Education in the First State
February 24, 2016
'Little Senators' get early preview of kindergarten
       
Each month the academy focuses on a different learning domain. While children are engaged in activities, their families attend information sessions that focus on the learning topic. (photo album)
 
For one evening each month, 4- and 5-year-olds fill Capital School District classrooms, learning and playing as they get an early introduction to kindergarten.

The Little Senators' Academy, which began in October 2014, is open to children who will be eligible for kindergarten in the upcoming school year. For one hour each month, the future students explore learning through developmentally appropriate activities that will prepare them for kindergarten. They leave with a bag full of extension activities they can do with their families at home. The locations rotate between the district's seven elementary schools, giving the children a chance to become familiar with the building, principal and kindergarten teachers who they may be working with next year.

"Children walk into the academy feeling excited and ready to learn. Families feel more informed and love connecting with other families," said Diane Frentzel, a lead facilitator with the Delaware Department of Education's Office of Early Learning Delaware Readiness Teams initiative.
 
Students using free Khan Academy SAT prep tools

Middletown High School 11th grade students use their Advisory period to prepare for April's SAT administration. All Delaware students can access the free, personalized, interactive Khan Academy SAT practice tools at satpractice.org.
 
Sebastian Ortiz, an 11th grade student at Middletown High School in the Appoquinimink School District, plans to go to college next year. Like most students his age, he wants to get into a good school. Scholarships would be nice too, he says.
 
Ortiz already knows that a higher SAT score will help him get closer to reaching these goals, so when he received his PSAT results last month, he says he was grateful that his 11th grade Advisory Class at Middletown planned to dedicate this year's entire course to SAT prep.
 
The Advisory class also required Ortiz and his classmates to set up profiles for Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy - a free, online SAT preparation program in partnership with the College Board available at satpractice.org that uses student PSAT scores to personalize study materials.

Khan Academy is available to all Delaware students and schools as they gear up for Delaware's School Day SAT on April 12.

 
Progress made but high college remediation rates remain

       

The state has seen an overall reduction in remediation rates since 2012, but nearly half of Delaware's public high school graduates who attend in-state college still must take at least one remedial course before taking credit-bearing courses toward their degrees. (award photos)
 
During her senior year at Woodbridge High School, Katelyn Harding took Foundations of College Math.
 
Now a freshman at Wesley College in Dover, Harding, 18, says her first-semester math course was a "breeze" because of the strong math groundwork she received at Woodbridge.
 
"With the teacher I had and just the atmosphere of the class, it made everything I had already learned come to life," Harding said.
 
The course is one of the strategies Woodbridge has used to reduce the college remediation rates among its graduates.
 
Of Delaware public high school graduates entering an in-state college or university, 42 percent will begin their post-secondary education behind their peers, according to the state's 2016 College Success Report released today.
 
Delmar students succeed in dual enrollment opportunities
 
   
Delmar students participate in dual enrollment courses so they graduate with a high school diploma and college credits.

This fall, Amy Wilber, 17, will begin the Sports Turf Management Program at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. A 12th grade student from Delmar High School in the Delmar School District, she has been preparing for Ohio State's science- and math-heavy program for a few years now.
 
In 10th grade, Wilber enrolled in high-school biology. Last year she took her first college-level course at Delaware Technical Community College. This year - her senior year - she is enrolled in calculus and biology through Wilmington University.
 
"Looking at the classes I have to take once I get to college, I know they're heavy in science and math so I wanted to get a basis," Wilber said. "The opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school also gives me an advantage when I get to college since I'm better prepared."
 
Wilber attends Wilmington University through Delmar's dual enrollment program. The program - in place at Delmar since the 2014-15 school year - allows Delmar students in grades 10-12 to receive between three and four college credits from Wilmington University (WilmU) for college-level courses taken in high school.

 
Schools from across state honored for student achievement
 
   
Dover Air Force Base Middle was one of 12 schools named Reward and Recognition schools for 2015. The school's band performs here at a ceremony honoring the schools. (photo album)

Twelve schools were honored with Reward and Recognition School awards with another earning the title of School of Continued Excellence.

Secretary of Education Steven Godowsky recognized the dedication and hard work of the entire school communities,  the educators, students, parents and community partners whose collaboration helped the schools succeed.

"This is the kind of progress only achieved through dedicated efforts by many thoughtful educators and school community supporters," Godowsky said. "It takes the partnership of families, teachers, school and district leaders and community supporters. I congratulate the students for their hard work and perseverance and thank the professional educators and leaders who supported them on their journey to achieve excellence.

"We now have the opportunity to learn from these successes and see how we can replicate this achievement in other schools across our state."

Read about all 13 schools and what their leaders believe are the secrets to their success.

 
Other Good News in Delaware's Public Schools