Oklahoma’s school plan receives federal approval

Oklahoma’s consolidated public school plan has received final approval from the U.S. Department of Education, a required benchmark under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Under ESSA, which replaced the No Child Left Behind Act in 2015, states are required to set specific academic measures for local schools.

However, the federal school act allows for increased flexibility among states to create their own criteria for judging school success.

Oklahoma’s school plan, which was put in place last year and includes an eightyear improvement plan, places less of an emphasis on standardized tests, closely tracks chronic absenteeism and seeks to better identify the academic struggles of overlooked student subgroups.

The school plan is called Oklahoma Edge and spells out how schools are rated in the A-through-F grading system.

“This plan is so much more than the charts, graphs and technical language that are routine components of official policy white papers,” state schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said. “Oklahoma Edge establishes a specific path forward for every student in our state to achieve the educational outcomes Oklahomans value.”

State education leaders say Oklahoma’s new plan puts a greater emphasis on student growth and tracks the performance of minority students in a more targeted way.

The plan includes goals of becoming a top 20 state in academic performance in fourth and eighth grade (Oklahoma currently ranks below the national average), to cut in half the need for math and English language arts remediation after high school, rank in the top 10 nationally in graduation rates and reduce the need for emergency-certified teachers by 95 percent.

Late last year, the U.S. Department of Education requested additional details and clarifications before giving Oklahoma’s new school plan final federal approval.

In announcing final approval on Monday, the U.S. Department of Education said Oklahoma’s plan “hinges on partnerships between the state and district that push beyond compliance and focus on on-site coaching and guidance for academic success.”

“I am pleased to approve Oklahoma’s plan, which complies with the requirements of the law,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. “I encourage states to use their plans as a starting point, rather than a finish line, to improve outcomes for all students.”