In the wake of glitches with online standardized testing, some school districts and state lawmakers question the validity of the exams. BY PHIL BACHARACH Nothing gets people testy like test-taking, especially when accessing the test becomes a sort of test in itself. That was the case for 9,100 Oklahoma students in sixth through 12th grade […]
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Exhausted exams
Repeated server outages from online testing vendor CTB/McGraw-Hill resulted in disruptions of exams administered April 29-30. High school students had been taking high-stakes, taking end-of-instruction (EOI) exams required to earn a high school diploma. Tests taken by the middle schoolers are factored into the state Department of Education’s A-F grading of schools. In the wake […]
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Like a rock
Taft Stadium Credit: Mark Hancock As principal with MA+ Architecture, Armbruster is focused on designs to bring Taft and Speegle Stadiums into the 21st century. Built as New Deal projects in the 1930s, both stadiums have been used for decades by Oklahoma City Public Schools sports teams. The combined budget is more than $18 million […]
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Common sense about Common Core
Now they must also implement policies that may or may not make sense, such as creating high school academies, retaining third-graders who don’t pass reading tests, remediating seniors who have not passed four graduation examinations and avoiding state takeover of schools that fail according to the state’s report card. Even more time and money must […]
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Connecting the dots
Each year, hundreds of bills and tax-related initiatives are approved that, when viewed independently, may not seem to have a significant impact. Yet by not connecting the dots of various actions when it comes to public schools, the picture of Oklahoma education becomes disturbingly distorted. If citizens don’t start connecting the dots, a true picture […]
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School daze
The annual report measures schools by several factors, including college readiness, algebra proficiency, English proficiency and student/teacher ratio. On a state level, Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa was rated No. 1, ranking 325th nationally. Most of the state’s top 10 were in the metro. Classen School of Advanced Studies nabbed the second spot […]
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Dead or alive
Although House leadership this session quashed bills that sought to outlaw texting while driving, proponents of the legislation tried again last week. No go. An amendment that would have limited the ban to school zones, work zones and intersections failed, too. Faring better was a plan to let teachers and other school personnel arm themselves […]
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‘Local control’ in education
The same could be said about use of the term “local control” in relation to education policy. An appeal to “local control” is thrown around at the state Capitol nearly every time education legislation is proposed. Over the last few years, I have worked with other legislators to improve our state’s anti-bullying statute. But efforts […]
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Gunning for freedom
Credit: Brad Gregg Turns out, the thought of a sweet kindergarten teacher suddenly morphing into Kindergarten Cop isn’t such a realistic prospect after all. The decision comes at the recommendation of the Oklahoma Commission on School Safety, a group of law enforcement officers, mental health officials, teachers, parents and first responders. Their opposition, of course, […]
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Making schools safe
For many years, I’ve been concerned about this issue. I was privileged to work with 22 other Oklahomans appointed to the OCSS to analyze our current school security climate. The panel consisted of professionals from diverse fields such as local education, homeland security, mental health, local law enforcement, parents and operational planning. When tragedies strike, […]