Thousands more Oklahoma students were held back in early grades than what the U.S. Department of Education reported, according to newly released state data.
Are 5th Graders Ready for Middle School? Oklahoma City Schools Says Yes, But Parents Worry
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Fifth-graders would become middle-school students under an Oklahoma City Public Schools proposal unveiled recently. Some parents are concerned about the change, and research is scant regarding the benefit to children of having them start middle school sooner.
After Walkout, What’s Next for Public Education at the Capitol?
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The first legislative session since the teacher walkout ended will convene Feb. 4, and education is likely to be a prominent theme. But proposed bills go beyond teacher pay and school funding. Here are several of the bills Oklahoma Watch is tracking.
Emergency Teachers by District
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State officials have issued 2,852 emergency teaching certificates from June through December for the 2018-19 school year. Find out how many emergency certified teachers were approved for your school district or school.
A Rural Charter School Splits an Oklahoma Town
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A businessman outmaneuvers community opponents to bring a charter school to the struggling community of Seminole. Now, he wants to establish more charters in other rural towns.
Oklahoma Nearly Tops Nation in Holding Back Early-Grade Students
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Oklahoma schools are holding back thousands of students a year in K-2 grades, partly because of the law requiring retention of third graders who aren’t reading-proficient, an analysis by Oklahoma Watch found. According to data, the state’s retention rate in those early grades is second highest in the nation. Retention can have long-term negative effects, researchers say.
Student Retention: About the Data
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Here’s a look at how we analyzed retention data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Virtual Charter School’s Founders Ramp Up Political Contributions
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The founders of Epic Virtual Charter School donated at least $145,000 total to dozens of candidates in this year’s elections. The donations outpaced those from the Oklahoma Education Association PAC and have come amid continuing dramatic growth in enrollment at the online school.
Revamped School Report Cards Have New Look, Different Focus
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School letter-grade report cards are coming back after a two-year hiatus, but with a different focus and some changes in how metrics are calculated. One pending change is a downplaying of the overall letter grade on the report cards to be displayed on the state’s website.
Disappointment Largely Prevails for Teacher Caucus
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For politically active teachers and parents, the defeat of gubernatorial candidate Drew Edmondson was the night’s biggest disappointment. But while the teacher caucus wasn’t as successful as supporters had hoped, there were bright spots.
In One Minute: SQ 801, on Property Taxes for School Operations
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In this 60-second video, learn the basics about what’s at stake in the Nov. 6 vote on State Question 801, which would allow local school districts to spent local “building fund” property taxes on operations.