State Superintendent reveals 117 Oklahoma schools removed from federal improvement list

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — On Tuesday, State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced more than one hundred schools were coming off a federal list for improvement.

117 out of 191 schools were taken off the Comprehensive Support and Improvement site list, a federal designation that Walters said closely mirrors the state report card's system designation as "F" schools.

The schools that were removed from the list this year showed enough improvement to no longer need the federal CSI designation.

"I promised Oklahoma families that we would get our students back to basics and back on track," Walters said in a news release. "I am thrilled to announce today that our efforts are beginning to bear fruit."

Walters said the State Department of Education has started new partnerships to help schools, specifically targeting student outcomes.

One school highlighted on the list is Jay Middle School.

The State Department of Education said the school showed a 35% increase in their Overall Academic Growth. Staff participated in professional development that focused on learning communities and teaching strategies. The school also partnered with community leaders to bring a STEM lab to the school.

"Each one of these 117 schools has shown remarkable progress and is showing the nation that Oklahoma is leading in education reform and improvements in student achievement, and several of our schools have shown tremendous gains in the past year. This is hard evidence that our focus on the academic basics, rather than being sidetracked by political indoctrination, is the best path to student success in our state."