District reports modest gains on OSTP but flags middle-school shortfalls
Summary
An unnamed district staff member told the board that districtwide OSTP scores showed modest year-to-year gains when comparing a consistent test baseline, but middle school results remain below targets. Staff cited cohort improvements in early grades, said curriculum and teacher supports remain a focus and pledged to provide student-count data.
An unidentified staff member reported to the board that districtwide student performance on the Oklahoma State Testing Program (OSTP) showed modest gains across the 2023–2025 reporting series but continued weaknesses in middle school grades.
The staff member said the district ‘‘is encouraged, and yet we’re not satisfied. We want every child reading on grade level and beyond, and we will keep testing until that’s true,’’ and explained the OSTP categories as ‘‘the lowest level, followed by basic, proficient, and advanced’’ and that the district aggregates the share scoring basic or higher for its progress measure.
Using a consistent comparison series, the presenter said the share of students scoring basic or above rose from 37.1% in 2022–23 to 37.6% in 2023–24 and to 39.3% in 2025. The staff member also described cohort gains in early grades, noting one cohort moved from 32.2% in third grade to 35.6% in fourth grade and higher in fifth grade.
The presentation acknowledged variation by grade band. The presenter said middle school scores dipped at one point—‘‘about 3.1 points lower than the same time last year’’—but reported a rebound to 40.9% basic or above in 2025 and said grades 6 and 7 were ‘‘continuing to make steady progress across those three test scores.’’
Staff framed OSTP data as an instructional tool: the assessment ‘‘offers our teachers some valuable insight into their student progress across the years, showing strengths and weaknesses’’ that schools use to identify gaps and plan interventions for struggling students.
No board action or vote was recorded on the assessment presentation. The staff member said the district would provide the requested count of students in the program and noted the district has ‘‘been able to adjust every summer and work with teachers to create a teaching calendar with our curriculum for better’’ alignment.
The presentation identified curriculum alignment and teacher supports as ongoing work. The staff member described prior barriers in curriculum implementation and said summer adjustments and further collaboration with teachers are part of the district’s response; no timelines or funding details were specified.
