Test Scores Give Baseline, Now We Can Move Forward, TPS Superintendent Says

State test results for Tulsa Public Schools came in generally lower than state averages.

At some TPS schools, no students were considered proficient or better in some subjects for their grade levels.

Tulsa's scores as a district tell one story, but the challenges really show up in the school level numbers. Superintendent Dr. Deborah Gist pointed out the numbers don’t show the trend, just the starting point.

10/17/2017 Related Story: TPS Releases Disappointing State Test Results

“We have what we need now and we're able to move forward from here. These scores are the baseline and they show what kind of progress we want to make over time,” she said.

For TPS, the challenges are district-wide where test scores under the new system show the majority of students are not on track with their education to be ready for college or a career.

10/18/2017 Related Story: New Test Results Show Challenges For Oklahoma Districts

Students took the new, completely online testing this past April, and the scoring is based on higher standards than in the past.

“Anytime you see percentages that are lower than you'd like to be at the district level, and when you look at individual schools, it's concerning to us and we take it very seriously, the expectation that our students are ready for college and career,” Gist said.

Compared to state averages, Tulsa Public Schools students score lower across the board. The differences are substantial for third-grade students in language arts and math, and up to tenth-grade students in math and history.

The district released numbers for individual schools and the results for each student will come out in December.

"Here in a few weeks, families will get the reports on individual results on their children, and that's another point they can ask questions of their own child's readiness about what they're doing to help prepare their child and what the parents can do to help the child as well," Gist said.