Experts in Oklahoma debunk claims of significant test score increases as largely fictional.

In August, Oklahoma school districts received surprising yet encouraging news as the state disclosed the student test results from the previous school year.

The student performance, particularly in English language arts, saw a remarkable surge. Notably, an impressive 51% of third graders achieved proficiency or higher, a substantial increase from 29% last year.

However, the initial joy turned into skepticism as local officials delved deeper into the data.

“A leap of that magnitude is unheard of,” commented an assessment director from a nearby Oklahoma City school district, who chose to remain anonymous to avoid drawing unwanted attention to the district.

To contextualize the significant improvements, Andrew Ho, a prominent testing expert at Harvard University, analyzed the findings. He noted that the math progress in Oklahoma, a state historically trailing the national average, exceeded that of states with the most robust growth by two to 10 times, depending on the grade level. Reading gains were even more pronounced, ranging from 10 to 20 times higher.

Ho reflected on the data, questioning the validity of Oklahoma’s alleged advancements. Interviews with individuals familiar with the state’s testing procedures, as well as documented correspondence shared with The 74, revealed that the scores did not authentically reflect progress. Instead, the state, under Superintendent Ryan Walters’ guidance, opted to lower the proficiency threshold.

“The benchmark for proficiency was higher last year,” disclosed a source knowledgeable about the Technical Advisory Committee’s work, assembled by the state during the summer to evaluate proficiency standards. However, this year, with the same assessment items, meeting a lower threshold still classified students as proficient.

The shifting interpretation of large-scale assessment results, especially after the implementation of new standards, is not unusual for states. Last spring marked the first instance where Oklahoma students underwent tests aligning with the updated 2021 language arts and 2022 math standards. States typically accompany such transformative adjustments with efforts to clarify the modifications to districts and parents.

A member of the Technical Advisory Committee highlighted the historical approach of the state’s education department in communicating these changes publicly. The individual recommended engaging news outlets to assist in disseminating information about the alterations within the system.

Despite such recommendations, the Oklahoma Department of Education did not respond to inquiries from The 74, seeking clarification, as of the latest update.

Efforts to address the discrepancies in scoring remain pending, as education department officials and the technical panel were scheduled to convene for discussions on appropriately conveying the new test results’ significance compared to previous assessments.

Against this backdrop, the Tulsa Public Schools displayed notable progress, with a significant uptick in student proficiency across grades 3 to 5. Walters commended the district’s achievements during a recent State Board of Education meeting, without alluding to the internal intricacies surrounding scoring adjustments.

The prevalent disconnect has left local officials perplexed, with doubts raised about the credibility of the reported gains on the state test.

Stacey Woolley, the Tulsa district’s board president, pointed out the statistically improbable nature of the achievements, echoing the sentiments of many within the educational community.

In Moore Public Schools, nearly two-thirds of third graders scored as proficient or advanced in reading, marking a considerable increase from the previous year. Similarly, in Stillwater, situated approximately an hour north, the percentage of fourth graders reaching these top proficiency levels surged by 21 points.

The lack of transparency and coordination in communicating the testing revisions has been attributed to Walters, who has faced scrutiny over various contentious policy decisions and administrative challenges.

As controversies surrounding Walters’ tenure intensify, concerns about the department’s financial management, testing procedures, and compliance with federal guidelines have garnered attention.

Erika Wright, leading the Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition, criticized the superintendent’s handling of the situation, citing a lack of transparency as a recurring issue.

The patterns of adjusting proficiency rates and recalibrating standards, akin to the adjustments witnessed in Oklahoma, are commonplace as states undergo shifts in their educational frameworks.

A researcher at Brown University validated the state’s revised standards and highlighted the recalibration’s impact on testing outcomes, illustrating the complexities involved in aligning scoring criteria with evolving educational benchmarks.

Following an assessment of test items by educators, recommendations from the advisory committee influenced the requisite learning benchmarks for students to attain proficiency levels. Despite the standardized scale indicating 300 as the threshold for proficiency, the state decided to ease the scoring criteria for students to achieve this standard.

Reflecting on the data, the official from the Oklahoma City-area district expressed doubts about the students’ actual progress and voiced a longing to celebrate genuine advancements rather than question the accuracy of reported gains, emphasizing the disconnect between the perceived and actual educational advancements.