Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School

Summary:

Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School is a public elementary school in Wilmington, Delaware, serving students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school has a predominantly Hispanic student population, making up 56.33% of the student body, with significant African American (26.15%) and smaller White (14.82%) populations.

Despite the school's dual language program, Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School faces significant challenges. The school has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 13.9% to 32.6%, which is much higher than the state and district averages. Academically, the school's performance on Smarter Balanced Assessments and DeSSA tests is significantly lower than the state and Red Clay Consolidated School District averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 25.53% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 39.45% at the state level and 36.79% in the district.

The school's struggles are not unique, as nearby schools such as Shortlidge (Evan G.) Academy, Warner Elementary School, and Johnson (Joseph E. Junior) Elementary School, all part of the Red Clay Consolidated School District, face similar challenges with high chronic absenteeism and low academic proficiency. Despite the school's higher per-student spending compared to the state average, the dual language program does not appear to be effectively addressing the learning needs of its students, suggesting that addressing the root causes of these issues, such as attendance and resource allocation, may be necessary to improve student outcomes at the school.


Detail:

Public K-5

 920 North Van Buren Street
       Wilmington, DE  19806-4540


(302) 651-2695

District: Red Clay Consolidated School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
81st of 106 Delaware Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $18,137 Help


Students who attend Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    duPont (H.B.) Middle School
High:    duPont (Alexis I.) High School

Student/teacher ratio:  8.8 Help
Number of students:  371

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
56.3%
African American:
26.1%
White:
14.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  99.4% Help


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 Compare Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School ranks worse than 76.4% of elementary schools in Delaware. It also ranks 9th among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Red Clay Consolidated School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.42. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (56.3%), African American (26.1%), White (14.8%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School is 8.8, which is the 2nd best among 14 elementary schools in the Red Clay Consolidated School District. (See more...)
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Compare Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School employs 42 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School is $18,137, which is the 5th highest among 14 elementary schools in the Red Clay Consolidated School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School 81st of 106 Delaware public elementary schools. (See Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Hispanic students:


Red Clay Consolidated School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Red Clay Consolidated School District 14th of 32 Delaware school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2011 2.65 88th 91 3.3%
2012 3.16 88th 90 2.2%
2013 12.02 81st 91 11.0%
2014 25.04 28th 36 22.2%
2015 19.40 90th 108 16.7%
2016 39.88 54th 86 37.2%
2017 7.80 77th 86 10.5%
2018 13.14 78th 85 8.2%
2019 12.18 93rd 105 11.4%
2022 7.46 99th 104 4.8%
2023 13.04 93rd 103 9.7%
2024 22.42 81st 106 23.6%
See the entire list of Delaware Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 15.38 27th 29 6.9%
See the entire list of Best Delaware Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 19.89 76th 92 17.4%
See the entire list of Best Delaware Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 20.99 83rd 99 16.2%
See the entire list of Best Delaware Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 8.15 93rd 99 6.1%
See the entire list of Best Delaware Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools DE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 14.36 34th 37 8.1%
2022 8.52 35th 36 2.8%
2023 16.81 39th 42 7.1%
2024 40.23 24th 37 35.1%
See the entire list of Best Delaware Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Delaware Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
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Data source: Delaware Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.5)
50%

50%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Open Quote My son began kindergarten at Lewis last year. I was trying to choice him into North Star in Hockessin before I visited Lewis, but the cold reception I received from the North Star teachers and staff prompted me to give Lewis a chance. I am so glad I did! My son has been made to feel like he was a wanted member of the Lewis family since Day One. Additionally, I feel he is getting a really good education so far. He can already read in English and Spanish and is above his age level in math. The teachers and students are welcoming and caring. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this school. Furthermore, Lewis just received an award for top school in the United States from the Spanish embassy. I think I made the right choice for my son. I look forward to his first-grade experience at this great city school. Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, May 24, 2012

Open Quote My daughter attends William C. Lewis Elementary, and is at present in the 1st grade. I think it is an excellent school. With a very large Hispanic population, of course, the DCAS scores will be lower. Some of the Hispanic children that enter William C. Lewis, speak very little English. So, when given a test in English their test scores will certainly be lower. My daughter is an African American. She started at Lewis in the Kindergarten grades. She is so far quite literate as a beginner with her Spanish skills. By her learning two languages she is showing adept skills in her verbal and reasoning abilities. She is learning at a very young impressionable age that there are different cultures and languages in the world other than just English. I think because of William C. Lewis' unique dual language curriculum that they should be measured in a different manner than just DCAS scores. Especially when you are talking about a school's ranking. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 262 108 18 175 0 n/a n/a 0 563
1989 291 112 14 145 0 n/a n/a 0 562
1990 285 88 18 140 n/a n/a n/a 0 531
1991 280 98 23 151 0 n/a n/a 0 552
1992 251 93 19 218 0 n/a n/a 0 581
1993 244 102 19 107 0 n/a n/a 0 472
1994 196 101 18 176 0 n/a n/a 0 491
1995 145 102 8 183 0 n/a n/a 0 438
1996 145 102 8 183 0 n/a n/a 0 438
1997 93 131 6 213 0 n/a n/a 0 443
1998 28 132 11 263 0 n/a n/a 0 434
1999 28 155 5 298 4 n/a n/a 0 490
2000 22 182 3 240 1 n/a n/a 0 448
2001 15 185 4 257 1 n/a n/a 0 462
2002 11 143 0 341 1 n/a n/a 0 496
2003 11 143 0 341 1 n/a n/a 0 496
2004 6 130 1 403 0 n/a n/a 0 540
2005 5 86 0 460 0 n/a n/a 0 551
2006 3 122 1 389 0 n/a n/a 0 515
2007 3 76 1 389 0 n/a n/a 0 469
2008 1 84 0 433 0 n/a n/a 0 518
2009 0 56 0 428 0 n/a n/a 0 484
2010 1 58 0 382 0 n/a n/a 0 441
2011 10 65 0 363 0 0 0 0 438
2012 38 70 0 367 0 0 0 0 475
2013 37 66 0 369 1 0 0 0 473
2014 41 66 0 360 0 0 0 0 467
2015 47 65 0 357 0 0 1 0 470
2016 54 76 0 336 1 0 0 0 467
2017 43 81 1 310 2 0 3 0 440
2018 45 87 0 324 2 0 2 0 460
2019 53 88 0 281 2 0 3 0 427
2020 53 108 1 255 2 2 3 0 424
2021 63 100 2 236 3 1 4 0 409
2022 60 89 2 217 2 0 5 0 375
2023 55 97 2 209 2 1 5 0 371

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 563 28.0 20.1 34.8
1989 562 30.0 18.7 30.4
1990 531 30.0 17.7 25.2
1991 552 27.0 20.4 31.5
1992 581 29.0 20.0 37.2
1993 472 29.0 16.3 39
1994 491 24.5 20.0 48.5
1995 438 23.5 18.6 57.3
1996 438 23.5 18.6 57.3
1997 443 23.5 18.9 62.8
1998 434 29.0 15.0 78.1
1999 490 29.0 16.9 81.6
2000 448 26.2 17.1 82.1
2001 462 28.1 16.4 82.5
2002 496 33.0 15.0 77.2
2003 496 33.0 15.0 77.2
2004 540 34.0 15.9 80.4
2005 551 32.0 17.2 81.1
2006 515 32.5 15.8 69.7
2007 469 32.0 14.7 85.7
2008 518 31.0 16.7 77.6
2009 484 31.0 15.6 87.4
2010 441 33.0 13.3 86.4
2011 438 33.0 13.2 83.8
2012 475 31.0 15.3 85.9
2013 473 39.0 12.1 87.5
2014 467 34.0 13.7 99.4
2015 470 37.0 12.7 99.4
2016 467 31.0 15.0 99.4
2017 440 32.0 13.7 n/a
2018 460 32.0 14.3 n/a
2019 427 34.0 12.5 n/a
2020 424 38.0 11.1 n/a
2021 409 38.0 10.7 n/a
2022 375 39.0 9.6 n/a
2023 371 42.0 8.8 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 563 28.0 20.1 34.8
1989 562 30.0 18.7 30.4
1990 531 30.0 17.7 25.2
1991 552 27.0 20.4 31.5
1992 581 29.0 20.0 37.2
1993 472 29.0 16.3 39
1994 491 24.5 20.0 48.5
1995 438 23.5 18.6 57.3
1996 438 23.5 18.6 57.3
1997 443 23.5 18.9 62.8
1998 434 29.0 15.0 78.1
1999 490 29.0 16.9 81.6
2000 448 26.2 17.1 82.1
2001 462 28.1 16.4 82.5
2002 496 33.0 15.0 77.2
2003 496 33.0 15.0 77.2
2004 540 34.0 15.9 80.4
2005 551 32.0 17.2 81.1
2006 515 32.5 15.8 69.7
2007 469 32.0 14.7 85.7
2008 518 31.0 16.7 77.6
2009 484 31.0 15.6 87.4
2010 441 33.0 13.3 86.4
2011 438 33.0 13.2 83.8
2012 475 31.0 15.3 85.9
2013 473 39.0 12.1 87.5
2014 467 34.0 13.7 99.4
2015 470 37.0 12.7 99.4
2016 467 31.0 15.0 99.4
2017 440 32.0 13.7 n/a
2018 460 32.0 14.3 n/a
2019 427 34.0 12.5 n/a
2020 424 38.0 11.1 n/a
2021 409 38.0 10.7 n/a
2022 375 39.0 9.6 n/a
2023 371 42.0 8.8 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $2,090 (11.5%) $18,969 (104.6%) $18,137

Data source: Delaware Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 93rd of 105 Elementary schoolsRanks 93rd of 103 Elementary schools
 1.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School)8.115
 6.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Red Clay Consolidated School District)4437.5
 6.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Delaware)5342.2
 10.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School)34.530.9
 3.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Red Clay Consolidated School District)5139.9
 11.2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)53.539.9
 13.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School)27.623.2
 4.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Red Clay Consolidated School District)42.537.8
 4.6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Delaware)50.839.1
 11.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School)42.719.4
 23.2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Red Clay Consolidated School District)55.147.5
 7.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware)56.944.1
 12.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School)22.19.9
 12.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Red Clay Consolidated School District)39.333
 6.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Delaware)44.432.3
 12.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students427371
 13.1%
African American8897
 10.2%
American Indian22
Asian02
Hispanic281209
 25.6%
Pacific Islander01
White5355
 3.8%
Two or More Races35
 66.7%


Schools Near Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School

Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School ranks in the bottom 23.6% of Delaware elementary schools.

Students who attend Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : duPont (H.B.) Middle School
High : duPont (Alexis I.) High School

Students at Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School are 56% Hispanic, 26% African American, 15% White, 1% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 371 students attended Lewis (William C.) Dual Language Elementary School.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Delaware Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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