The rankings are now out for child well-being in states throughout the U.S., and the numbers for Oklahoma are still abysmal, according to an annual nationwide report tracking trends and factors for childhood growth and development.

In the latest Kids Count report, Oklahoma ranks 46th overall for child well-being — a position no worse than last year’s ranking but also no better. The 50-state analysis, published Monday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, ranks Oklahoma ahead of only Nevada, Mississippi, Louisiana and New Mexico.

Oklahoma’s individual rankings in major categories were:

• Education: 49th
• Health: 45th
• Family and Community: 40th
• Economic well-being: 39th

The report includes a comprehensive look at all 50 states in key areas of well-being affecting children and families. For the 16 components of the report, Oklahoma ranked within the top half of all states in just two indicators: the percent of children in single-parent families (34%) and the percent of low-birthweight babies (8.5%). 

How is Oklahoma lacking in child well-being compared to other states?

According to an Oklahoma-specific datasheet shared with The Oklahoman, the state also ranked in the bottom 10 for eight of 16 indicators: 

• 48th in the percent of 8th graders who scored below proficient math level (84%).
• 47th in the percent of 4th graders who scored below proficient reading level (76%).
• 47th in the percent of children and teens ages 10 to 17 who are obese or overweight (39%).
• 44th in the percent of high school students not graduating on time (20%).
• 44th in the teen birth rate, which amounted to 21 births per 1,000 females ages 15-19.
• 43rd in the percent of children without health insurance (7%).
• 43rd in the percent of children in poverty (20%), which was below $30,000 for a family of two adults and two children in 2022.
• 42nd in the percent of children in families where the head of the household lacks a high school diploma (11%).

Report shows abysmal rankings for child well-being in Oklahoma

To Shiloh Kantz, executive director of the nonprofit Oklahoma Policy Institute, a local affiliate within the Kids Count network, the poor rankings are a sign that Oklahoma’s leaders are not doing enough to invest in the state’s children and their futures.

“For two decades, lawmakers have chosen revenue cuts over meaningful, sustained investments in the shared services that are proven to help our children thrive,” Kantz said in a news release. “The latest KIDS COUNT results bear out the consequences of those choices. Oklahoma and its elected officials can turn these numbers around, but it will require purposeful action over time to make it happen.”

This year’s report is the 35th edition of the Casey Foundation’s Kids Count Data Book, which focuses on students’ lack of skills in basic reading and math. Educators and researchers have warned for decades about the severity of the issues, but the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic brought concerns about a dramatic loss of learning back to the forefront of national attention.

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Chronic absence from schoolchildren is on the rise, and the state’s share of high school students not graduating on time is up by 5% since 2019, according to data from the most recent school year (2021-2022) available. The report also asserts that test scores and state averages “mask wide and persistent disparities” affecting students of color, immigrant children, and low-income families attending low-income area schools.

According to Carly Putnam, policy director for Oklahoma Policy Institute, the “need for conservative values” that some state leaders have argued would improve conditions for Oklahoma families are not supported by the Kids Count data. By 2023, the state had fallen six spots in comparison to the previous year’s assessment and remains in the same position this year.

“While Oklahoma ranks among the top half of states for children in two-parent households, our state’s overall results show that this factor alone isn’t enough to help our kids get ahead,” Putnam said. “From math and reading scores to health insurance coverage to the teen birth rate, these results demonstrate Oklahoma is not doing enough to position our children for success.”

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What can Oklahoma do to address the problems?

The Casey Foundation warns that lower test scores indicate a lack of real-world readiness that will underserve the nation’s youth and harm the overall economy once they join the workforce. Students who don’t do better in math are more likely to see unemployment after high school, setting up millions of young people to struggle through adulthood, according to the foundation.

To turn the tide on the issues, the foundation is recommending various policy solutions:

• Ensuring access to low- or no-cost meals, a reliable Internet connection, a secure place to study and time with friends, teachers and counselors.
• Expanding access to intensive, in-person tutoring for students who might be behind in their classes.
• Prioritizing allocated pandemic relief funding by the Sept. 30 deadline toward the social, emotional, academic and physical well-being of students.
• Embracing positive approaches to chronic absenteeism and avoiding the criminalization of students and parents for attendance challenges, while also improving attendance tracking to inform future decision-making.
• Investing in community schools that provide wraparound support to children and their families on issues like mental health, nutritional aid and parental engagement, leading to better outcomes for students.

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