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Dear Parents,

In an attempt to compare schools based on quality and performance, the Oklahoma legislature followed the lead of some other states to put a grading system in place. The State Department of Education (SDE) has now set the criteria for grades from A to F. The grades were intended to be fair, accurate and easy to understand. Unfortunately in my opinion, they are not.  A 10-page technical guide and a 28 page report card guide with 48 different calculation tables are required to explain the grading formula. There are many problems that undermine the validity of the grades including:

  • Oklahoma's tests were not developed to be equal and comparable from year to year;
  • The SDE set the requirement for an A at 94% rather than the standard 90%;
  • The scores from low-performing students count more in the grades than other students;
  • The grades tend to reflect socio-economic status rather than academic growth;
  • Not all students are included in the “state growth average”  which artificially inflates the standard;
  • By always rounding down in the formula, the SDE minimized grades earned by the school;
  • The school climate measure-- parent, teacher and student surveys --  did not influence the school grade;
  • Attendance and graduation rate are significantly weighted in the grading formula;
  • The SDE and State Board of Education intentionally chose grading formulas so public schools would not look too good.

Though the problems associated with the grading formula have been brought to the attention of the SDE and the State Board of Education by 313 districts across the state, the State Board is requiring their distribution. Therefore, the grades for Union schools are included below. Even though the overall grades for all of our schools are satisfactory or above, parents are cautioned that the grades may not reflect a true picture of each school. 

Parents, I encourage you to focus on the grade reports and test scores earned by your individual child. If your child's progress is of concern, please talk with the teachers and administrators in your school. Our goal at Union is to be sure that each child has an excellent learning experience in a high quality school, and we are committed to work with every parent to make this happen – one student at a time.

Cathy Burden, Ph.D.
Superintendent

A-F State-Issued Report Cards

 Union Schools - Oklahoma