Search Newsroom

State Superintendent Sandy Garrett today said Oklahoma?s work-ready, college-ready high school reform efforts improved its ranking on an annual report card. The 13th annual ?Quality Counts,? the national analysis of state education systems by Education Week, graded Oklahoma the nation?s 25th best education system today ? up from 28th best in 2008. In several sub-categories, Oklahoma?s scores were among the nation?s highest, including teaching profession (the nation?s 10th best), standards and assessments (13th best) and policies related to transitions and alignment (15th best, up from 19th best in 2008.) The state also earned perfect scores for school accountability, and for education policies related to the economy and workforce. ?The bottom line is we?re moving forward and this annual study recognizes that,? Garrett said in summing up the 2009 Quality Counts report. Researchers for this report work daily with education law and policy changes, so their improved outlook for Oklahoma is notable.? ?However, doing better and more than other states isn?t enough. The global race is on to increase the number of students who graduate from high school ready for college and today?s competitive workplace, and we have no intention of slowing down our efforts,? Garrett concluded. Oklahoma?s overall score was 76.1, a ?C,? which was the national average. No state earned a score higher than 84.7. The Top 5 states were Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Virginia and New Jersey. Researchers factored in regional cost-of-living differences before ranking Oklahoma 41st in the School Finance category. The study calculated overall scores by averaging scores in six categories: Standards and Assessments (2008 report); Transitions and Alignment (2009 report); Teaching Profession (2008); School Finance (2009); K-12 Achievement (2008) and Chance for Success (2009). Each year, Quality Counts also focuses on a current issue in education but does not grade states on that topic. This year?s issue is English Language Learners. Researchers indicated Oklahoma schools? ELL populations continue to climb and even comprised more than 20 percent of students in several areas of the state in 2006. Data also suggests Oklahoma schools need 49.8 percent more ELL teachers.