6/10/04

Press Release

Oklahoma City Student Test Scores Jump

Officials Say “MAPS for KIDS” Aim in Sight

Oklahoma City Public Schools teachers and students scored big during the 2003-2004 school year. Using several proven educational processes, new to Oklahoma City Public Schools, teachers and students refocused on achievement and can now proudly boast significant gains in fifth and eighth grade test scores for math, reading, science and history.

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-Testing Highlights-

“MAPS for Kids called for different approaches to education and these test results are a great indication that we are doing just that,” Bob Moore, Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent said Thursday. “Our students and teachers deserve a lot of credit for this renewed effort."

Overall, the District recorded an eight percent gain in the percentage of fifth grade students scoring satisfactory or advanced in math, a three percent gain in reading and a four percent gain in science. Eighth grade students posted an 11 percent gain in math, a 12 percent gain in reading, and a nine percent gain in both science and history. Third grade test scores are not yet available as final calculations are not complete at this time. Oklahoma measures Academic Performance Index (API) and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) using only the subjects of math and reading.

“This is good news for our district. As evidenced by this report, Oklahoma City Public Schools is indeed making meaningful progress on the academic front,” commented Cliff Hudson, Chairman of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education. “Academic success for all students is our highest priority and a key element of our MAPS for Kids initiative. Congratulations to Superintendent Moore and, very importantly, the teachers, principals, administrators and staff at the schools for working so hard and effectively to provide our students with a quality education.”

Fifty-eight of the District’s 62 elementary schools and virtually all middle schools showed gains in at least one subject area. Of significance, Eisenhower Elementary, Westwood Elementary, Western Village Charter School, and Jackson Middle School, all currently on the state’s school improvement list for the fourth year and under restructuring as mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act, showed gains in the percentage of students scoring satisfactory and above.

Several new educational processes implemented this year, such as the division of the District into six feeder patterns, the utilization of instructional facilitators in some of our lowest performing schools and participation in the Organizational Health Inventory and High Performance Model have contributed to the District’s success in enhancing instructional methods that led to the gains in test scores.

Schools in the Douglass feeder pattern showed particularly strong improvement, including Dewey Elementary with a 31 percent increase in math and a 19 percent increase in reading and Longfellow Elementary with a 13 percent gain in math and an 11 percent gain in reading.

Another outstanding success story was Wheeler Community Learning Center. Wheeler students posted a 20 percent increase in fifth grade math, a 16 percent increase in fifth grade reading and a 46 percent increase in both eighth grade math and reading.

“This is just outstanding considering the environment this school has been forced to endure over the past three years because of the fire that damaged their school home. The school has been housed at Rancho Village Baptist Church since the fall of 2001,” Moore said, adding, “When teachers are provided the opportunity to fully participate in and guide the learning process these are the type of results achieved.”

The criterion reference test is a state mandated examination which evaluates fifth and eighth grade student performance based on what the State Education Department requires them to know.

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Testing Highlights

58 of 62 elementary schools post gains in at least one subject area.

All middle schools post gains – an area targeted by MAPS for Kids as needing significant attention and improvement

All four schools under mandated restructuring from the No Child Left Behind Act post gains in both reading and math.

10 schools show substantial movement from satisfactory to advanced.

Schools with instructional facilitators show gains in academic achievement.

Schools showing high organizational health ratings show gains in academic achievement.

Several schools had 30 to 40+ percent more students score satisfactory or above.

Newly adopted instructional methods include:

Division of District into six feeder patterns

Instructional Facilitators

Leadership at all levels

Tools measuring school climates leading to positive cultural change

Students achieving satisfactory test scores increase across all areas of the District despite income levels and geographic location proving All Children Can Learn.

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