Math & reading standards and testing in Delaware
Updated June 2026
Delaware uses the Common Core State Standards for ELA and math. Students in grades 3-8 take the DeSSA, which uses the Smarter Balanced assessments in both subjects each spring.
Does Delaware hold kids back in 3rd grade for reading?
No. Delaware has no statewide test-based 3rd-grade retention mandate; promotion is local.
Standards
Common Core State Standards
Aligned to the Common Core State Standards, so grade-level skills match what most of the country teaches.
The key test
The Delaware state test
DeSSA (Smarter Balanced) covers both math and reading in grades 3-8.
Reading the results
Spring.
Levels 1 to 4; Levels 3 to 4 are proficient.
On grade level means Level 3 or above on DeSSA ELA.
What's distinctive about Delaware
DeSSA uses the Smarter Balanced computer-adaptive tests for grades 3 to 8.
Practice the skills, by grade
Whatever Delaware calls its test, the underlying math and reading skills are grade-level. Practice them directly:
Practice the skills behind the test
Delaware teaches the Common Core standards. What a third grader has to do does not change: multiply, find the main idea, read a paragraph and say what it meant. KangarooKiddo drills those skills in daily sessions of a handful of questions that end on their own. You see where your kid actually stands, they earn rewards you set up and approve.
Source: Delaware Department of Education. Verified for the 2025-26 school year; policies can change, so confirm with your school.