Our Vision
Every learner engages in an equitable and high-quality education, enriched by meaningful relationships, transformative experiences, and pathways that connect secondary and postsecondary education to rewarding careers and fulfilling lives. Together, we aim to bridge education, workforce development, and social support networks to empower individuals to achieve their career and life goals.
Our Values
We hold ourselves and our partners accountable to five core values:
- Courageously center equity. We ground all initiatives, conversations, and actions around measurable goals that prioritize equity, student growth, and educator success.
- Practice a growth mindset. We seek opportunities to lead, offer or welcome help, and give and receive feedback openly.
- Use data transparently. We challenge assumptions, support discussions, develop routines and timelines, nurture intentional partnerships, and make decisions grounded in evidence.
- Incorporate every voice. We seek out, prioritize, and intentionally incorporate student, educator, and community perspectives into our work.
- Act as a team. We support one another, reach goals together, and celebrate success.
Equity in CTE
Our Commitment to Equity
Equity in Career and Technical Education means fostering inclusive environments that promote empowerment and belonging for both learners and educators. A student’s circumstances or personal identifiers should never limit their access to academic and career opportunities, enriching experiences, or meaningful relationships that support their individual goals.
We meet students where they are by addressing systemic barriers, providing resources, and creating opportunities that empower every learner to achieve a positive outcome. The Delaware Department of Education believes all students and school communities deserve strong, equity-driven social, emotional, and behavioral supports. Students should be connected, protected, and respected.
Our Strategic Priorities
PRIORITY 1
College and Career Readiness
PRIORITY 2
Transparent Information for All
PRIORITY 3
CTE Students Outperform Their Peers
What Success Looks Like
Measuring What Matters
We track progress through federal Perkins V Core Indicators and state-level metrics. Key benchmarks we are working toward by SY 2028-2029:
- Graduation rate: 99.5% (currently 97.8%)
- High school CTE participation: 80% (currently 68%)
- Middle grades CTE participation: 96% (currently 84%)
- Work-based learning participation: 45% (currently 22.91%)
- Career Navigator access: 50% of students served (currently 0%)
- Employment or postsecondary within three months: 100% (currently 75%)
These targets hold us accountable to the students, families, and communities we serve.