DELAWARE- Recent assessment results in the First State highlight the struggle many students are facing in the classroom. Now, DelawareCAN is trying to make those results more accessible to parents.
The group is striving to raise enough money to create digital proficiency maps.
Each year Delaware's Department of Education issues a state report card. The most recent report card has raised concerns, revealing that more than half of Delaware students in grades three to eight are not meeting proficiency standards in math and language arts.
Executive Director of DelawareCAN, Britney Mumford, pointed out that the annual reports lack some critical information.
"What the state does not allow us to do is a school by school comparison," Mumford explained. "[Delaware] does not release anything geographically showing where these schools are located, and we found that to be a huge problem."
That's why DelawareCAN is trying to take matters into their own hands. Mumford said state officials often advise against making comparisons, not wanting to shame underperforming schools.
Some Delawareans, like Tyller Maltibe from Dover, had a different perspective on Wednesday.
"I would want to know if my student was getting the best education overall so I don't think it's blaming anyone," she said. "I think [the maps] could show an opportunity for schools to become better."
The digital maps would draw inspiration from the mapping system currently utilized in New Mexico. DelawareCAN's sister non-profit, NewMexicoKidsCAN, introduced the program last year.
The maps would provide a detailed breakdown of all districts and individual schools. Some state legislators, like Rep. Ruth Briggs King (R-Georgetown), think it's a positive initiative.
"Parents want what's best for their children, and not one school is the best school for all children," Rep. Briggs King said. "We need the ability for parents to choose ... and instead of parents having to hunt and search and peck for it, [the maps] would give more accountability."
DelawareCAN hopes to raise enough to build the maps and roll them out by the end of the year. Mumford said the organization's initial focus is on raising money from parents to demonstrate demand before approaching larger funders.