Educate Oklahoma: State Mandates

News 9 asked Oklahomans who they think does the best job overseeing our schools. Results show an overwhelming 72 percent believe it is the local school districts, with state and federal government a distant second and third.

Oversight is a major point of contention. The federal government eliminated the "No Child Left Behind Act" late last year. In its place, the "Every Student Succeeds Act” gives the state more control. Now, education leaders are trying to break down what this new mandate means for Oklahoma.

Just before school started this year, Oklahoma State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister spent eight days traveling across the state for the Engage OK Education conference. The new "Every Student Succeeds Act" (ESSA) was a big part of the discussion.

Hofmeister says ESSA removes the requirement for Oklahoma to seek an annual waiver from burdensome federal mandates. But, it still requires state-led testing in grades three through eight and high school, plus a state-designed school accountability system.

The biggest change here is control. Unlike "No Child Left Behind," the new law transfers the bulk of education policy and decision making back to state and local control.

"I know it’s easier for parents to talk to a local school leader and a local legislator at the capitol,” says Ryan Owens, co-executive director for the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administrators. “It’s impossible to talk to people in Washington, D.C. and see a difference be made."

Now, the Oklahoma Department of Education is asking for your help. In a web address Hofmeister invites Oklahomans the get involved in the decision making.

"I would like to invite you to be part of a vital process, one that will shape the educational experience and outcomes of oklahoma students for years to come," says Hofmeister in the announcement.

The department is calling out to parents, educators, administrators, students and community members to take part in a survey.

Hofmeister continues, "This is your opportunity for meaningful impact that will frame accountability, and school culture, policy for every Oklahoma student.”

The 17 question survey asks you to weigh in on how the state should measure student progress, accountability, how the state can help low-performing schools, and teacher certification.

 “They've said states, you decide what it takes for a teacher to be certified and in a classroom and in a state like ours where we've got a thousand teacher shortage we need that flexibility,” says Owens.

The survey is also a chance for the community to suggest how federal dollars should best be invested in Oklahoma schools. Superintendent Hofmeister says that will be one of the greatest impacts.

For example, Hofmeister says, "States will now be able to determine the most appropriate, research-based plan to address school improvement and student support for Oklahoma students. This is different from the old one-size-fits-all approach of No Child Left Behind. "

Once the survey phase is complete, a first draft of the ESSA plan is expected sometime in October. There will be additional opportunities for community feedback in November. A second draft of the plan is expected by February 2017.

The Governor will review it before the plan is sent off to the U.S. Department of Education for approval.

If you'd like to participate in the survey, click here.

For years, the sheer amount of standardized testing in schools caused controversy, but that changed with ESSA. State lawmakers are now using this opportunity to take a bare bones approach to testing.

“The biggest issue with testing is that we were doing it for purposes beyond what's best for students,” says Hofmeister.

Many people might say Oklahoma students and teachers were forced to bite off more than they could Achew.

Dr. Teresa Debacker is an Associate Dean.

“Well, it puts a great deal of stress on the student because the students understand that these are high stakes tests. Everybody knows a teacher who has sort of reached a point of burnout,” says Debacker.

Think of past testing requirements like building a sandwich. The No Child Left Behind act required federal testing in schools, that's the bread.  As the stakes changed the states upped the ante and instead of just toast for lunch, now students needed something more substantial, so Oklahoma added its own requirements.  Then, the sandwich became more involved when districts added the toppings, their own layer of testing requirements. In the end, students were taking up to 36 tests before graduation.

Now, we're going back to toast.

“This year we will only be giving assessments that are federally required,” says Hofmeister.

The new state testing requirements mean each Oklahoma student will only need to take 18 tests plus a college-readiness test like the SAT or ACT before graduation. That cuts the requirements almost in half. Educators say it is a change that could help steer Oklahoma students in the right direction.

“Now we're going to focus on learning and then we're going to measure that. But we don't need to do that over and over,” says Hofmeister.

 “What this does is it frees up the classroom time to be spent doing what the teacher knows is going to be best for the students,” says Debacker.

So what tests will your child need to take to graduate? Students will still begin testing in third grade. Each year until 8th grade, students will be required to take one test in Math, and one test in English/Language Arts, for a total of 12 tests. Students will also take Science tests in 5th and 8th grades. In high school, students will have to take one Math, one English, one Science and One U.S. History test, before they take their SAT or ACT.

“What we want is for a return of focus on the foundations of learning, and then lets examine that with a snapshot of how students are doing in the spring,” says Hofmesiter.

These new tests will ultimately be designed by Oklahoma educators. Leaders in the field see them as an opportunity.

“Having been given local control, we can create assessments that really reflect what parents and educators and other stake holders in education think are important,” says Debacker. “Then, if we're "teaching to the test" it's really not such a bad thing.”

80 percent of Oklahoma high school graduates took the ACT test last year.  Their average score was 20.7.  The national average is 21.