44.8% Sussex County students proficient on ELA portion of 2023-24 SAT

Dr. Mark Holodick Delaware Superintedent of Education | https://x.com/markhdelaware

By Sussex Review

Mar 17, 2025

SAT results are in, and 44.8% of Sussex County students were considered proficient in ELA in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Delaware Open Data. This is higher than the average proficiency level recorded in the state.

The student's overall success rate in the subject rose by 3.1% compared to the previous school year.

Compared to other counties across Delaware, Sussex County students were considered the best-performing students in ELA section of the SAT at the time.

Governor Matt Meyer declared a 'literacy emergency' after NAEP scores released in 2024 showed Delaware eighth-graders' reading proficiency hit a 27-year low. That year, only 41% of eighth-graders were considered proficient in reading, while 49% did not meet the math benchmarks of the national assessment.

Fourth-graders showed slight improvements in both subjects compared to 2023 but still remained below pre-pandemic levels.

ELA Proficiency Rates on SAT Over 4 Years: Sussex vs. Delaware