Education Management

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This collection provides data and analysis information for state government, school district, charter school, and citizens concerned about public education in Delaware about teacher recruitment and retention, mentoring, and induction. Visit the IPA website for more information.

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 47
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    Sussex County Vocational Technical School District Program Review and Analysis
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2022-09) Qaissaunee, Haley; Sherretz, Kelly L.; Laux, Brendan; DeMaio, Jenna
    At the request of the Sussex County Vocational Technical School District, the Institute for Public Administration at the University of Delaware produced this report to analyze the career and technical education (CTE) programs in the district and provide key takeaways and recommendations the district can use for strategic planning. The Sussex County Vocational Technical School District is comprised of one high school, Sussex Technical High School (Sussex Tech). This analysis will assist district leaders and school board members with determining the best CTE programs to offer, help the district plan for expanded seats, and ensure all students who attend Sussex Tech are prepared to excel in their career or college path.
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    Delaware Head Start Collaboration Office and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships Needs Assessment
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2021-10-21) Sherretz, Kelly; Kelly, Christopher; Qaissaunee, Haley; Beebe, Michael
    The Institute for Public Administration (IPA) at the University of Delaware conducted a needs assessment for the Delaware Head Start Collaboration Office and the First Start Delaware Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships (EHS-CCP). The purpose of this needs assessment was to help these organizations meet federal Head Start reporting requirements and determine strategies to better serve Delaware children and families. This needs assessment provides a landscape analysis of HS and EHS programs in Delaware, analyzes results from a survey distributed to all Head Start and Early Head Start center and program directors in the state, and provides supplemental information from follow- up interviews.
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    Educational Opportunity Disparities in Delaware, 1992–2019
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2020-10) Bruch, Sarah; Qaissaunee, Haley; Wrease, Alexis
    For over a quarter century, Delaware has witnessed consistent, sizable educational opportunity disparities for students with low-income status, English-learner status (EL), or disability status and for students who are Black and Hispanic. This brief uses average test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) as measures of educational opportunity. Test scores reflect the educational opportunities to learn that are available to students in their schools and communities. While measuring student outcomes is an important strategy for holding schools and districts accountable for student success, we must understand that disparities in academic achievement reflect historical and current day structural inequities. Acknowledging structural inequities helps ensure that achievement differences are not viewed as the result of individual student deficits and instead focuses attention on ensuring that systems are designed for all students to thrive.
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    Delaware Summit on Civics Education 2019 Summary Report
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2019-12) O'Malley, Fran
    In February 2019, the Democracy Project (DP) of the University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration (IPA) convened Delaware’s first Summit on Civics Education. The report provides the background leading to the summit; a review of the summit activities; critical findings; and a potential path forward.
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    Extended Learning Opportunities in Delaware
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2019-11) Kelly, Christopher G.; O'Hanlon, Julia; Sherretz, Kelly; Velez, Jessica
    At the recommendation of the House Resolution 39 Statewide Afterschool Initiative Learning Task Force, the University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration (IPA) conducted a landscape analysis and needs assessment of extended learning opportunities in Delaware. In addition, the project team engaged with stakeholders in the field and conducted an extensive literature review.
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    Purchase of Care 101
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2019-05) Sherretz, Kelly L.; Moore, Leann; Qaissaunee, Haley
    The Purchase of Care (POC) Program in Delaware is a subsidy that provides support for early childhood and after-school education for children from birth through age 12 living within 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Limit. Funding for POC comes from federal and state sources, which help low-income families pay for their child care so that parents or guardians can work or receive workforce training. As indicated in the pie chart, Delaware’s POC funding comes almost equally from federal and state sources. The Delaware Division of Social Services (DSS) is responsible for setting the standards and distributing the benefit to Delawareans.
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    Delaware’s Early Childhood System & the Economy: Benefits & Barriers to High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Childcare
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2019-05) Sherretz, Kelly L.; Moore, Leann; Qaissaunee, Haley
    High-quality early childhood education and childcare have substantial benefits for Delaware kids, families, and the economy.
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    Child Poverty Policy in Delaware: A Focus on Education
    (Institute for Public Administration, Wilmington Education Improvement Commission, 2019-04) Rich, Dan; Sherretz, Kelly L.; Qaissaunee, Haley; Missan, Marissa
    This policy brief by the Institute for Public Administration wasprepared for the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission (the Commission) to serve as an overview of the changing conditions of child poverty and the resulting educational outcomes for students. This brief is an update to the 2017 publication, Child Poverty Policy in Delaware: A focus on Health and Education. The analysis includes a review of recent state legislation and policy decisions that impact child poverty and education.
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    Delaware School Administrator Funding Analysis
    (2019-01) Kelly, Christopher; Culpepper Chesser, Margaret
    At the request of House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 39 Task Force to Study School District Consolidation the University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration conducted an analysis of the historical formulas and current placement of school district administrators across the state. In addition, the project team also examined the key functions of district and building-level administrations in Delaware to determine organizational scope of work.The project scope included the following four items: 1. Examining the current funding formulas for district- and building-level administrators 2. Identifying the number and types of administrators by district and building, including how they are funded 3. Utilizing teacher-, paraprofessional-, student-, and task-related data at the building level to ascertain span of responsibility for districts 4. Identifying administrator funding formulas or guidance from neighboring states including Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia and peer states including North Carolina and Tennessee
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    Summary of the School Leader Professional Development Series: The Opportunities and Challenges of Implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 2016 Conference
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2016-10) Sherretz, Kelly L.
    The following is a summary of takeaways from the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 2016 Conference held on October 26th and explores national and local insights, an implementation strategy for Delaware, the importance of statewide accountability, and school supports and interventions. The event was co-sponsored by the Institute for Public Administration and Delaware Academy for School Leadership at the University of Delaware, in cooperation with the Delaware Association of School Administrators, Delaware School Boards Association, Delaware State Education Association, and Delaware State PTA.
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    Quality School Libraries Lead to Higher Student Achievement
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2016-08) Kelly, Christopher; Sherretz, Kelly L.; Wilson, Bill
    Over the past two decades, the relationship between the quality of school libraries and student performance has been the focus of dozens of state-level studies. Simply stated, these studies confirm that access to high-quality school library services results in better student performance. The declaration used in the title of this report, Quality School Libraries = Higher Student Achievement, is not a speculative statement. Research affirms this equation. Most research indicates that the following characteristics of school libraries lead to improved learning outcomes for students: • A full-time certified/qualified librarian at the building level • Adequate support staff to enable the librarian to perform professional duties • Adequate expenditure for new resources to ensure student access to recent, relevant content • High level of collaboration between librarians and teachers and librarians and students • Flexible scheduling that enables the librarian to interact with teachers and students • Access to up-to-date technological infrastructure and online resources • Access to professional development and networking opportunities for library staff Unfortunately, school libraries in Delaware are, in general, understaffed, underfunded, and unequipped of up-to-date collections and resources. Librarians that do work in schools, in many cases, are unable to carry out professional duties because they must complete day-to-day tasks related to library management and additional staffing/instructional assignments. Oftentimes, librarians are unable to participate in professional development opportunities and to collaborate with teachers and students due to their fixed schedules (Focus Groups, 2015). The current state of school libraries in Delaware is dire, which creates a situation where students are unable to receive the measurable benefits of quality school libraries. Of even greater concern, the quality library gap is growing rather than shrinking so that equitable access to resources and technology is not available for all students in the state. A comparison among Delaware’s school districts shows that the 10 districts in which less than 40 percent of the students are from low-income households have added 13 librarians since the 2005–2006 school year. The nine districts in which more than 40 percent of the students from low-income households have cut 16 librarians since the 2005–2006 school year (Delaware District and School Profiles). Delaware’s students from low-income households are facing reductions in the services needed to improve their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.
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    Wilmington Community Asset and Resource Mapping: An Analysis of the Resources Available to Resident of the City of Wilmington, Delaware
    (2018-05) Rich, Dan; Sherretz, Kelly; Qaissaunee, Haley; Micek, Melissa; Holland, Chester
    The Wilmington Education Improvement Commission (Commission) aims to provide recommendations to improve the lives of families and children in Delaware. The Meeting the Needs of Students in Poverty Committee was created by the Commission and tasked with developing a comprehensive plan for the integration of services for low income families and their children and schools with high concentrations of poverty (Wilmington Education Improvement Commission, 2016). A key step in this effort is to evaluate current Wilmington community assets and resources and the extent to which they serve the needs of low income families. This research brief summarizes the first stage of a resource mapping project that focuses on determining what public and nonprofit community resource institutions are in Wilmington, what types of services they provide, who they serve, where they are located, and how their location and operation corresponds to the needs of the city’s children and low income families. The University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration conducted research, provided staff support, and created this brief on behalf of the Commission and the committee. The full report on the first stage of this research will be posted to the Commission’s website: www.solutionsfordelawareschools.com
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    Child Poverty Policy in Delaware: A Focus on Health and Education
    (2017-05) Rich, Dan; Sherretz, Kelly; Mensch, Kelsey
    This policy brief by the Institute for Public Administration was prepared for the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission (the Commission) and begins with an overview of the changing conditions of child poverty that lead to disparities in academic performance and outcomes for students. The analysis then highlights recent state legislation to address the challenges disproportionately faced by low-income families in Delaware. Consistent with the Commission’s mandates, the analysis considers the relationships of poverty, education, and state policy. The conclusions are clear: The condition of child poverty in Delaware has become more acute; poverty remains a dominant force limiting educational achievement; no comprehensive and integrated plan has been developed to address the overall challenges of poverty for Delaware children and families; and the state provides no focused resources for low income students, English language learners, and basic special education, K–3. As the Commission has recommended, Delaware needs to better align existing policies that address poverty, starting with coordination among state agencies that leverage existing resources and assets far more effectively than has been the case.
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    Charter-District Collaboration: An Overview of National Best Practices and Options for Schools Serving Wilmington Students
    (2017-07) Rich, Dan; Sherretz, Kelly; Mench, Kelsey; Micek, Melissa; Chintala, Asha
    This policy brief by the Institute for Public Administration was prepared for the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission and addresses the fragmentation of public education responsibilities in the City of Wilmington and the challenges to collaboration among the schools that serve City of Wilmington students. The benefits of collaboration are described and specific best practices from cities across the country are highlighted. The analysis concludes with options for the City of Wilmington, including the Commission’s recommendation for the development of a collaborative compact that will strengthen capacity for the shared improvement of public education among district, charter, and vocational-technical (vo-tech) schools that serve City of Wilmington students.
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    Delaware School Libraries Master Plan: Quality School Libraries = Higher Student Achievement
    (2016-08) Kelly, Christopher; Sherretz, Kelly L.; Wilson, Bill
    Over the past two decades, the relationship between the quality of school libraries and student performance has been the focus of dozens of state-level studies. Simply stated, these studies confirm that access to high-quality school library services results in better student performance. The declaration used in the title of this report, Quality School Libraries = Higher Student Achievement, is not a speculative statement. Research affirms this equation. Most research indicates that the following characteristics of school libraries lead to improved learning outcomes for students: • A full-time certified/qualified librarian at the building level • Adequate support staff to enable the librarian to perform professional duties • Adequate expenditure for new resources to ensure student access to recent, relevant content • High level of collaboration between librarians and teachers and librarians and students • Flexible scheduling that enables the librarian to interact with teachers and students • Access to up-to-date technological infrastructure and online resources • Access to professional development and networking opportunities for library staff Unfortunately, school libraries in Delaware are, in general, understaffed, underfunded, and unequipped of up-to-date collections and resources. Librarians that do work in schools, in many cases, are unable to carry out professional duties because they must complete day-to-day tasks related to library management and additional staffing/instructional assignments. Oftentimes, librarians are unable to participate in professional development opportunities and to collaborate with teachers and students due to their fixed schedules (Focus Groups, 2015). The current state of school libraries in Delaware is dire, which creates a situation where students are unable to receive the measurable benefits of quality school libraries. Of even greater concern, the quality library gap is growing rather than shrinking so that equitable access to resources and technology is not available for all students in the state. A comparison among Delaware’s school districts shows that the 10 districts in which less than 40 percent of the students are from low-income households have added 13 librarians since the 2005–2006 school year. The nine districts in which more than 40 percent of the students from low-income households have cut 16 librarians since the 2005–2006 school year (Delaware District and School Profiles). Delaware’s students from low-income households are facing reductions in the services needed to improve their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.
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    School Leader Professional Development Series: The Opportunities and Challenges of Implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in Delaware
    (2016-12-20) Lewis, Jerome; Kelly, Christopher; Sherretz, Kelly L.; Carson, Kevin; Croce, Tammy; Hodges, Terri; Jones, Joseph; Loftus, Dennis; Marinucci, John; Poag, Emily; Stevens, Deborah
    As part of the School Leader Professional Development Series, a workshop called The Opportunities and Challenges of Implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in Delaware was held in Dover, Delaware, on Wednesday, October 26, 2016. Nearly 140 stakeholders ranging from parents to district level administrators attended. The University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration and Delaware Academy for School Leadership sponsored the event, in cooperation with the Delaware Association of School Administrators, Delaware State PTA, Delaware School Boards Association, and Delaware State Education Association. The purpose of the event was to create a forum to present the challenges and opportunities introduced by the implementation of the federal government’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in Delaware through the points of view of multiple national and local stakeholder groups.
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    Solutions for Delaware Schools, Volume 1: Redistricting in the City of Wilmington and New Castle County: A Transition, Resource, and Implementation Plan
    (2016-05) Wilmington Eudcation Improvement Commission
    This book is the first volume in the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission’s series, Solutions for Delaware Schools. It will be followed by reports that focus on key areas of the Commission’s mandate: meeting the needs of students in poverty, improving charter and district collaboration, and strengthening parent, educator, and community engagement in support of Delaware’s public schools. The Commission also will submit an annual report to the people of Delaware, the Governor, General Assembly, and State Board of Education (State Board) that tracks progress against the milestones set out in this Plan and that also informs our citizens and leaders on actions needed to address the challenges facing public education throughout our state. In front of us now—for the first time since Brown v Board (1954)—is the opportunity to equitably provide funding for low-income students, English language learners and other students with special needs statewide and to significantly reduce the variability and fragmentation, which is particularly acute in the City of Wilmington. There have been many attempts to get this right in our state’s history and unfortunately, inertia has always won the day. This time must be different. On August 4, 2015, Governor Markell signed two pieces of legislation passed with overwhelming support by the Delaware General Assembly: Senate Bill (SB) 122 and House Bill (HB) 148. These two pieces of legislation created the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission and gave it the opportunity to build an expansive coalition to transform Delaware schools. The Commission has done exactly that and produced the Plan published in this book as the first key step for the systematic improvement of Delaware public education to better serve all students. The Commission was established with a broad statewide mandate, extending until June 30, 2021, to advise the Governor and General Assembly on improving the availability of high-quality public education, meeting the needs of all Delaware schools with high concentrations of low-income students, English language learners and other students at risk, and recommending policies to promote the continuous improvement of public education.
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    Strengthening Wilmington Education: An Action Agenda
    (2015-04) Wilmington Eudcation Advisory Commission
    We have now published another report on Wilmington education. It’s good. The historical framing, the acknowledgment of race, class, and geography as compounding forces, the impact on children, the costs of continued inertia, the recommendations for immediate action, the call for comprehensive planning—it’s all here. This report addresses what is now three generations of a largely failed experiment for children who could least afford it. The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision centered on achieving equity for a young Delaware girl, Shirley Bulah of Hockessin, Delaware. The Bulah family knew that Shirley deserved better than the education she was receiving at Hockessin Colored School 107 (c), a one-room schoolhouse with outdated, hand-me-down books that had an inferior curriculum compared to schools that her white peers attended; no transportation support; and a teacher who could rely on very little professional supports other than what he or she had learned in what was likely an equally segregated and under-resourced college. In cases brought by the Bulah family and the Belton family of Claymont, Attorney Louis L. Redding and Delaware Chancery Court Judge Collins Seitz challenged the segregation that sustained this inequity. The Delaware cases were the only ones included in the historic Brown decision where the lower court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, and as such, set the precedent for the court’s actions. While the segregation of schools was struck down in public law 60 years ago, the inequality of educational opportunity has persisted for three generations of students who were supposed to be the beneficiaries of these historic rulings. This is not what Chancellor Seitz, Attorney Redding, or the U.S. Supreme Court intended
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    Enrollment Preferences Task Force: Final Report
    (2015-12) The Enrollment Preferences Task Force
    The Enrollment Preferences Task Force was created through House Bill 90. It was charged with the role of considering the current landscape of all school enrollment preferences and practices including charter, magnet, and vocational-technical schools to develop recommendations, as necessary. The Task Force reviewed extensive research regarding charter, magnet, and vocational-technical school policies both locally and nationally, and sought opinions from a diverse group of experts in the education field to provide members with information to guide decision-making. This report summarizes the opinions of the Task Force on an extensive list of questions and topics that are currently considered in the enrollment processes for all school types. The Task Force did not conclude with recommendations, rather it concluded with a compilation of information to inform future conversations and considerations.
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    The Landscape of Dual Enrollment & Dual Credit Programs
    (2013-08) O'Malley, Francis; Sherretz, Kelly L.
    This report was produced at the request of the Delaware Higher Education Office (DHEO) of the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) to provide a snapshot of the state's dual enrollment and dual credit programs. This report analyzes the results of a survey of Delaware public school districts and charter schools and provides recommendations for future study of dual enrollment and dual credit programs.