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SB260 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE CERTIFICATE OF ARTS EXCELLENCE.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE CERTIFICATE OF ARTS EXCELLENCE.

Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Cruce
Last action
2026-05-21
Official status
Signed 5/21/26
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact start date for issuing certificates is not specified beyond being after the bill's enactment.

Delaware Certificate of Arts Excellence Act

This act establishes the Delaware Certificate of Arts Excellence to recognize high school graduates who have shown sustained engagement and achievement in arts subjects.

What This Bill Does

  • Establishes the Delaware Certificate of Arts Excellence to honor high school students with significant achievements in dance, music, theater, media arts, or visual arts.
  • Directs the Department of Education to set minimum requirements for earning this certificate, which can include both classroom work and real-world experiences.
  • Requires schools to submit applications from students who meet these requirements to the Department of Education.
  • Ensures that certificates are given out starting in the 10th month after the bill's enactment.

Who It Names or Affects

  • High school students in Delaware who participate in arts programs.
  • Schools and districts that will help students apply for the certificate.
  • The Department of Education, which must establish and manage this program.

Terms To Know

Certificate of Arts Excellence
A special award given to high school graduates who show great involvement and success in arts subjects like dance, music, theater, media arts, or visual arts.
Department of Education
The state agency responsible for overseeing public education in Delaware.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact requirements and details about how to earn the certificate are not fully defined yet.
  • It is unclear what specific benefits or advantages students might receive from having this certificate.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-21 Delaware General Assembly

    Signed by Governor

  2. 2026-05-07 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By House. Votes: 35 YES 6 ABSENT

  3. 2026-04-15 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Education) in House with 3 Favorable, 13 On Its Merits

  4. 2026-03-24 Delaware General Assembly

    Assigned to Education Committee in House

  5. 2026-03-19 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT

  6. 2026-03-18 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Education) in Senate with 7 Favorable

  7. 2026-03-17 Delaware General Assembly

    Introduced and Assigned to Education Committee in Senate

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE CERTIFICATE OF ARTS EXCELLENCE.
According to the Arts Education Partnership, 27 states currently include arts course credits as a requirement for high school graduation, and several states have implemented diploma seals or similar recognition programs to incentivize participation.

This Act directs the Department of Education to establish the Delaware Certificate of Arts Excellence to recognize high school students who demonstrate sustained engagement and achievement in the arts. Establishing a similar program in Delaware could help increase arts enrollment, elevate the value of arts education, and support students interested in pursuing creative professions.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Sen. Cruce & Rep. Gorman

Sens. Brown, Buckson, Hansen, Hocker, Hoffner, Huxtable, Lawson, Lockman, Mantzavinos, Paradee, Pettyjohn, Pinkney, Poore, Richardson, Seigfried, Sokola, Sturgeon, Townsend, Walsh, Wilson; Reps. Berry, Chukwuocha, Harris, Heffernan, K. Johnson, S. Moore, Morrison, Neal, Osienski, Ross Levin, Kamela Smith, Snyder-Hall, K. Williams

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE BILL NO. 260

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE CERTIFICATE OF ARTS EXCELLENCE.

WHEREAS,

the arts are fundamental to a comprehensive and balanced education, fostering creativity, critical thinking, cultural awareness, and academic achievement among students of all ages and backgrounds; and

WHEREAS, arts education has been proven to enhance student engagement, improve graduation rates, and develop essential skills including collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and innovation that are vital for success in the 21st-century workforce; and

WHEREAS, the Creative Economy Advancement and Tourism Expansion (CREATE) Plan identifies Delaware’s creative economy as a significant and expanding sector of this State’s economy and calls for strengthened education-to-career alignment to support its continued growth; and

WHEREAS, the report issued pursuant to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 109 recommends expanding creative economy pathways, strengthening work-based learning, and developing additional mechanisms, including consideration of a state-approved arts certificate program to formally recognize student achievement and connect arts education to workforce systems; and

WHEREAS, such recognition would enhance the visibility and value of arts education within our communities, demonstrating that arts instruction is not supplemental but central to student development and academic success; and

WHEREAS, establishing a Delaware Certificate of Arts Excellence will provide a structured, statewide method of recognizing sustained engagement and achievement in dance, music, theater, media arts, and visual arts; and

WHEREAS, a statewide Certificate of Arts Excellence will elevate the visibility and value of arts pathways and align with Delaware’s broader workforce, education, and economic development strategies; and

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of this State to formally recognize and celebrate student excellence in the arts while strengthening the pipeline from K-12 education to postsecondary study and creative economy careers through the establishment of a Delaware Certificate of Arts Excellence.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend Subchapter III, Chapter 1, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 152A. Delaware Certificate of Arts Excellence.

(a) For purposes of this section

, “Department” means the Department of Education.

(b) The Department shall establish the Delaware Certificate of Arts Excellence to recognize students who graduate from a high school in this State and who demonstrate sustained engagement and achievement in the arts.

(c) The Department shall do all of the following:

(1) With the consent of the State Board of Education, adopt minimum requirements for the Certificate of Arts Excellence.

a. The minimum requirements for the Certificate of Arts Excellence may include a combination of academic classwork and real-life learning experiences in the arts.

b. The minimum requirements for the Certificate of Arts Excellence may include recognition of school or community involvement in arts or culture, work-based learning experiences, portfolio development, and other measures of college and career readiness.

c. At a minimum, the Certificate of Arts Excellence must be available to a student studying dance, music, theater, media arts, or visual arts.

(2) Design a certificate for the Certificate

of Arts Excellence.

(3) Deliver the certificate designed under paragraph (c)(2) of this section to each high school in this State with a high school student who is awarded the Certificate of Arts Excellence by the Department.

(d) Beginning with the 2027 through 2028 school year, a student at a high school in this State may apply for a Certificate of Arts Excellence by submitting an application to the Department through the student’s high school under paragraph (e)(1) of this section.

(e) Beginning with the 2027 through 2028 school year, a high school operated by a school district, charter school, or private school with a student that submits an application under subsection (d) of this section shall do all of the following:

(1) Determine if the student meets the requirements adopted under paragraph (c)(1) of this section to be awarded the Certificate of Arts Excellence and, if so determined, submit the application to the Department.

(2) If the student is determined under paragraph (e)(1) of this section to meet the requirements adopted under paragraph (c)(1) of this section,

award the student, on graduation from high school, the Certificate of Arts Excellence.

(f) The Department, with the consent of the State Board of Education, may adopt regulations to implement, administer, and enforce this section.

SYNOPSIS

According to the Arts Education Partnership, 27 states currently include arts course credits as a requirement for high school graduation, and several states have implemented diploma seals or similar recognition programs to incentivize participation.

This Act directs the Department of Education to establish the Delaware Certificate of Arts Excellence to recognize high school students who demonstrate sustained engagement and achievement in the arts. Establishing a similar program in Delaware could help increase arts enrollment, elevate the value of arts education, and support students interested in pursuing creative professions.

Author: Senator Cruce