Delaware's Department of Education published the state's 2022 test scores Tuesday.

State education test scores dismal, described as ‘crisis’ 

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Delaware’s 2022 test scores were released Tuesday, and they aren’t pretty.  Just 30% of Delaware students in grades three to eight met grade level math requirements, while 42% earned a proficient score in English language arts.  These scores come from the state-administered Smarter Balanced Assessment, an end-of-the-year summative test that measures the abilities of students in grades three through eight …

Delaware received over $600 million in ESSER funds.

Here’s how $600M in COVID education money was spent 

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Delaware Live, Education

First State Educate, a local education advocacy group, held a webinar Tuesday to outline where COVID-19 relief money went. Relief funds were spent on learning loss, educational technology, building and mental health.  “As we come through, and hopefully out of the COVID-19 pandemic learning loss and recovery, not just academic, but social emotional recovery is a grave concern of mine,” …

At Tuesday's webinar, key officials will discuss where the nearly $640,000,000 in ESSER funds were distributed throughout Delaware's schools.

Webinar to focus on where COVID education money went

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Delaware Live, Education

First State Educate will host a school funding webinar Tuesday to discuss where the hundreds of millions of dollars in COVID-19 education relief funds went.  The federal government allocated $122 billion amongst the states in K-12 pandemic funds, and First State Educate wants the community to know where the money is going. Delaware received a total of $637,239,246 across three …

The Wilmington Learning Collaborative held an event Tuesday to explain details of the new draft agreement to community members.

Wilmington Learning Collaborative: Executive director by fall

Jarek RutzDelaware Live, Education, Headlines

Wilmington Learning Collaborative organizers say they hope to have an executive director in place by early fall. That was one of the new details about their operating draft agreement that came out Tuesday in a community meeting at Warner Elementary School in Wilmington.  It was the second meeting since the collaborative published its draft agreement outlining the roles and responsibilities …

Gov. John Carney, Education Secretary Mark Holodick, and Chief Equity Officer James Simmons published a joint letter to outline the key points of the Wilmington Learning Collaborative (Unsplash)

State Ed. officials plug Wilmington Learning Collaborative agreement

Jarek RutzDelaware Live, Education, Headlines

The Wilmington Learning Collaborative will hold its second community meeting since it released its draft agreement on on Tuesday, June 21. The event will be at Warner Elementary School in Wilmington from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. It’s billed as an opportunity for people to learn more about the agreement that will guide the efforts of the state and the …

Diwali is Hindu's festival of lights, a celebration lasting 5 days.

Delaware schools pushed to declare Diwali a holiday

Jarek RutzDelaware Live, Education, Headlines

A Hindu activist last week praised Brandywine School District as the first in Delaware to close so students could celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of light. Students will be off, but only because that is a day the district designated for parent-teacher conferences. Staff members will be working. In 2023, Diwali falls on a Sunday. But the system has not …

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DOE’s new summer camp website includes lots of free options

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

  First State parents can help students can keep their minds active this summer by using a new website that includes hundreds of programs made available in Delaware’s “Summer of Opportunity.” The Department of Education this week announced its new website contains a database of 265 different camps and programs that will help families find school and community-based learning opportunities …

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Del. child care worker registry open; $1,000 bonuses going out

Charles MegginsonEducation, Headlines

Delaware child care workers can now enroll in a registry that will allow them to receive their $1,000 direct relief payment from the state, the Department of Education announced Friday. Payments are available to all child care professionals who are at least 18 years of age, work in licensed Delaware child care programs, interact directly with children for at least …

Secretary Scholars

DOE chief Holodick honors 2022 Secretary Scholars

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

    In a tradition that dates nearly 40 years, the secretary of education at the Delaware Department of Education has published a list of Secretary Scholars. This year, Secretary of Education Mark Holodick honored 89 high school seniors across the state with the award. In a press release, he called the students the kind of leaders the state needs …

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Delaware schools to turn to science of reading to improve literacy rates

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

State education officials, legislators are moving to be sure the science of reading is used when teaching public students.   Delaware’s once highly ranked reading scores now are worse than those in Mississippi. Much worse.  In 2002 Delaware fourth graders outperformed Mississippi’s by 21 points on national scores, with the First State well above the national average. Today, after a …