Oklahoma Ranks Low In Nationwide School Testing

The results of a national reading and math test for 4th and 8th graders showed sharp declines during the pandemic.

Oklahoma’s results were worse than the national average.

"We’re not surprised by that and it underscores our messaging of supporting teachers and school leaders in a variety of ways, recognizing these effects will be felt for years to come." Bryan Koerner, Oklahoma’s Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, said the National Assessment of Educational Progress mirrored state testing which show the consequences of pandemic disruptions.

Koerner said the state is spending $18 million to help improve reading and math scores, as just part of $232 million the State Department of Education reports is spending in pandemic relief funding.

The NAEP testing is conducted from January through March of each school year, but the testing was cancelled in 2021.

Since the last test in 2020, the national average test score for reading 3 points in both 4th and 8th grades; while in Oklahoma, scores dropped 8 points for 4th and 7 points for 8th grade.

The math scores dropped even more - down 5 points for 4th graders and 8 points for 8th graders.

In Oklahoma, 4th grade scores were down 8 points and 13 points for 8th graders.

The results reflect a state average and results for individual districts are not compiled for the national test. OSDE conducts state testing that does show distinctions between Oklahoma districts.

The board that oversees the tests calls it a stark warning for parents and educators about the skills lost during the pandemic.

“What we're seeing today is that everything may be fine and getting back to normal, but kids are not covering what they need to be covering in their current grade,” Harvard Professor Thomas Kane said.