Nathan Hale High School Alumni Volunteer To Support Students And Staff

Nathan Hale High School alumni are doing all they can to support students and staff there.

The school is one of 14 from Tulsa Public Schools that is on the state’s list of those that need the "Most Rigorous Intervention."

Tulsa Public Schools' superintendent said work is being done to deal with the high number of absent students.

Meanwhile, alumni say they are making sure every student there feels valued.

Kabron Lewis, a Nathan Hale senior, has committed to play for Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa in the fall.

Before Kabron joined the Hale basketball team, the team won just five games in the previous three years.

This last season, Hale ended with a 14 and 11 record.

Kabron said he hopes his classmates keep the momentum going.

"Hale wasn't talked about,” said Kabron. “We didn't get too many wins. My first year coming here, we were 1 and 15. I told all the guys here I'm going to change this program."

Nathan Hale Alumni Foundation members have been spending time with students and staff and giving them gifts to boost morale.

Foundation president Mike Webb said alumni want to make sure the school stays open.

"The unknown is horrific because it doesn't do anyone in the school system any good,” said Webb,

Tulsa Public Schools superintendent, Dr. Ebony Johnson, said there has been no confirmation that Hale would close, although it has been on the State Department of Education's list of schools most in need of rigorous intervention.

"The State Department of Education has levels of expectation for us to see growth with schools that have struggled for quite some time,” said Johnson.

Johnson said Hale is making progress.

"They are jumping in full throttle to work on all those areas that warrant us increasing in our literacy, increasing in our graduation rates, increasing in all those things we know are expected and needed for our students in our schools,” said Johnson.

Alumni said they will continue to support as Hale High School celebrates its 65th anniversary this fall and beyond.

"It's not about us,” said Webb. “It's about the future, and they are the future."

The State Department of Education said schools may exit the "most rigorous intervention" status at any time if there are improvements that meet certain criteria:

MRI sites were designated as Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) sites in the SY2018-2019 designation cycle and failed to meet the state's exit criteria at the completion of the third year. They have MRI status for the next 3-year cycle.

Schools can exit CSI/MRI status at any time during the three-year cycle when:

•            A site designated due to being in the lowest 5% of Oklahoma schools improves the total score such that student performance is no longer in the bottom 5%

•            A site designated due to graduation rates below 67% increases the school's four-year graduation rate to be at or above 67% for high schools

•            A site designated for having a chronically low performing student group improves the performance of the chronically low performing student group such that the group is no longer in the bottom 5%.

OSDE gave News On 6 this list of TPS MRI sites:

Anderson ES

Burroughs ES

Celia Clinton ES

Central HS

Daniel Webster MS

East Central JHS

Emerson ES

Hale JHS

John Hope Franklin ES

McLain HS for Science & Tech

Nathan Hale HS

Traice

Tulsa Met MS

Unity Learning Academy