Release of state A-F Report Cards delayed until early November

OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 25, 2013) –To ensure complete accuracy with the A-F Report Cards for Oklahoma schools, the Oklahoma State Department of Education is delaying public release of the grades.

The letter grades, which communicate a school’s academic performance in an easily understood snapshot, had been scheduled to go before the State Board of Education at its Oct. 29 meeting. Instead, the grades will be presented to board members during a special meeting to be held within the next two weeks.

Education Department staff has worked to remedy all concerns with accuracy of the grades, which were calculated using a new formula established earlier this year in legislation, House Bill 1658.

“In an abundance of caution, the State Department of Education is going to take additional time to guarantee absolute, 100-percent accuracy of the grades,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi.

“Despite two periods in which school districts were to certify assessment results as well as the current review underway, our assessment office is still receiving a number of corrections and changes. To say this has been frustrating is putting it mildly. The A-F Report Cards are too critical a tool for parents and communities to accept anything less than quality.”

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