Oklahoma’s 2021 State Test Results Show Fewer Students Took The Test, Performance Down Overall

Oklahoma's state test results from the last school year show the education crisis in the state is worse because of the pandemic.  

State education leaders said parents can get a simple, accurate look at their child's individual state test results just like any other year. But they stress school districts should not take results at face value, in part because participation numbers were lower than usual this year.  

Students across Oklahoma sat down for state testing this spring for the first time since 2019.  

Image Provided By: State of Oklahoma

A graph provided by the state and presented at Thursday’s State Board of Education meeting shows the overall performance results are down, when comparing 2019 to 2021's results for math, English language arts and science.  

For example, the math results show 32 percent of Oklahoma students in 2019 scored proficient or advanced. But this year, statewide, that number dropped to 22 percent.  

"These are consequences of the pandemic. Yet we must be impatient for our students to have what they need,” State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said.  

But before a district or school judges its own performance results, state leaders said participation and enrollment numbers have to be considered.  

The state said historically, about 99 percent of students take the state test each year. 

But during the pandemic, with relaxed rules from the federal government, about 91 percent of Oklahoma students took the test, meaning thousands of students didn't.  

"When we see someone who is missing from that, we need to ask why. And we need to ensure that we are meeting the needs of all of our students, particularly those students who have the greatest needs,” Hofmeister said.  

Hofmeister emphasized how crucial it is that districts take the time to dig into the results this year and use that information to help make decisions about how to spend COVID relief money in ways that will have an impact on students right away.  

"This is truly a once in a generation opportunity with regard to these federal relief dollars. We don't want to squander a penny,” she said.  

State data shows students enrolled in all-virtual schools were far less likely to take the test, so the state does not have complete data to see how those students are performing. Several all-virtual schools, like Epic Charter Schools, had only about 30 to 45 percent of their students take the state test this year.  

The state said data on participation, enrollment and performance for this year’s test will be available next week on the Oklahoma Data Matrix at oklaschools.com.  

To see the slides that were presented at the state board meeting, click here.