The Oklahoma State Board of Education will vote on December 15th whether to send the new A-F School Report Card system to the Legislature for approval. The new requirements for school accountability is meant to replace the much maligned system in place. It also makes the changes necessary to comply with new state and federal education laws.
The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) has been working on creating a new report card calculation for the A-F School Report Card. It worked with a 95-member task force made up of stakeholders from all facets of education and the community.
House Bill 3218 and the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) made it necessary to make the changes.
“This accountability system is the culmination of an intensive and collaborative process that benefited from a diverse array of Oklahoma education stakeholders across the state,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Hofmeister said. “The new report card calculation is valid, reliable and meaningful, and it corrects glaring shortcomings of the previous A-F system. I am grateful for the Assessment and Accountability Task Force members who have dedicated their time, expertise and perspective in helping shape what we believe will help guide school improvement and provide families and communities with important information about their schools.”
Student performance in English language arts (ELA) and math has been given equal weight. English language proficiency progress, graduation rates, postsecondary opportunities and chronic absenteeism also serve as components in the revised system.
A new focus will be given to chronic absenteeism. It is defined as a student missing at least 10 percent of the school year. Studies have shown chronic absenteeism is an indicator of whether the student will move onto college or even graduate high school.
“The relationship between absenteeism and worse outcomes persists among students of all ages,” noted a Brookings Institution report, “Lessons for Broadening School Accountability under the Every Student Succeeds Act,” which was published in October. “As early as kindergarten, school absences lower subsequent achievement levels. Missing school lowers achievement in elementary school and middle school. Chronic absenteeism is also a valuable indicator of whether a student is on track to complete high school.”
According to the OSDE, more than 16 percent of Oklahoma high school students missed at least 15 school days during the 2013-14 academic year. The issue was also significant in elementary (9.5 percent) and middle school students (12 percent).
Performance, growth, English language proficiency, and chronic absenteeism have been assigned to a 90-point rubric which breaks down into the A-F grade for a school. The high school report cards will include a college and career readiness component with a bonus point for high participation and proficiency in U.S. History.
