Districts React To Oklahoma State Department Of Education Testing Data

A test assessment showed Oklahoma students suffered during the pandemic. Oklahoma City Public Schools sent parents a letter Thursday afternoon informing them of the results.

The Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) said the data can be used as a baseline but it's not a reflection of teachers' hard work during the pandemic.

“We asked students to be vulnerable last year and take the assessment and just let us know what they learned and how they were doing, and it paints a clear picture of that,” said Katherine Bishop, OEA president.

The last time students took these tests was in 2019 before the pandemic.

“It painted the picture like we anticipated it to paint,” said Bishop.

Moore Public schools said they “will collect benchmark data throughout this school year and will continue to develop strategies and solutions to address testing scores.”

In a letter, OKCPS said the district "anticipated that unfinished learning would occur. In response to the many challenges, we have put things in place to begin filling gaps.”

The district is adding counselors and tutoring programs to help students.

“We have to realize that this test is just a simple snapshot,” said Bishop.

Yukon Public Schools said they stand with the state superintendent and “will strengthen our efforts to ensure our kids are learning in a classroom with their peers and their teachers are equipped and supported as well.”

“Educators are doing formative assessments on their students daily. That’s what we know, that’s where the data is,” said Bishop.

Mustang Public Schools released a statement that said in part:

“We will be examining our data and will continue working closely with schools to meet the needs of our students."

The OEA encourages each district to formulate a plan that works best for their students.

Read: State Education Assessments Show Students Suffered In All Grades, Subjects