Oklahoma City Public Schools' Long-Term Plan For Academic Achievement Off to Slow Start

Data presented at Oklahoma City Public Schools' Monday night board meeting shows many of the district’s academic goals for the year were not met. 

The goals were set last year during "The Great Conversation," which was a series of community meetings where parents and school staff produced goals for the district. They also agreed on specific skills they wanted each child to leave school with.

These community-derived standards of success turned in to "The Great Commitment," which is now the district’s 15-year-long academic achievement plan. The 15-year goals are then broken down in to yearly goals.

The goals focus on improving literacy and numeracy in kindergarten, reducing suspensions and expulsions, increasing graduation rates, helping students become more involved in school, mastering core subjects, and getting more students involved in advanced classes.

Last school year was the district’s first in working towards the goals of the Great Commitment, and Superintendent Aurora Lora presented data showing some progress and some backsliding at Monday night’s board meeting. 

Lora said the district is making many improvements to their teacher training programs and curriculum departments as a result of this data.

She also says it will be difficult to compare next year’s results to this years because of new academic standards, and state tests.

Here is a breakdown of some of the data:

EARLY LITERACY AND NUMERACY

• LONG-TERM GOAL: By the end of the 2029-30 school year, 100% of all students entering Kindergarten in the OKCPS district will meet readiness criteria in Literacy.
• 2015-2016 GOAL: 48% of kindergarten students
• ACTUAL: 41%

MAXIMIZING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME/REDUCING SUSPENSIONS

• LONG-TERM GOAL: By the end of the 2029-30 school year, less than five percent of all students will be suspended long or short term.
• 2015-2016 GOAL: 5% of elementary students, 22% middle school students, 16% high school students
• ACTUAL: 5% of elementary students, 24% of middle school students, and 16% of high school students.

MASTERY OF CORE SUBJECTS

• LONG-TERM GOAL:  By the end of the 2029-30 school year, 100% of students will meet proficiency standards on Grade 3 Reading test.
• 2015-2016 GOAL: 54% percent of 3^rd grade students
• ACTUAL: 49%, down from 51% in 2014-2015

• LONG-TERM GOAL: By the end of the 2029-30 school year, 100% of 8^th grade students will be enrolled in Algebra I
• 2015-2016 GOAL: 26% of 8^th grade students
• ACTUAL: 20%

• LONG-TERM GOAL: By the end of the 2029-30 school year, 100% of 8^th grade students enrolled in Algebra I will score Satisfactory and Advanced on state test
• 2015-2016 GOAL: 94% of students
• ACTUAL: 91%

• LONG-TERM GOAL: By the end of the 2029-30 school year, 100% of 10^th grade students will be enrolled in Biology
• 2015-2016 GOAL: 89% of 10^th grade students
• ACTUAL: 89%

• LONG-TERM GOAL: By the end of the 2029-30 school year, 100% of 10^th grade students enrolled in Biology will score Satisfactory and Advanced on End of Instruction test
• 2015-2016 GOAL: 37% of 10^th grade students
• ACTUAL: 26% of students, down from 33% in 2014-2015

ACCELERATED PERFORMANCE FOR UNDER-PERFORMING GROUPS

• LONG-TERM GOAL: By the end of the 2029-30 school year, 100% of African American students will be proficient in Reading
• 2015-2016 GOAL: 46% of African American students
• ACTUAL: 47%

• LONG-TERM GOAL: By the end of the 2029-30 school year, 100% of African American students will be proficient in Mathematics
• 2015-2016 GOAL: 41% of African American students
• ACTUAL: 37%

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

• LONG-TERM GOAL: By the end of the 2029-30 school year, 100% of sophomores will be on track to graduate high school
• 2015-2016 GOAL: 82% of sophomores
• ACTUAL: 80%