Sussex Academy celebrates academic success

Sussex Academy students outperformed and in some cases scored twice as high as the state average in all assessments for the 2023-24 academic year, according to data released by the Delaware Department of Education in August.

Head of School Kyle Bentley said the staff is incredibly proud of how students are excelling in all subjects at Sussex Academy.

“This success is a direct reflection of our mission and the dedication of our students, staff and families who have chosen to be part of our public charter school community,” Bentley said.

Sussex Academy Chief Academic Officer Janet Owens said as school officials analyze this year’s state testing data, they were pleased to again see gains from the previous year.

“And we continue to outperform the state average in all tested content areas,” Owens said. “While we are not back to the pre-COVID results we are striving for, the scores do provide evidence that the longer our students participate in our program, the more academic progress they are able to see. These gains are a testament to the power of our supportive learning environment, strong teacher-student relationships and rigorous academic expectations.”

Overall, Sussex Academy’s school-wide proficiency in English Language Arts is 71%, well above the state average of 41%.

At the individual grade level at Sussex Academy, 66% of third-graders, 51% of fourth-graders, 58% of fifth-graders, 74% of sixth-graders, 75% of seventh-graders and 83% of eighth-graders scored proficient.

At the state level, 39% of third-graders, 39% of fourth-graders, 43% of fifth-graders, 38% of sixth-graders, 41% of seventh-graders and 41% of eighth-graders scored proficient.

Overall, Sussex Academy’s school-wide math proficiency is 52%, compared with the state average of 31%.

At Sussex Academy, 73% of third-graders, 49% of fourth-graders, 42% of fifth-graders, 54% of sixth-graders, 56% of seventh-graders and 51% of eighth-graders scored proficient.

At the state level, 44% of third-graders, 39% of fourth-graders, 33% of fifth-graders, 28% of sixth-graders, 28% of seventh-graders and 25% of eighth-graders scored proficient.

For high school ELA and math assessments, Delaware uses the SAT. In ELA, Sussex Academy students scored 88% proficient compared to the state average of 45% proficient. In math, Sussex Academy scored 38% proficient while the state average was 18%.

In science, Delaware students are tested in fifth and eighth grades, and in high school biology. Sussex Academy’s overall science proficiency is 51%, compared with the state average of 20%.

Science proficiency rates for Sussex Academy fifth-graders are 33%, eighth-graders are 56% and high school biology students are 51%. Proficiency rates for Delaware fifth-graders are 22%, eighth-graders are 16% and high school biology students are 24%.

Social studies proficiency is tested in fourth through eighth grade and again in 11th grade. In all, Sussex Academy’s social studies proficiency is 60%, nearly double the state average of 33%.

While the social studies test in fifth and seventh grade was administered as a field test, social studies proficiency rates for Sussex Academy fourth-graders are 42%, sixth-graders are 66%, eighth-graders are 64%, and 11th-graders are 56%.

Comparatively, proficiency rates for Delaware fourth-graders are 36%, sixth-graders are 40%, eighth-graders are 31%, and 11th-graders are 26%.