2017 Cape SAT scores slip below state average

Cape High SAT results slipped in 2017 with only about a quarter of students scoring as proficient in math. The math results were an 8 percent drop from last year, and at 26 percent, dropped Cape below this year's state average of 29 percent. In English, Cape's results, at 50 percent proficient, were also below the state average of 53 percent. This year's English scores showed a 6 percent drop from last year.

On the essay portion of the SAT, only one in five students scored proficient.

Superintendent Robert Fulton said the school will do more to prepare 11th-graders for the SAT through its test prep classes.

Sussex Tech's SAT scores also dropped in 2017, with about a third of students proficient in math and on the essay, while more than two-thirds were proficient in reading. Math proficiency was 39 percent, down five points from 2016, and English dropped two points with 35 proficiency on the essay and 70 for reading.

The Delaware Department of Education released test results July 27, touting success among the rising number of students who took the test.

"Overall, we are seeing progress," said Michael Watson, chief academic officer with the Delaware Department of Education. "We're very excited to see the progress."

For the SAT, the state test given to public school 11th-graders across the state, Watson said 52 more students took the test in 2017. However, not all school districts had 95 percent of 11-graders take the test – a federal requirement. Of the 42 high schools in the state, 23 were below the 95 percent participant requirement.

Watson said schools that do not meet the federal requirement must submit a plan of action. So far, he said, the federal government has not changed requirements for education data collection or test requirements.

Delaware's benchmarks for test scores considered proficient on the SAT are comparable to a C or higher for a college-level course, he said.

Sussex Academy shows gains

Sussex County's charter school, Sussex Academy, was among the top state performers on the 2017 state tests, showing strong gains in math. Patricia Oliphant, director of curriculum and instruction at Sussex Academy, said she was pleased with the results, but there is still more work to be done.

"You can't get complacent about what you're doing. You continually need to improve," she said.

Sussex Academy's middle school grades of 6-8 continued to rank among the top middle school scores in the state with 97 percent of middle school students scoring proficient or higher on the Smarter Balanced test. In math, students recorded a 17 percentage point increase for math proficiency, raising it to 91 percent.

"We have a track record with our middle school, and we continually want to reach the bar of excellence," she said.

Sussex Academy's high school program is still young – the school's first seniors graduated in 2016 – and, Oliphant said, she expects to build on this year's SAT scores. Although among the state's strongest performers, Sussex Academy recorded 64 percent proficiency for the math portion, 89 for reading and 57 percent for the essay.

"The SAT is good in relation to other schools in the area, but not great. Our goal is to continue to get to the point where they are exceptional scores," she said.

Cape middle schools, elementaries mostly above average

Cape's middle schools generally scored above the state average for Smarter Balanced testing. Statewide, just over half of state middle school students are proficient in English. At Beacon Middle, 68 percent of students in sixth grade, 67 percent in seventh grade, and 74 percent in eighth grade showed proficiency. At Mariner Middle, 66 percent were proficient in sixth grade, 50 percent for seventh grade and 66 percent in eighth grade.

In math, the state average was 45 percent proficient; Beacon students scored from 68 percent to 71 percent proficient in grades 6, 7 and 8. Mariner ranged from 45 percent to 53.

Combining grades 3 to 8, the state average was 54 percent for English and 45 percent for math.

Overall, Cape elementary and middle school students gained five percentage points for math proficiency, increasing from 58 percent last year to 61 percent in 2017. In English, proficiency dropped one point from 2016 to 66 percent for 2017.

Among Cape's elementary schools, Shields Elementary continued to surpass other schools in grades 3 through 5 in both English and math. Shields' English proficiencies ranged from the low 70s to mid-80s with math proficiencies from low- to mid-70s. In English, Milton Elementary ranged from low 60s to mid-70s and Rehoboth from low 60s to high 70s. In math, Milton was low 50s to mid-60s; Rehoboth was low 50s to high 70s.

H.O. Brittingham Elementary scored below the state average with less than half of students proficient in English with scores in the low to high 40s. In math, scores were in the low 40s to mid-50s.