Test scores at OK public schools drop after crisis
Spring assessments see lower rate of participation
Oklahoma students scored worse across nearly all grade levels and subject areas this spring in the first round of state testing since COVID-19 threw education into crisis.
Fewer students scored at their proper grade level in math, science and English language arts than in 2019, the last time state tests were administered.
But, test taking was inconsistent across school districts and student demographics, leading state officials to advise this year’s scores create an incomplete picture that’s difficult to compare to previous years.
“Districts may look at their information and think things are better than it actually is,” state schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said.
The Oklahoma State Department of Education released results of the state’s standardized spring tests on Thursday.
Particularly after a year marked by disruption,
quarantines and school closures, state officials say it’s just as important to consider the students who didn’t take spring tests as much as those who did.
Traditionally, 98-99% of Oklahoma students take state assessments, but this year, only 91-92% participated.
Students living in poverty were less likely to sit for testing, state data shows. Fewer than 90% of Black and white students took certain assessments compared with higher rates among other racial groups.
All state tests were taken in person between April 6 and May 24. Third through eighth graders and high school juniors take math and English tests while fifth, eighth and 11th graders take science assessments.
Among the students who tested this year, only 22.1% percent scored at their grade level or above in math — nearly a 10% drop from 2019.
Students who score at their grade level are considered to be on track to be college and career ready by the time they finish high school.
The share of students who scored on-level in English fell from 33.4% in 2019 to 24.8% this year. Performance in science showed the least change when it decreased to 29.7%, down from 34.5% two years ago.
The only grade and subject area that didn’t show a decline was 11th-grade science, where 24% of juniors scored on-level, the same as in 2019.
However, the 11th-grade science test had the lowest participation rate of any grade level and subject area, said Maria Cammack, the state’s deputy superintendent of assessment, accountability and data systems.
Unlike previous years, public schools won’t receive an A-F letter grade based on their collective test results. The Oklahoma State Board of Education decided in December it would suspend A-F report cards for public schools in 2021.
Hofmeister called the scores “very concerning” but said spring assessments aren’t as reliable of a measuring stick as in the past.
Schools that had fewer students who tested could appear to have better results than if all eligible children participated, she said.
“There may be a district that didn’t have as high participation rate as a neighboring district, for example, and they may look better when you see the proficiency rate,” Hofmeister said. “It’s very important for the public and for those districts to look at participation rate before they try to make any kind of comparison between classrooms, between schools, between districts.”
Participation rates, enrollment trends and performance data for the 2021 spring assessment for each district will be available next week at oklaschools.com.
Federal law requires at least 95% of the students in a state, a district and a school to take state tests. Individual demographic groups — broken down by race, special needs and those learning English as a second language — also must show 95% participation to create a representative sample.
This year, the federal government waived the 95% requirement. While Oklahoma’s average participation fell to 91-92%, the rate dropped even lower in certain districts and student groups.
For example, students living in poverty were less likely to sit for math assessments.
About 89% of students from impoverished households took state math exams this spring. On the contrary, 94% of students not living in poverty took the same math tests.
Statewide, only 86.5% of Black children and 87% of white children took their spring math assessment. Hispanic, American Indian and Asian students were better represented, with participation rates of 92.5%, 91.7% and 95.5% respectively.
The state’s largest school system had among the lowest rates of participation in spring tests. Most of Epic Charter Schools’ online and face-to-face programs failed to have even 50% of their students testing.
Other virtual charter schools had similarly low rates of participation.
Superintendent Bart Banfield said many Epic students didn’t test because of health concerns and the travel required to attend regional testing sites.
“Tens of thousands of families came to EPIC last year because they wanted remote learning during the pandemic, so it’s no surprise that their preference showed itself during state testing, which must be done in-person,” Banfield said in a statement.
Nationally, Oklahoma is among the earliest states to release its standardized test scores.
Even though fewer students engaged this year, Oklahoma has among the highest rates of participation in the country, said Juan D’Brot, senior associate at the Center for Assessment, an agency that assists 44 states with administering standardized tests.
Some states intentionally tested fewer students.
Others asked to cancel spring exams entirely — a request the Biden Administration denied.
However, the declining number of test takers in Oklahoma could still compromise the results’ reliability, D’Brot said.
“Ninety-five percent is pretty representative of the larger student population,” D’Brot said. “We think because we tested all kids, we can reflect the performance of all kids. But you start pulling away from that, though — so you have 80% — now all of a sudden it’s questionable.”
Bixby Public Schools, south of Tulsa, had three schools where less than 80% of students tested.
Superintendent Rob Miller said standardized assessments weren’t a priority in Bixby this year, especially without a 95% requirement or an A-F report card grade in play.
Despite the state adding an extra three weeks to the spring testing window, the district consolidated most of its test dates to eight days in the second week of May.
At least 10% of Bixby students remained in virtual classes for the entire school year. Miller said most of those students did not return to campus for spring assessments.
As COVID-19 cases dipped over the spring months, Miller said Bixby preferred to maximize class time spent on traditional lessons rather than test prep.
“We’re trying to focus on critical thinking, problem solving and creativity, still teaching the state standards but through a different lens,” Miller said. “Trying to get students to get away from thinking that learning can be summarized in a multiple-choice test at the end of the year.”
State officials encouraged districts to support academic improvement with the $2.3 billion in federal coronavirus aid funds dedicated to Oklahoma K-12 schools.
Ninety percent of those aid dollars went directly to districts, with the state Department of Education reserving 10%.
The state agency plans to dedicate $3.8 million to pay 500 math tutors for three years to help close learning gaps among middle- and high-school students. The department also pledged $13 million to train 10,000 teachers in the science of reading, with hopes of improving English language arts scores.
Oklahoma Education Secretary Ryan Walters said the results indicate what parents already know — that students are struggling.
“After a long fight to get students back in the classroom and as we invest a record (state appropriated) $3.2 billion into education, the decline in academic performance further underscores the need for solutions focused on raising academic expectations and results,” Walters said.
Oklahoma raised its standards for subject proficiency in 2017 to nationally recognized expectations.
Poor scores could compound in years to come if the cycle of pandemic disruptions and school closures continues, Hofmeister said.
As the delta variant fueled a late-summer surge in COVID-19 cases, hundreds — if not thousands — of students and teachers landed in quarantine at the start of the latest school year.
Nearly 20 schools have pivoted to distance learning because of overwhelming staff and student absences, according to StateImpact Oklahoma.
“There are some who say this year is far worse than even last year,” Hofmeister said. “I do think it’s important that districts have the ability to deal with those outbreaks as they happen and partner with public health officials so they can make for the least amount of disruption to the school operations.”
Even though fewer students engaged this year, Oklahoma has among the highest rates of participation in the country, said Juan D’Brot, senior associate at the Center for Assessment, an agency that assists 44 states with administering standardized tests.