DeSSA: ELA/Literacy (Smarter Balanced, Grades 3-8)
Delaware's spring summative test in reading and writing for grades 3 through 8, aligned to the Delaware ELA Standards.
- When given:
- spring
- Frequency:
- annual
What does a student learn in
Delaware leans on national frameworks rather than writing its own from scratch. The state adopted the Common Core for math and reading in 2010, then picked up the Next Generation Science Standards in 2014. Social studies still runs on a state framework written in the mid-1990s. The result is a K-12 program that tracks closely with what most other states teach, with science as the area Delaware updated most recently.
- Delaware Content Standards
The shape of K-12
A plain-language read of how the state runs school.
- What students learn
- Math and English follow the Common Core from kindergarten through high school, so students work on the same reading, writing, and math expectations a parent would recognize from most other states. Science is taught under the Next Generation Science Standards, which means students run experiments and build explanations rather than memorize vocabulary from a textbook. Social studies covers civics, history, geography, and economics under an older state framework.
- How students are measured
- The main test is DeSSA, given each spring. Students in grades 3 through 8 take the Smarter Balanced tests in reading and math, and students in grades 5, 8, and once in high school take a science test built on the NGSS. Every 11th grader sits for the SAT School Day during the school day, paid for by the state. A small sample of 4th, 8th, and 12th graders also take NAEP every other winter.
Frameworks adopted, by subject
The standards documents the state writes against in each subject.
Assessments
The tests students take across K-12, grouped by purpose.
Other
Tests that do not fit the buckets above.
DeSSA: Mathematics (Smarter Balanced, Grades 3-8)
Delaware's spring summative math test for grades 3 through 8, aligned to the Delaware Math Standards.
- When given:
- spring
- Frequency:
- annual
DeSSA: Science (Grade 5)
Computer-based science assessment in grade 5, aligned to the NGSS-based Delaware Science Standards.
- When given:
- spring
- Frequency:
- annual
DeSSA: Science (Grade 8)
Computer-based science assessment in grade 8, aligned to the NGSS-based Delaware Science Standards.
- When given:
- spring
- Frequency:
- annual
DeSSA: Science (High School)
High school science assessment administered once after completion of NGSS-aligned high school science coursework.
- When given:
- spring
- Frequency:
- once in high school
SAT School Day
Delaware administers the SAT School Day to all 11th-grade students free of charge as part of the state's accountability system.
- When given:
- spring
- Frequency:
- annual
NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)
Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.
- When given:
- biennial in winter
- Frequency:
- every two years
Browse by grade and subject
Pick a cell to see exactly what students learn that year.
Kindergarten
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Grade 9
Grade 10
Grade 11
Grade 12
- Subjects covered
- 4
- Grade levels
- 13
- Standards on file
- 993
- Assessments tracked
- 7
- Most recent adoption
- 2014
Common questions
Does this state use Common Core?
Yes. The reading, writing, and math standards are based on the Common Core, adopted in 2010. The state has reviewed and updated pieces over the years, but the core expectations students see in class still trace back to that framework.
What is the spring test, and who takes it?
The state's spring test is called DeSSA. Students in grades 3 through 8 take it in reading and math. Students take a science section in grades 5, 8, and once in high school. Eleventh graders take the SAT School Day instead, paid for by the state.
Which subjects have state standards?
Reading and writing, math, science, and social studies all have state standards. The science standards are based on the Next Generation Science Standards from 2014. The social studies standards date back to 1995 and are older than the other subjects.
How often do the standards change?
Not often. Reading, writing, and math have been in place since 2010. Science was last updated in 2014, and social studies has not had a major revision since 1995. Reviews happen on a slow cycle, so what students learn this year will look a lot like last year.
Where can a specific grade's expectations be found?
Pick a subject and grade from the menu on this page. Each grade shows the standards students are expected to learn that year, written out in plain code and description.
Sources
Every page link goes back to the state's own document.