Oklahoma Schools Earn D in Academic Achievement, State Reports

Oklahoma public schools earned a D in academic achievement for the 2025–26 academic year, with 27% of students scoring at a proficient or advanced level on reading, math, and science tests.

The Oklahoma State Department of Education released the figures Thursday on oklaschools.com, grading 1,750 public schools across the state on an A–F scale.

State officials reported that 64% of public schools earned an A, B, or C, indicating adequate or better progress. Twenty-four fewer schools received a D and 10 fewer received an F compared to the previous year, according to the state agency.

Academic proficiency remains a central hurdle for the state. Data within the publication shows that English language arts proficiency reached 26%, mathematics stood at 25%, and science hit 30% among tested students.

The state earned a C for academic growth, a metric measuring year-over-year test score improvements. Dennis Williams, senior director of data and accountability for the state Education Department, said the indicators provide a broader view of student performance.

Oklahoma Schools Earn D in Academic Achievement, State Reports — Photo: news9.com

The purpose of a school report card is to identify the lowest performing schools in the state, Williams said.

Schools in the bottom 5% receive comprehensive support and additional funding every three years under state guidelines. Those institutions work alongside state support personnel to identify problems and craft improvement plans over a three-year window.

Statewide high school graduation rates fell from 82.2% to 77.6% for the 2025–26 academic term. The U.S. Department of Education notified Oklahoma two years ago that it considers the CORE Curriculum diploma a “lesser credential” because it allows students to substitute a math and science credit with a career technology course.

Chronic absenteeism also received a D grade, with 84.1% of students not chronically absent, falling short of the state’s 85% benchmark for satisfactory progress. The Oklahoma Legislature passed a law last year to remove chronic absenteeism from impacting school letter grades, but the state is still awaiting final federal approval to implement the change.

Post-secondary opportunities earned a B grade, with students in 11th and 12th grade participating in concurrent college credit, Advanced Placement classes, or vocational courses. The state reported 58% of students in 11th and 12th grades participating in early college and career experiences.

The state Education Department expects future gains from recent investments in reading instruction and literacy coaches. Implementation of the Strong Readers Act will mandate that pupils who fail to clear state reading assessments repeat the third grade, with this policy taking effect during the 2027–28 school year.