State Board of Education approves new school report cards

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Oklahoma State Board of Education has approved the release of new A-F report cards for public schools that have previously been criticized by state educators for having flawed metrics.

Superintendent Joy Hofmeister says the new grading system approved by the board on Thursday was designed to correct previous flaws in the system and provide a more comprehensive overview of school performance.

Among other things, the new grading system will assess individual school performance on statewide tests, graduation rates and English language proficiency.

Former Gov. Mary Fallin signed legislation in 2017 to create a new A-F grading system for public schools to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.

Critics have said letter grading systems typically are closely tied to poverty and tend to oversimplify a school’s performance.