Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education High School topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Muskogee superintendent highlights gains at Muskogee High, flags ELPA and absenteeism concerns
Summary
Superintendent presented Muskogee High School's effectiveness report: graduation and career-technical participation improved, report-card score reached 44% of points, ELPA remains low at 13 points and chronic absenteeism, while reduced from a peak, rose slightly to 15.7% last year.
Superintendent presented the Muskogee High School effectiveness report on April 21, saying the school's graduation indicator increased to 66% and the report-card score rose to 44% of 85 possible points.
The superintendent noted enrollment at Muskogee High School (grades 10—2) is about 980 students and highlighted a drop in the school's dropout rate to below 4%. "We were just so close to that 46%" cutoff for a C overall on the state report card, the superintendent said, adding the district aims to reach that threshold within two years.
The report called out persistent challenges in academic achievement and English-language proficiency: the English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) score registered just 13 points. The superintendent linked low ELPA results to the absence of a full-time English Language Development teacher and said the district plans to hire an ELD and a Spanish teacher to support students for next year.
Attendance and chronic absenteeism drew particular emphasis. The superintendent said chronic absenteeism peaked at 33.8% early in their tenure, fell to 14% in 2023—24 and rose slightly to 15.7% the most recent year. "We took a drastic decline, which was amazing, and we cut that in half," the superintendent said, while noting the recent uptick.
Superintendent and Kenzie Clark, who introduced academic recognitions, also highlighted expanded career and college pathways. The district is increasing internships through its career-technical department, reporting a 162% rise in one CTE program's enrollment and offering more concurrent-enrollment courses with Connors State College. An Early College High School cohort now has 108 students enrolled across grades 9—2.
The report described partnerships and student supports: a direct-admittance agreement with NSU for some seniors, a newly opened college-and-career center adjacent to the high school cafeteria, a school-based food pantry and a hygiene closet, and planned additions to the course catalog including French 1—3 and a local history course.
Superintendent presented SMART goals centered on boosting academic achievement and increasing student participation in SAT/ACT/PSAT testing; staff also plans to publish an instructional course catalog and a teams-and-activities handbook to aid student recruitment and parent information.
The board asked no follow-up questions after the presentation; copies of the report were requested by at least one board member.
