State leaders announce higher academic standards

OKLAHOMA CITY (Aug. 28, 2013) – In 2010, Oklahoma made a commitment to raise the educational bar for children. With the passage of Senate Bill 2033 that called for the implementation of college and career ready standards, Oklahoma teachers are now in the final stages of aligning instruction to those new standards this school year.

"Now that we've reached our first milestone, increasing the rigor of the Oklahoma Academic Standards, Oklahomans across the state need to give full support to our teachers as we begin to assess children on these new standards," State Superintendent Janet Barresi said. "Education reform is never easy, but I know that our teachers and our students are ready to answer this challenge."

Governor Mary Fallin applauds the efforts of our students and teachers. “Nothing is more important to the prosperity of this state and its residents than high quality education. To deliver that education and ensure our children have the skills they need to succeed in today’s economy, Oklahoma must raise the bar when it comes to academic standards.

“Oklahoma has great teachers and great schools. If we increase rigor in the classroom, students will rise to the challenge. We know that requiring higher scores on exit exams and standardized tests comes with growing pains. We will work through these challenges with teachers, administrators, parents and students to ensure these higher standards are met. Ultimately, greater rigor in the classroom will empower our children by helping them to achieve success both in school and in the workforce.”

Superintendent Barresi made the call to action for supporting teachers and students in increasing academic achievement at a press conference on Wednesday, August 28, in the Governor’s Blue Room at the State Capitol. The event coincided with State Department of Education officials releasing preliminary student test scores from spring 2013 to school districts.

Joining Superintendent Barresi in the call to action were Dr. Robert Sommers, Secretary of Education and Workforce Development and State Director of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education; Dr. Glen Johnson, Chancellor of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education; Chuck Mills, President of Mills Manufacturing Company and Chairman Elect of the State Chamber of Oklahoma; and Fred Morgan, President and CEO of the State Chamber of Oklahoma.

More challenging test questions were included in the 2013 spring assessments to reflect the more rigorous Oklahoma Academic Standards. Questions were added to the 5th and 8th grade science and writing tests and end-of-instruction biology test. These more challenging test questions helped prepare students for the more rigorous assessments that follow full implementation of college and career standards. Cut scores to measure proficiency also were increased for these tested subjects. Cut scores are like the defined range of scores that qualifies student work for letter grades such as A’s, B’s, etc. on classroom assignments and tests.

SDE officials say assessments aligned to the new academic standards will become more rigorous. Although this will mean an initial drop in test scores across the state, as teachers and children become accustomed to this new, better way of learning, test scores will rebound.

“Just as the new standards incorporate reading, writing and math across all subject areas, the new assessments will as well. We are no longer asking students to memorize facts and figures for multiple-choice tests. We are asking them to read two or more paragraphs, write out their answers in short essay form and, in some cases, defend their answers by showing their work,” explained Dr. Maridyth McBee, Assistant State Superintendent of Accountability and Assessment.

“Now that we know the extent of the challenge, everyone must join together and support our teachers and students. This is what we want. We want our children to be college, career and citizen ready. Prepared to compete with the best and the brightest,” Barresi said. “The toughest part of our journey is here, and we cannot let our teachers and students travel the road alone. We must be there for them to provide all the support they need.”

To help teachers, the State Department of Education offers several professional development opportunities such as:

• The REAC3H Network, an instructional team that delivers professional development to classroom teachers and school administrators in regional trainings throughout the state.
• Sixty REAC3H Coaches who provide literacy training to teachers in their classrooms.
• The PD on Your Plan program. When launched, this will provide virtual professional development teachers can access during their planning period. This means instructional time will not be taken away from students in the classroom.
• The OKMath/OKSci program modeled after Leadership Oklahoma. This program creates leaders who can identify challenges and create solutions for math and science educators. They also can serve as a support system during implementation of the Oklahoma Academic Standards.
• Convenings of English, math and science teachers who work to determine the needs of teachers for implementation of the more rigorous standards and develop resources and tools to address those needs.
• A partnership with the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) project that increases access to Advanced Placement courses for students and provides training and resources in AP coursework to teachers.
• The school improvement program designed to help some of the state’s most struggling schools.

In closing, Barresi commented, “Time and again I have seen the bar raised for children, and they have successfully risen to meet the challenge. We must remember, if there was ever a state that has proven it can rise to a challenge and come out on top, it’s Oklahoma.”

University of Oklahoma President David Boren and Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis released statements in support of higher standards. Boren and Hargis believe these higher standards and increased rigor are essential for improving student performance.

OU President David Boren:

“The University of Oklahoma supports high academic standards across all academic areas.  The new proposed state science standards have included input from many stakeholders, including OU scientists and K12 educators.  We believe the increased rigor will better prepare students for success in STEM fields as they enter college.”

OSU President Burns Hargis:

“Oklahoma State University supports standards that better prepare students for college and inevitably lead to higher retention and graduation rates.  OSU partners with public schools across our state to assist teachers in challenging students in ways that engage them to improve achievement.  We appreciate those who are working hard to improve education for Oklahoma's students.”