Oklahoma

Press Release

February 11, 2025

Contact: Sam Stockwell
samuel_stockwell@gse.harvard.edu
617.495.0342

Oklahoma Ranked 42^nd in Math Recovery and 46^th in Reading Between 2019 and 2024

However, the state saw progress from 2022-2024 as they ranked 14^th in math recovery during that time.

In Oklahoma, 98% of students are in districts whose average math and reading achievement in 2024 remained below their own 2019 levels.

(February 11, 2025) In its third year of reporting on the pace of academic recovery measures in districts nationwide, the Education Recovery Scorecard (a collaboration between the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University and The Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University) is issuing its annual report on district-level student growth in math and reading.

The latest report also provides the first high resolution picture of where Oklahoma students’ academic recovery stood in Spring 2024, just before federal relief dollars expired in September. While the National Assessment of Educational Progress described changes in average achievement by state, we combine those scores with district scores on state assessments to describe the change in local communities throughout Oklahoma. Here’s what we found:

Oklahoma ranked 42 among states in terms of recovery in math and 46 in reading between 2019 and 2024, but saw progress from 2022-2024 as they ranked 14 in math recovery during that time.
Average student achievement in Oklahoma remains over two-thirds of a grade level below 2019 levels in math (.67 grade equivalents) and almost a full year below in reading (.82 grade equivalents). In other words, the loss in math achievement in Oklahoma is equivalent to 67 percent of the progress students typically make annually between grades 4 through grade 8.
In Oklahoma, 98 percent of students are in districts whose average math and reading achievement in 2024 remained below their own 2019 levels. The average student in some districts, such as Tulsa, Midwest City-Del City, Putnam City, Oklahoma City, Bixby and Lawton, remains more than a full grade equivalent below their 2019 mean achievement in math.
Still, there are bright spots: mean achievement for students in Mustang has nearly recovered to 2019 levels in both reading and math. And some districts such as Stillwater are nearly recovered in math.
A sharp rise in chronic absenteeism (students missing more than 10 percent of a school year) from 12 percent of students in 2019 before the pandemic to 19 percent in 2022 and 21 percent in 2023 is slowing the recovery in many districts in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma received $2.3 billion in federal pandemic relief for K-12 schools—or roughly $3,300 per student (which is less than the national average of $3700 per student.) Nationally, our analysis suggests that the dollars did contribute to the academic recovery, especially when targeted at academic catch-up efforts such as summer learning and tutoring.

The federal pandemic relief dollars may be gone, but the pandemic’s impact lingers in many Oklahoma schools. Even without federal relief dollars, states could be targeting continuing federal Title I dollars and state dollars to implement interventions which have been shown effective, such as tutoring and summer learning. State leaders, mayors, employers and other community leaders should join schools to redouble efforts on the shared challenge of reducing student absenteeism.

One of the project leaders, Professor Tom Kane from Harvard, said: “Unless state and local leaders step up now, the achievement losses will be the longest lasting– and most inequitable– legacy of the pandemic.”

For the national press release and findings click here.

About the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University

The Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, seeks to transform education through quality research and evidence. CEPR and its partners believe all students will learn and thrive when education leaders make decisions using facts and findings, rather than untested assumptions. Learn more at cepr.harvard.edu.

Contact: Sam Stockwell, samuel_stockwell@gse.harvard.edu, (617) 495-0342

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