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Oklahoma accreditation warning affects 59 districts under test-score rule
The State Board of Education placed 59 school districts on accredited-with-warning status after two consecutive years of deficiencies tied to English and math assessment results. Tulsa and Oklahoma City schools are among them; both districts cited recent academic gains while acknowledging more work remains.
The Oklahoma State Board of Education placed 59 school districts on accredited-with-warning status Thursday, after they received deficiencies for two consecutive years under a rule tied to student performance on state English and math tests.
The districts account for about 10% of Oklahoma’s school districts, board member Becky Carson said. Three of the 59 also had a separate deficiency contributing to the warning classification.
Under the rule, a district receives a deficiency if fewer than half of its students reach the basic performance level or higher in English or math, according to Jennifer Hembree, the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s senior director of compliance. The rule applies to state assessment data beginning with the 2023-24 school year.
Because accreditation reviews lag a year behind testing, districts first received deficiencies based on 2023-24 results. Those that again fell short on 2024-25 tests received a second deficiency, leading to the warning status in the 2025-26 accreditation cycle approved Thursday.
The rule was proposed under former state Superintendent Ryan Walters and approved by the governor in 2024, without being taken up by the Legislature. This is the first year districts have been downgraded under the measure.
Tulsa Public Schools and Oklahoma City Public Schools, the state’s two largest districts, are among those affected. OKCPS said the designation was expected based on historical data used for the measure, and does not capture more recent progress. The district said its latest state test results improved in 12 of 16 tested areas, compared with five statewide, and fewer students scored below basic in 13 of 16 areas.
Tulsa Public Schools said students have outpaced statewide growth on Oklahoma School Testing Program assessments for three consecutive years. The district said it will continue focusing on core instruction and differentiated learning while working to improve academic outcomes, attendance and postsecondary readiness.
Carson said she wants the state and the education agency to support affected districts in returning to a higher accreditation classification. Hembree said the department’s accreditation office holds calls with districts, connects them with resources and directs them to regional accreditation officers for help.