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Delaware System of Student Assessment (DeSSA)
Welcome to the State of Delaware Assessment website. This site is maintained by Delaware's Office of Assessment workgroup and provides information and resources about the Delaware System of Student Assessment (DeSSA).
Assessment is an integral part of the instructional cycle and fulfills several purposes for educators, students, parents, policy makers, and community members. Assessments administered at the state, district/charter, and school levels combine to form a system of assessments with the goal of supporting student growth.
Our goal is to assist districts and charter schools throughout Delaware in their mission to prepare students for their college and career goals after high-school.
DeSSA AssessmentsDelaware Administers the following Assessments
Balanced Assessment System (BAS) Series - Courses for all State AssessmentsGeneral OverviewWhile the Delaware content standards provide clear expectations for student learning, assessment is the process for collecting evidence of every learner's knowledge, skills, competencies, or behaviors. The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) emphasizes the need for each state to offer students a balanced Assessment Serie System (BAS). Delaware's balanced system of assessments allows educators and students to measure learning not just each spring during statewide testing, but throughout the year to inform on-going instruction as well.DeSSA offers students, families and educators multiple types of assessments to measure student learning:
- Summative Assessments:
They are administered after the instructional material is taught to document student achievement. It also is a measure of a student's proficiency in a subject and/or against State standards. Nearly all DeSSA summative assessments occur each spring. Examples: Smarter ELA/math, Science, NAEP, SAT,...
- Interim Assessments:
They are general achievement measures to monitor progress toward end of year goals and identify students or curricular areas needing additional attention and the content covers full year's standards. Example: Smarter Balanced interims (ICAs and IABs)
- Benchmarks:
They are used for recently taught material (such as unit, chapter, semester tests) for grades and/or to monitor progress towards learning goals. The test content follows the district, school, and/or classroom curriculum pacing.
Parent and Educator Resources- 2023-2024 Exemption Policy
- 2023-2024 DeSSA Administration Policy
- 2023-2024 DeSSA Participation Policy
- 2023-2024 DeSSA Multi-lingual Learners (MLL) Policy
- 2023-2024 Delaware Assessment Calendar
- DeSSA Test Security Manual 2023-2024
- Requirement to Test Students on Statewide Assessments
- DeSSA Assessments Descriptions and Testing Times
- Digital DE
Digital DE serves as Delaware’s online hub for best-in-class instructional, professional development, and family resources for this academic year and beyond. This site is accessible, searchable, and free.
- DeSSA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- DeSSA Help Desks
- Contact information
- Summative Assessments:
