Oklahoma Officials Seek Improved Education Standards

By Ben Hatfield

Oklahoma officials are taking action to increase the percentage of high school graduates who are ready for the workforce and prepared to pursue higher education.

The good news is, according to OKStateStat, Oklahoma has remained consistent in state high school graduation rates over the past decade and remains higher than the national average throughout the same span. From 2003 to 2010, the graduation rate has remained between 72.4 and 75.4 percent and in 2011 the rate jumped to 78.5 percent.

Although the rate dropped slightly in 2012 to 77.7 percent, the state education system is moving in the right direction due to Governor Mary Fallin’s educational focus.

In the 2014 State of the State address, Fallin said, “We focused on education and work force training - making sure Oklahoma schools have the high standards they need to produce students who are college, career and citizen ready.”

Even with success in recent years, Fallin sees more room for improvement by increasing the number of students moving on to higher education.

“We have to increase the number of Oklahomans who continue their education beyond high school, either by attending college or a career technology center. A high school diploma is not enough,” she said. “We know that we are graduating high school seniors who aren’t ready for the workforce or college.  That has to change.”

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