Stillwater Public Schools receives state report card for 2022-23

Nov. 24—The State Department of Education released its statewide 2022-23 report card recently on oklaschools.com. The website also lists district and site letter grades.

The report card focused on five key areas: academic achievement, English language proficiency progress, chronic absenteeism, graduation and postsecondary opportunities.

Enrollment across the Stillwater Public Schools district rose to 6,146 students, compared to 5,994 students in 2021-22. Overall letter grades for schools fluctuated between As and Cs — a similar outcome to last year.

Assessment performance was at 43 percent for the district, compared to the state average of 27 percent.

For Stillwater High School, the overall report card was 70 percent, or a B. That was higher than the state average, which was 55 percent.

Stillwater Junior High School received a C, down from a B in 2021-22, and Stillwater Middle School scored a B again.

The six SPS elementary schools ranges were more varied. Westwood and Sangre Ridge received an A. Richmond received a B, down from an A last year. Skyline — which received a B last year — is now at a C, along with Highland Park and Will Rogers.

By OSDE standards, Richmond and Skyline are considered smaller schools, and when a specific indicator on the report card has less than 25 students, data is averaged across a three-year period.

One factor that stands out on the overall report card is chronic absenteeism, a factor that Superintendent Uwe Gordon has said in the past was a concern, although linked to the pandemic's lingering effects.

Across the district, chronic absenteeism was 77.53 percent, slightly higher than the state average at 77.47 percent.

The schools most affected by chronic absenteeism included Will Rogers, who received an F. All other elementary schools received a B or C.

SMS, SJHS and SHS also received an F.

"The absenteeism is a national issue, and largely out of our control," said SPS Superintendent Uwe Gordon. "The current bus drive shortage isn't helping, either. I've always said that the kids that don't make it to graduation are the ones who don't show up. We get everyone else there."

The five areas of the report card determine the overall grade, and schools can earn a possibility of 85 points total.

Academic achievement indicates how prepared students are for the next grade. ELP progress reveals how well English learners are meeting their language goals, chronic absenteeism notes what percentage of students are in good attendance and graduation and postsecondary opportunities indicate graduation rates and college and career readiness.

Gordon said the report card doesn't reflect the great work that SPS does.

"It's a snapshot of data and doesn't tell the whole story about kids," Gordon said.

He said people assume that every A school is the best, and D and F schools are the worst.

"But that is not always true," Gordon said. "Some of those D/F schools take their kids so far from where they start."

Other area schools and districts report cards

* Perkins-Tryon High School — B (up from C)

* Perkins-Tryon Middle School — C

* Perkins-Tryon Intermediate School — B

* Perkins-Tryon Elementary School — grades unavailable

* Ripley High School — C

* Ripley Elementary School — C

* Glencoe High School — C

* Glencoe Elementary School — B

* Coyle High School — B

* Coyle Elementary School — C (up from D)

* Morrison Elementary School — A

* Morrison Middle School — B

* Morrison High School — C

* Perry Elementary School — B

* Perry Junior High School — C

* Perry High School — B