OKCPS monitoring report shows early reading gains; board accepts plan to scale targeted tutoring

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Public Schools board unanimously accepted a monitoring report on March 9 that officials said shows early signs of districtwide improvement in foundational reading skills.

Superintendent Dr. Jamie Pulk said the district’s interim Goal 1B — increasing the share of first graders who make accelerated reading growth from 21.9% to 34% by 2028 — is on track after this year’s results. "This year, 29.1% of first grade students met or exceeded the 70th percentile growth target in reading," Pulk told the board during his update, noting the result was a 7.2 percentage-point increase from the prior year and exceeded the district’s annual target.

The presentation credited the gains to systemwide changes including adoption of Reading Horizons V9 as a supplemental phonics curriculum in all 31 elementary schools, more frequent assessments, structured coaching cycles for teachers, and site-level data review protocols. Dr. Cartina McDaniel, the district’s executive director of elementary curriculum, said strengthened pacing, fidelity checks, and coaching documentation remain priorities.

A student from Willowbrook Elementary, Sorella Overby, illustrated the work in action when she told the board about her progress: "In the fall, my score in Reading Horizons was 173. I practiced really hard. In the winter, my score went up to 180," she said.

District staff described a state-funded pilot of "high-dosage" tutoring — roughly 20 sessions per student — launched in six elementary schools and targeted to students identified through assessment data, particularly English learners. Officials said the pilot includes paid, trained tutors and site-level tracking to determine whether tutoring cohorts accelerate growth enough to justify broader rollout; Title I funds are among possible sources to sustain expansion.

Board members asked for subgroup data and implementation details. One asked whether gains were similar for English learners and non-English learners; staff responded that growth was "very similar," citing 7.1% and 7.2% gains respectively. Staff also described professional development earlier in the year to train teachers and instructional coaches in data triangulation and Reading Horizons implementation.

Board member Jessica Suentes moved to accept the monitoring report. The motion passed on a 7–0 vote.

What’s next: district leaders said they will continue monitoring growth, deepen coaching documentation, refine assessment calendars, and report back on pilot tutoring outcomes and any recommended budget adjustments for scaling.