Historical public education information in Oklahoma, 2011-2015

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Education policy in the U.S.

Public education in the U.S.

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Glossary of education terms

Education statistics

This page contains archived information on Oklahoma's public education system, primarily from 2011-2012, but also from other years due to the availability of data at the time it was written. For more recent information, view Oklahoma's public education page.

The Oklahoma public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2012 Oklahoma had 666,120 students enrolled in a total of 1,774 schools in 575 school districts. There were 41,349 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 16 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. There was roughly one administrator for every 304 students, compared to the national average of one administrator for every 295 students. On average Oklahoma spent $7,587 per pupil in 2011, which ranked it 49th highest in the nation. The state's graduation rate was 78 percent in 2012.

State agencies

See also: Oklahoma Department of Education

The mission statement of the Oklahoma State Department of Education reads:

“

Our mission at the Oklahoma State Department of Education, is to improve student success through: service to schools, parents and students; leadership for education reform; and regulation/deregulation of state and federal laws to provide accountability while removing any barriers to student success.

”

The Superintendent of Public Instruction is the chief administrative official in the Department of Education. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is elected to four-year terms. As of June 2015, the officeholder was Joy Hofmeister. Her predecessor was Janet Barresi.

The State Board of Education oversees the state's public school system. The board is composed of seven members: the Superintendent of Public Instruction and six members appointed by the governor "with the advice and consent of the senate." Board members serve four-year terms.

Regional comparison

See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states

The following chart shows how Oklahoma compared to three neighboring states in school year 2011-2012 with respect to number of students, schools, the number of teachers per pupil, and the number of administrators per pupil. Further comparisons between these states with respect to performance and financial information are given in other sections of this page.

Regional comparison, 2011-2012
State	Schools	Districts	Students	Teachers	Teacher/pupil ratio	Administrator/pupil ratio	Per pupil spending
Oklahoma	1,774	575	666,120	41,349	1:16.1	1:303.6	$7,587
Arkansas	1,108	289	483,114	33,983	1:14.2	1:271.3	$9,353
Kansas	1,359	321	486,108	37,407	1:13	1:259.4	$9,498
Missouri	2,408	572	916,584	66,252	1:13.8	1:294.1	$9,410
United States	98,328	17,992	49,521,669	3,103,263	16	295.2	$10,994
Sources: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "State Nonfiscal Public Elementary/Secondary Education Survey", 2011-12 v.1a. National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 2. Number of operating public schools and districts, state enrollment, teacher and pupil/teacher ratio by state: School year 2011–12" U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2011,Governments Division Reports," issued May 2013

Demographics

See also: Demographic information for all students in all 50 states

The following table displays the ethnic distribution of students in Oklahoma as reported in the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data for 2011-2012.

Demographic information for Oklahoma's K-12 public school system, 2011-2012
Ethnicity	Students	State percentage	United States percentage**
American Indian	110,617	16.61%	1.10%
Asian	12,340	1.85%	4.68%
African American	65,168	9.78%	15.68%
Hawaiian Nat./Pacific Isl.	1,833	0.28%	0.42%
Hispanic	87,496	13.14%	24.37%
White	357,497	53.67%	51.21%
Two or more	31,169	4.68%	2.54%
**Note: This is the percentage of all students in the United States that are reported to be of this ethnicity.

Enrollments by region type

See also: Student distribution by region type in the United States

A plurality of students in Oklahoma attended rural schools in school year 2011-2012. Approximately 59 percent of the state's students attended rural or town schools, compared to the approximately 41 percent who attended city or suburban schools.

Student distribution by region type, 2011-2012 (as percents)
State	City schools	Suburban schools	Town schools	Rural schools
Oklahoma	21.9%	19.4%	22.9%	35.8%
Arkansas	25.8%	9.6%	20.3%	44.3%
Kansas	24%	14.5%	26.6%	34.9%
Missouri	17.4%	29.9%	19.2%	33.5%
U.S. average	28.9%	34%	11.6%	25.4%
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD)

Academic performance

Education terms
For more information on education policy terms, see this article.
School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

NAEP scores

See also: NAEP scores by state

The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Compared to three neighboring states (Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri), in school year 2012-2013, Oklahoma had the smallest share of fourth and eighth grade students who scored at or above proficient in both math and reading.

Percent of students scoring at or above proficient, 2012-2013
	Math - Grade 4	Math - Grade 8	Reading - Grade 4	Reading - Grade 8
Oklahoma	36%	25%	30%	29%
Arkansas	39%	28%	32%	30%
Kansas	48%	40%	38%	36%
Missouri	39%	33%	35%	36%
U.S. average	41%	34%	34%	34%
Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables," accessed May 13, 2014

Graduation, ACT and SAT scores

See also: Graduation rates by groups in state

See also: ACT and SAT scores in the U.S.

The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Oklahoma and surrounding states for 2012 and 2013.

Comparison table for graduation rates and test scores*
State	Graduation rate, 2012		Average ACT composite, 2012		Average SAT composite, 2013
	Percent	Quintile ranking**	Score	Participation rate	Score	Participation rate
Oklahoma	78%	Fifth	20.7	80%	1,689	5%
Arkansas	84%	Second	20.3	88%	1,697	4%
Kansas	85%	Second	21.9	81%	1,752	6%
Missouri	86%	First	21.6	75%	1,773	4%
U.S. average	80%		21.1		1,498
*Regulatory Adjusted Cohort Rate (except for Idaho, Kentucky, Oklahoma, which did not report “Regulatory Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate,” but instead used their own method of calculation). **Graduation rates for states in the first quintile ranked in the top 20 percent nationally. Similarly, graduation rates for states in the fifth quintile ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally. Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express

Dropout rate

See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades 9–12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Oklahoma was lower than the national average at 2.5 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 2.5 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.

Educational choice options

See also: School choice in Oklahoma

As of June 2015, school choice options in Oklahoma included: charter schools, school vouchers, inter-district and intra-district open enrollment policies and online learning programs. In addition, about 4.79 percent of school-age children in the state attended private schools in the 2011-12 academic year, and an estimated 2.67 percent were homeschooled in school year 2012-13.

Education funding and expenditures

See also: Oklahoma state budget and finances

Breakdown of expenditures by function in fiscal year 2012
Source: National Association of State Budget Officers

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), Oklahoma spent approximately 16.5 percent of its fiscal year 2012 budget on elementary and secondary education. As a share of the budget, this was up 0.50 percentage points, or 3.1 percent, from fiscal year 2008, when the state spent 16.0 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education.

Comparison of financial figures for school systems
State	Percent of budget (2012)	Per pupil spending (2011)	Revenue sources (2011)
			Percent federal funds	Percent state funds	Percent local funds
Oklahoma	16.5%	$7,587	16.62%	47.01%	36.37%
Arkansas	16.3%	$9,353	16.02%	51.2%	32.77%
Kansas	25.8%	$9,498	11.05%	53.19%	35.76%
Missouri	22.6%	$9,410	13.75%	29.33%	56.92%
Sources: NASBO, "State Expenditure Report," Table 8: Elementary and Secondary Education Expenditures As a Percent of Total Expenditures U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2011,Governments Division Reports," issued May 2013

Revenue breakdowns

See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system revenues in Oklahoma totaled approximately $5.8 billion in fiscal year 2011. The table and chart below present further detail, including revenue sources, for Oklahoma and surrounding states.

Revenues by source, fiscal year 2011 (amounts in thousands)
	Federal revenue	State revenue	Local revenue	Total revenue
Oklahoma	$970,577	$2,745,748	$2,124,039	$5,840,364
Arkansas	$834,685	$2,667,090	$1,707,234	$5,209,009
Kansas	$612,100	$2,945,175	$1,979,999	$5,537,274
Missouri	$1,389,362	$2,963,196	$5,749,895	$10,102,453
U.S. total	$74,943,767	$267,762,416	$264,550,594	$607,256,777
Source: National Center for Education Statistics

\| \n <pbars size=450x250 title="" grid=true ymin=0 ymax=100 legend colorscheme=excel> ,Federal revenue,State revenue,Local revenue Oklahoma,16.62,47.01,36.37 Arkansas,16.02,51.20,32.77 Kansas,11.05,53.19,35.76 Missouri,13.75,29.33,56.92 U.S. total,12.34,44.09,43.56 </pbars>

Public school revenues by source, fiscal year 2011 (as percents)

Expenditure breakdowns

See also: Public school system expenditures in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures in Oklahoma totaled approximately $5.6 billion in fiscal year 2011. The table and chart below present further detail, including expenditure types, for Oklahoma and surrounding states.

Expenditures by type, fiscal year 2011 (amounts in thousands)
	General expenditures**	Capital outlay	Other***	Total expenditures
Oklahoma	$5,001,641	$510,611	$91,371	$5,603,623
Arkansas	$4,495,309	$607,962	$578,992	$5,682,263
Kansas	$4,584,376	$851,777	$217,901	$5,654,054
Missouri	$8,664,338	$856,962	$462,300	$9,983,600
U.S. total	$520,577,893	$52,984,139	$29,581,293	$603,143,325
**Funds spent operating local public schools and local education agencies, including such expenses as salaries for school personnel, student transportation, school books and materials, and energy costs, but excluding capital outlay, interest on school debt, payments to private schools, and payments to public charter schools. ***Includes payments to state and local governments, payments to private schools, interest on school system indebtedness, and nonelementary-secondary expenditures, such as adult education and community services expenditures. Source: National Center for Education Statistics

\| \n <pbars size=650x250 title="" grid=true ymin=0 ymax=100 legend colorscheme=excel> ,Current expenditures,Capital outlay,Other Oklahoma,89.26,9.11,1.63 Arkansas,79.11,10.70,10.19 Kansas,81.08,15.06,3.85 Missouri,86.79,8.58,4.63 U.S. total,86.31,8.78,4.90 </pbars>

Public school expenditures, fiscal year 2011 (as percents)

Personnel salaries

See also: Public school teacher salaries in the United States

Note: Salaries given are averages for the state. Salaries may vary between a state's urban, suburban, and rural districts and should be adjusted for cost of living. For example, a MacIver Institute study of average teacher salaries in 60 metropolitan areas found that salaries in New York City were the third-highest in absolute figures but 59th-highest when adjusted for the cost of living.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Oklahoma, the average salary increased by 3.2 percent.

Estimated average salaries for teachers (in constant dollars**)
	1999-2000	2009-2010	2011-2012	2012-2013	Percent difference
Oklahoma	$42,772	$50,907	$45,130	$44,128	3.2%
Arkansas	$45,625	$49,850	$47,085	$46,632	2.2%
Kansas	$47,805	$49,804	$47,496	$47,464	-0.7%
Missouri	$48,727	$48,373	$47,178	$47,517	-2.5%
U.S. average	$57,133	$58,925	$56,340	$56,383	-1.3%
**"Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to a school-year basis. The CPI does not account for differences in inflation rates from state to state."

Organizations

Unions

In 2012 the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas, including: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. Oklahoma ranked 43rd overall, or "weakest," which was in the fifth of five tiers.

The main unions related to the Oklahoma school system are the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA), a part of the larger National Education Association, and AFT Oklahoma. For the 2003 tax period OEA had: $5.21 billion in total assets, $6.66 billion in total income and $6.59 billion in expenses.

List of local Oklahoma school unions:

• Oklahoma Education Association
• AFT Oklahoma
• American Federation Of Teachers (Oklahoma City)
• Putnam City Association Of Classroom Teachers
• Education Support Personnel Of Oklahoma
• Edmond Association Of Classroom Teachers

Government sector lobbying

See also: Oklahoma government sector lobbying

The main education government sector lobbying organization is the Oklahoma State School Boards Association.

Studies and reports

Oklahomans for Responsible Government report

In 2009, Oklahomans for Responsible Government (OFRG), a nonprofit founded in January 2008, released a report about the overall transparency of Oklahoma's school districts. According to the report, 79 of the state’s 531 districts (15 percent) lacked an official website. Additionally, of the 471 districts with technology directors, 59 had no website. The organization maintained that it was not calling for states to establish mandates for the creation of school websites, but rather was reminding schools that according to state law they are required to post public meeting agendas. "Schools, like other public agencies, should always be on the lookout for ways to better inform taxpayers," said Brian Downs, OFRG executive director.

State Budget Solutions education study

See also: State spending on education v. academic performance (2012)

State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.

See also

• Public education in Oklahoma
• Oklahoma
• Education Policy in the U.S.