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Earlier this month, the state Education Department revealed in an email to district leaders why school report cards were so late: a calculation error in determining letter grades.

The report cards have now been released for the first time since before the coronavirus pandemic. The data was uploaded to the online dashboard last week.

The department has yet to explain what happened or answer questions about what data was affected.

Several adjustments were made to the scoring, and the Office of Accountability notified school leaders that overall scores, academic achievement scores and letter grades are not comparable to previous years, according to the Tulsa World.

There’s still missing data, and some data displayed doesn’t add up.

The system of rating schools has its critics, but it’s still the most comprehensive data available about public schools in the state. It’s meant to be a resource for parents and takes on more importance in an era of expanded open transfer and post-pandemic recovery.

The report cards cover the 2021-22 school year and include measures such as academic achievement, academic growth, graduation rates, progress of English language learners, chronic absenteeism and student participation in college and career opportunities. The U.S. Department of Education waived reporting requirements for the two years prior due to COVID-19.

Now, I’m asking for your help. If you search the site (oklaschools.com) for your own school, would you reach out if you see errors or inconsistencies? I can be reached by email or direct message on Twitter.

— Jennifer Palmer

Recommended Reading

• Five years after teacher walkout, the Oklahoma GOP has changed its tune on education funding and teacher pay. [NPR]
• The governor proposed a compromise on public education funding and tax credits for private and homeschool expenses with hopes of ending a stalemate in the Legislature. [NonDoc]
• House lawmakers passed a proposal to protect Native students’ right to wear tribal regalia at graduation. The bill moves to Gov. Stitt for final consideration. [The Oklahoman]
• New state-by-state teacher pay data shows Oklahoma teachers earn an estimated $55,541 this year. Seven states ranked lower. [Education Week]

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