Sen. Eric Buckson is a Republican representing Camden.
For 30 years, I had the privilege of serving Delaware students as a public educator and coach at Polytech High School. In that time, I watched thousands of students — including my own four children — grow, mature and find their paths. Some went to college, some to the trades, some to military service and some straight into the workforce. What became clear to me long before I entered the Delaware Senate is this: No single test can accurately measure the success of every student or the effectiveness of every school.
That is why I believe it is time for Delaware to take a serious look at how we use the SAT in our high schools. We should not eliminate it, but we need to stop treating it as the primary measure of school success and student proficiency.
Today, every 11th grade student in Delaware is required to take the SAT on SAT School Day, at a cost to the state of roughly $51 per student. During 2023-24, nearly 9,500 Delaware students took the exam. While the SAT can be a valuable tool for students planning to attend college, it was never designed to serve as a statewide accountability assessment, nor was it intended to measure mastery of Delaware’s academic standards or the quality of instruction students receive.
The reality is that not every student plans to attend college, and that is not a failure. Nationally, about 62% of high school graduates went directly to college in 2022, down from a peak of 70% in 2016. That means a significant number of students are pursuing other pathways, many of which are critical to Delaware’s economy. Students aiming for careers in skilled trades, technical fields or immediate employment often have little incentive to take the SAT seriously. When those scores are used to judge school performance, the result is a distorted picture that unfairly penalizes schools and students alike.
Delaware urgently needs skilled workers in fields like HVAC, commercial electrical work, construction, healthcare support and advanced manufacturing. These careers frequently offer strong wages, rapid job placement and freedom from crushing student debt. Yet our current accountability system sends an implicit message that these pathways matter less because success is still largely defined by performance on a college entrance exam.
This conversation is not about lowering standards. It is about measuring the right outcomes. Schools should be evaluated based on what they are actually responsible for delivering: strong instruction, meaningful growth and preparation for life after graduation, whether that future includes college, the workforce or both.
I have been encouraged by ongoing conversations with educators, school leaders, lawmakers and stakeholders across Delaware, who recognize this challenge and are willing to engage in good-faith discussions about solutions. Leaders in the General Assembly, the Department of Education, professional educator organizations, superintendents, school board members and classroom teachers all bring valuable perspectives to the table. This must be a collaborative effort, and I welcome that partnership.
Federal law already allows states flexibility to use multiple measures for accountability. Delaware can and should explore approaches that better reflect student achievement across academic, technical and career pathways, such as industry credentials, dual enrollment, apprenticeships and work-based learning, alongside traditional assessments.
The SAT is not a bad test. It is simply the wrong tool to define success for every student and every school. If Delaware is serious about preparing students for the real world and about accurately measuring the work our educators do every day, then it is time to modernize our accountability system. Our students, our schools and our workforce deserve nothing less.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
