Absence
English Learners Lost Their Attendance Advantage
Before COVID, Delaware's English learners were less likely to be chronically absent than average. The gap flipped in 2021, briefly reversed in 2022, and reopened in 2023.
Delaware
Education News & Data
Local education reporting from every corner of Delaware, grounded in Delaware Department of Education data.
Smyrna: Below the State Average Across a Decade of Data
Smyrna School District stayed below Delaware's chronic absenteeism rate in every available data year since 2015 and ranked lowest among the state's 5,000-plus-student district systems in 2024-25.
Delaware's 12th-Grade Absence Rate Fell Below 11th Again
The 12th-grade chronic absenteeism rate was 1.4 points below 11th grade in 2025, the fourth such result in five post-2020 reporting years.
Same Sector, 54 Points Apart
Delaware's charter schools post both the lowest and highest chronic absenteeism in the state. Which number you use determines what story you tell.
Seaford's Graduation Rate Fell 5.8 Points, Delaware's Steepest District Decline
Seaford's graduation rate fell 5.8 points from 2015 to 2023, the steepest Delaware district decline, while its gender gap reached 13.1 points.
More Coverage
Equity
Left Behind: The Two Groups Delaware's Rising Graduation Rate Missed
Students in foster care and students who are currently homeless are the only subgroups in Delaware whose graduation rates fell over nine years, even as the state hit an all-time high of 88.9%.
Absence
Delaware Special-Education Chronic Absence Fell Below 2019
The chronic-absence rate for Delaware students with disabilities fell from 24.1% in 2018-19 to 23.6% in 2024-25, while the all-student rate remained above its 2019 level.
Achievement Gap
One in Four SpEd Students Still Don't Graduate on Time
Delaware's SpEd graduation rate gained 9.6 points since 2015, but a 15.6-point gap persists. Christina graduates barely half its SpEd students.
Absence
9th Grade: Where 1 in 4 Delaware Students Goes Missing
Chronic absenteeism peaks at 23.4% in 9th grade, nearly double elementary rates. Black and low-income freshmen hit hardest at the key dropout predictor.
Absence
Only 8 of 35 Districts Beat Their Pre-COVID Absence Rates
Delaware recovered 81% of its COVID attendance loss statewide, but only 8 of 35 districts have returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Equity
NCC Vo-Tech Graduates 98% of Black Students
New Castle County Vo-Tech has essentially eliminated the equity gap in graduation rates, with Black students outperforming white peers by 2.6 percentage points.
Absence
Woodbridge Cut Chronic Absenteeism by 13 Points in One Year
Woodbridge's chronic absenteeism rate fell from 18.4% to 5.2% in 2024-25, the largest single-year improvement among Delaware traditional districts.
District Spotlight
Lake Forest Crossed 90%. No Geographic District Gained More.
Lake Forest posted Delaware's largest graduation-rate gain: up 12.1 points from its 2019 trough to 90.4%, largest gain among 16 geographic districts.
Absence
Seaford Cut Chronic Absenteeism by 21 Points in Three Years
The small Sussex County district went from one of Delaware's worst attendance performers to beating the state average, with 753 fewer students chronically absent.
Achievement Gap
Two Districts Where One in Three Boys Don't Graduate on Time
In Seaford and Christina, male graduation rates sit near 67%, more than 13 percentage points behind female peers. Vo-tech districts show the gap can close.
