New ESSA plan will measure what matters
The guiding principle of Oklahoma’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Consolidated State Plan is that all students can grow and all schools can improve. Extensive research, the use of subject-matter experts and stakeholder engagement were key elements in developing our state’s ESSA plan. I commend state Superintendent Joy Hofmeister and the many contributors who developed the eight-year strategic plan. Now it’s time to begin implementing ESSA’s new standards.
I’m encouraged that the state Department of Education has chosen the SAT and ACT as the two testing options available for high school juniors. These tests provide reliable measurements of student academic readiness for post-secondary education, which is crucial for entering a competitive job market.
Parents and educators across Oklahoma have been asking for a long time that we move away from unreliable assessment measures. Previously, students were subjected to burdensome mandated tests required by state law. High school students had their graduation status tied to these highstakes test scores. Students were overtested, and educators and parents were relieved when new state laws reduced the number of tests and removed the high-stakes graduation requirement.
The SAT and ACT will provide results that help us see how our students’ scores compare nationally. When you observe our schools through the lens of the ACT and SAT, it is a stark reminder of how much growth our students require. Just as our state funding ranks among the lowest in the country, Oklahoma students rank 44th in ACT scores. These assessments are another wake-up call that if Oklahoma does not invest in education, we will never see the kind of academic growth required for our students to compete and thrive.
Although educators across Oklahoma welcome accountability, we remain concerned with the state’s requirement that a letter grade be assigned to schools across Oklahoma. The new A-F system is an improvement because it isn’t based solely on assessments. It’s a multi-measure growth model that folds in English language proficiency, graduation rates and chronic absenteeism. Still, the A-F system doesn’t reflect the true picture of the complex and unique factors that define individual schools or districts.
Nationally recognized assessments should be used as ways to identify the essential skills students need to show academic growth. These results should not be used as a way to label entire communities or schools.
Oklahoma’s historic teacher shortage and our low national rankings are not coincidental. Oklahoma educators aren’t afraid to face to the facts: We must see our students grow academically. To do so, we need quality educators in every classroom. We need smaller class sizes. We need reliable assessments. We need increases in our state’s dedicated funding for schools. And we need sensible accountability. For the sake of our future, it’s time to move beyond state budgets designed to only help schools survive. We must provide robust support that helps our students thrive.
The ESSA plan is now our state’s education road map. It’s up to our legislators to provide the resources to successfully implement it.