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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

Delaware leans on national frameworks rather than writing its own from scratch. Math and reading follow the Common Core, science follows the Next Generation Science Standards, and the arts, world languages, and physical education all sit on top of national models the state has adapted. Social studies is the outlier, still running on a 1995 framework that predates most of the others by two decades.

  • Delaware Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)
  • Delaware Department of Education — CTE / Career Ready Practices
  • Delaware Department of Education — Computer Science (K-12 CS-aligned)
  • Delaware Department of Education — Physical Education (SHAPE-aligned)
  • Delaware Department of Education — World Languages (ACTFL-aligned)
Source: Delaware Delaware Content Standards
The shape of K-12
A plain-language read of how the state runs school.
What students learn
Math follows the Common Core from kindergarten through eighth grade and then opens into high school courses built on the same standards. Science is taught as something students do, not just read about, with lessons built around the Next Generation Science Standards adopted in 2014. Reading and writing also follow the Common Core, and computer science has had its own K-12 framework since 2016.
How students are measured
The main test is the DeSSA, given each spring in grades 3 through 8 for reading and math, with science layered in at grades 5, 8, and once in high school. Every 11th grader sits for the SAT on a school day, paid for by the state. A rotating sample of 4th, 8th, and 12th graders also takes the NAEP every other winter so Delaware can be compared to other states.
Frameworks adopted, by subject
The standards documents the state writes against in each subject.
Subject Framework Adopted Source
Mathematics
Delaware Content Standards
2010View
English Language Arts
Delaware Content Standards
2010View
Science
Delaware Content Standards
2014View
Social Studies
Delaware Content Standards
1995View
Computer Science & Digital Fluency
Delaware Department of Education — Computer Science (K-12 CS-aligned)K-12 CS Framework-aligned
2016View
Arts: Visual Arts
Delaware Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Dance
Delaware Content Standards
2014View
Arts: Media Arts
Delaware Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Music
Delaware Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Theatre
Delaware Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
World Languages
Delaware Department of Education — World Languages (ACTFL-aligned)ACTFL-aligned
2015View
Physical Education
Delaware Department of Education — Physical Education (SHAPE-aligned)SHAPE-aligned
2024View
Health Education
Delaware Content Standards
2022View
Career Development & Occupational Studies
Delaware Department of Education — CTE / Career Ready PracticesCCTC-aligned
2012View
Social Emotional Learning
Delaware Content Standards
2020View
Assessments
The tests students take across K-12, grouped by purpose.

Other

Tests that do not fit the buckets above.

State Summative

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
Official source
State Summative

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
Official source
State Summative

DeSSA: Science (Grade 5)

Computer-based science assessment in grade 5, aligned to the NGSS-based Delaware Science Standards.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

DeSSA: Science (Grade 8)

Computer-based science assessment in grade 8, aligned to the NGSS-based Delaware Science Standards.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

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
Official source
National College Readiness

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
Official source
National Monitoring

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
Official source
Browse by grade and subject
Pick a cell to see exactly what students learn that year.
Subjects covered
15
Grade levels
14
Standards on file
1,846
Assessments tracked
7
Most recent adoption
2024
Common questions
  • Does this state use Common Core?

    Yes, for reading, writing, and math. The state adopted the Common Core standards in 2010 and still uses them as the basis for what students learn in those subjects.

  • What is the spring test, and who takes it?

    Most students in grades 3 through 8 take the DeSSA each spring in reading, writing, and math. Science is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school. Eleventh graders take the SAT School Day for free as part of the state's accountability system.

  • Which subjects have official standards beyond reading, writing, and math?

    Science, social studies, computer science, the arts (visual arts, dance, media arts, music, and theatre), world languages, physical education, health, career and technical education, and social emotional learning all have adopted standards. Districts decide how to schedule and staff them.

  • How often do the standards change?

    It depends on the subject. Reading, writing, and math have held steady since 2010, science since 2014, and social studies has not been refreshed since 1995. Physical education was updated most recently, in 2024.

  • Where can someone see what students are supposed to learn this year?

    Pick a subject and grade on this page. Each set of standards shows the specific skills students are expected to learn, written in plain language with the official codes alongside.

Sources
Every page link goes back to the state's own document.

Frameworks

Assessments