Report Cards For Oklahoma Schools To Be Released Monday

A new grading system for Oklahoma public schools begins Monday, and parents will be able to see if their children's schools have aced the test.

Sunday, October 7th 2012, 11:42 pm

By: News 9

Report Cards For Oklahoma Schools To Be Released Monday

A new grading system for Oklahoma public schools begins Monday, and parents will be able to see if their children's schools have aced the test.

The new "A" through "F" letter grading system isn't for students, but for the schools themselves. The report cards measure just how well the schools stack up to "state standards."

Check the grade for your child's school

Seventeen-hundred schools across Oklahoma will soon have a letter grade representing how well they educate students, but some superintendents are voicing concerns over the new system.

"It really doesn't reflect the quality of instruction, the teachers, their level of competence and the level of performance that the teachers put into their every day. We don't want to see teachers get beat up over this," Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Karl Springer said.

Some raised concerns over how the scores are actually calculated, saying it relies heavily on test scores at the high school level and achievement in certain grades at the elementary level.

"It's a reflection of a population in the school but it is not the entire school's performance," Dr. David Goin, Edmond Schools Superintendent, said.

State Superintendent Janet Barresi counters, saying educators had ample opportunity for input about the new system.

"Over 60 days of public comment and public hearings where these same individuals had an opportunity and took advantage of that opportunity to offer comments at which large-scale adjustments were made to this system based on their comments," Barresi said.

Barresi says implementing this new grading system is just a piece in a continuation of education reform in the state of Oklahoma. Schools will not see any major changes because of the grades. For example, you won't see funding cuts because of a lower grade. Barresi says it's just information for the public to see how their schools perform.

Last week, 80 superintendents from across the state asked the state to delay releasing the grades. The state, however, decided to move forward as planned.

They will release the grades Monday at 1:30 p.m.