 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Delaware
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/;
Delaware
Delaware’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 36,000 (64 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P. and others. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Delaware
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Delaware’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $39 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P. and others (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Delaware
In Delaware and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 23 percent of Delaware seniors graduated ready for college in math and 50 percent did so in English (94 percent of students participated in that year’s SAT).⁴ 19 percent of Delaware’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down ten percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 23 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Tools: State Profiles, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Delaware
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Delaware workers by $806 annually, totaling $16,125 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,331 per year, adding up to $26,631 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Delaware
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/;

Delaware
Delaware’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 36,000 (64 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P. and others. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Delaware
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Delaware’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $39 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P. and others (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Delaware
In Delaware and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 23 percent of Delaware seniors graduated ready for college in math and 50 percent did so in English (94 percent of students participated in that year’s SAT).⁴ 19 percent of Delaware’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down ten percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 23 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Tools: State Profiles, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Delaware
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Delaware workers by $806 annually, totaling $16,125 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,331 per year, adding up to $26,631 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Delaware
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/;
Delaware
Delaware’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 36,000 (64 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P. and others. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Delaware
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Delaware’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $39 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P. and others (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Delaware
In Delaware and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 23 percent of Delaware seniors graduated ready for college in math and 50 percent did so in English (94 percent of students participated in that year’s SAT).⁴ 19 percent of Delaware’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down ten percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 23 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Tools: State Profiles, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Delaware
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Delaware workers by $806 annually, totaling $16,125 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,331 per year, adding up to $26,631 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Delaware
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/;
Delaware
Delaware’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 36,000 (64 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P. and others. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Delaware
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Delaware’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $39 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P. and others (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Delaware
In Delaware and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 23 percent of Delaware seniors graduated ready for college in math and 50 percent did so in English (94 percent of students participated in that year’s SAT).⁴ 19 percent of Delaware’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down ten percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 23 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Tools: State Profiles, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Delaware
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Delaware workers by $806 annually, totaling $16,125 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,331 per year, adding up to $26,631 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Delaware
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/;
Delaware
Delaware’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 36,000 (64 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P. and others. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Delaware
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Delaware’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $39 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P. and others (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Delaware
In Delaware and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 23 percent of Delaware seniors graduated ready for college in math and 50 percent did so in English (94 percent of students participated in that year’s SAT).⁴ 19 percent of Delaware’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down ten percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 23 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Tools: State Profiles, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Delaware
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Delaware workers by $806 annually, totaling $16,125 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,331 per year, adding up to $26,631 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Delaware
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/;

Delaware
Delaware’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 36,000 (64 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P. and others. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Delaware
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Delaware’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $39 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P. and others (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Delaware
In Delaware and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 23 percent of Delaware seniors graduated ready for college in math and 50 percent did so in English (94 percent of students participated in that year’s SAT).⁴ 19 percent of Delaware’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down ten percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 23 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Tools: State Profiles, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Delaware
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Delaware workers by $806 annually, totaling $16,125 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,331 per year, adding up to $26,631 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Delaware
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/;
Delaware
Delaware’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 36,000 (64 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P. and others. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Delaware
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Delaware’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $39 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P. and others (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Delaware
In Delaware and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 23 percent of Delaware seniors graduated ready for college in math and 50 percent did so in English (94 percent of students participated in that year’s SAT).⁴ 19 percent of Delaware’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down ten percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 23 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Tools: State Profiles, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Delaware
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Delaware workers by $806 annually, totaling $16,125 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,331 per year, adding up to $26,631 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Delaware
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/;
Delaware
Delaware’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 36,000 (64 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P. and others. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Delaware
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Delaware’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $39 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P. and others (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Delaware
In Delaware and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 23 percent of Delaware seniors graduated ready for college in math and 50 percent did so in English (94 percent of students participated in that year’s SAT).⁴ 19 percent of Delaware’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down ten percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 23 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Tools: State Profiles, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Delaware
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Delaware workers by $806 annually, totaling $16,125 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,331 per year, adding up to $26,631 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Delaware
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/;
Delaware
Delaware’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 36,000 (64 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P. and others. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Delaware
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Delaware’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $39 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P. and others (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Delaware
In Delaware and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 23 percent of Delaware seniors graduated ready for college in math and 50 percent did so in English (94 percent of students participated in that year’s SAT).⁴ 19 percent of Delaware’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down ten percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 23 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ The College Board. (2024). SAT Suite annual report 2024. https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card, National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Tools: State Profiles, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Delaware
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Delaware workers by $806 annually, totaling $16,125 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,331 per year, adding up to $26,631 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Delaware
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/;

Progress

High school is where America’s future takes shape. Today’s students are tomorrow’s innovators, problem solvers, and leaders—but our schools are still rooted in a century-old model built for the industrial age. As automation and AI transform the job market, too many students leave high school unprepared for what comes next.

Delaware

Delaware

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Mastery-Based Credits

Core Competencies

K-16 Alignment

Community-Led Redesign

Postsecondary Credits

Internships and Apprenticeships

Professional Development

Next-Generation Assessments

Next-Generation Assessments

Success Data

Mastery-Based Credits

Core Competencies

K-16 Alignment

Community-Led Redesign

Postsecondary Credits

Internships and Apprenticeships

Professional Development

Next-Generation Assessments

Next-Generation Assessments

Success Data

Mastery-Based Credits

Core Competencies

K-16 Alignment

Community-Led Redesign

Postsecondary Credits

Internships and Apprenticeships

Professional Development

Next-Generation Assessments

Next-Generation Assessments

Success Data