Oklahoma
Oklahoma schools report persistent pandemic-era issues as national data shows lagging achievement • Oklahoma Voice
OKLAHOMA CITY — As national data shows the academic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, Oklahoma districts report stubborn challenges that worsened during the global crisis.
Leaders of local districts say students’ poor attendance and behavior have thrown up barriers to reaching or exceeding pre-pandemic levels of academic achievement.
A national report shows the gap to pre-pandemic results widened during the 2023-24 school year, despite billions in public spending on recovery efforts.
Test scores from 7.7 million U.S. students in grades 3-8 show the average student would need the equivalent of 4.8 extra months of instruction to catch up in reading and 4.4 additional months in math, according to the report from NWEA, a testing company and research center.
NWEA administers standardized assessments called MAP to track students’ academic progress across the country, including in more than 100 Oklahoma school districts.
The fact that federal pandemic aid will soon end only exacerbates concerns, the NWEA report states. Oklahoma schools received more than $2 billion and must spend what’s left of it by Sept. 30.
“Instead of treating COVID recovery interventions as temporary crisis-mitigation tactics, we must make targeted academic supports, such as high-dosage tutoring and summer programming, a permanent part of our new normal,” the report’s authors, Karyn Lewis and Megan Kuhfeld, wrote.
The full results from Oklahoma state tests taken in the spring aren’t yet available. Last year, only 27% of Oklahoma students scored at a proficient level on state tests for reading, math and science.
In Lawton Public Schools, academic results haven’t recovered as quickly as the district wanted, Superintendent Kevin Hime said. The biggest barrier, he said, has been student absenteeism.
“We all know attendance is one of the things that’s lagged since the pandemic,” Hime said. “It’s been harder to get kids to come to school, believe it or not.”
Lawton has been working on “finding those hooks” that attract more students to school.
“Makerspace” days when elementary children get to do hands-on activities in science, technology, engineering and math show strong attendance numbers, he said. Administrators even looked at the correlation between attendance rates and which meals are served in the cafeteria.
The district also saw increased interest in its summer programs this year, Hime said. Instead of calling the program “summer school,” Lawton rebranded it as a “summer camp” and added more enrichment activities.
Hime said he hopes better attendance, more parent engagement and “making sure we put in as many minutes of reading and math as we can” next school year will help close the gap to pre-pandemic achievement.
Bartlesville Public Schools is working to shrink that gap, too, but the district realized it would have to address student behavior issues to do it, Superintendent Chuck McCauley said.
Students are acting less mature than they did before the pandemic, especially among younger grades, he said. That’s why Bartlesville hired three more elementary school counselors — to address behavioral problems and child trauma.
The district plans to keep the extra counselors it hired, even after federal stimulus funds run out. McCauley said a 300-student increase in Bartlesville’s enrollment made it financially viable to retain the additional staff.
In Tulsa Public Schools, district leaders report decreases in student suspensions and improvements in attendance. The district introduced extra tutoring sessions this year and registered 6,500 students for its summer programs as it tries to propel academic performance upward.
Superintendent Ebony Johnson said attendance is a “difficult metric” to improve but a necessary one. About 45% of Tulsa students were chronically absent in 2023-24, meaning those students missed 10% or more of the school year, district leaders said at a June 27 meeting with the Oklahoma State Board of Education.
Johnson said that’s an improvement of 2.6% from the year before.
“We have seen a decrease in chronic absenteeism, but we’re not celebrating yet because that’s way too many students that are missing too much school,” Johnson said during the state board meeting.
The Tulsa district has leaned heavily on MAP tests from NWEA to help track student learning. Tulsa students took MAP assessments three times this school year, along with the spring state tests.
The final spring MAP evaluation showed strong growth in reading among early elementary students, especially third graders, but results were more stagnant in upper elementary and middle school, district leaders have said.
However, students still improved throughout the school year, even if the upward trajectory wasn’t as steep in some grade levels as the district hoped, said Sean Berkstresser, Tulsa’s chief of strategy and innovation, during the state Board of Education meeting last month.
“Our students learned still, and we saw improvements,” Berkstresser said. “So, I want to make sure that’s known. You’ve seen what’s in front of us with a lot of these data points. There’s a lot more to do.”
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Kip Lewis returning for his redshirt senior season with the Oklahoma Sooners was one of the biggest wins of the offseason. Lewis has built an impressive career in Norman, racking up 209 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and five sacks with two interceptions, both of which he returned for touchdowns.
Beyond his production, Lewis has become one of the emotional leaders of the Oklahoma locker room. Although the NFL was an option, Lewis believed another season learning under Brent Venables would put him in the best position for long-term success.
In a video shared by Oklahoma, Lewis explained the factors that led him to return to Norman for another season.
“I talked to a lot of people,” Lewis said. “Mostly, my family and then my dad. He was just giving me key points that he felt like I should have come back… Mostly talked to a couple of my teammates like John (Mateer) and Isaiah (Sategna), getting their thoughts on what their plan was. I asked Danny (Stutsman) for advice. Talked to him for a little bit. Advice from Danny really stood out to me.”
Getting advice from Stutsman likely played a significant role in Lewis’ decision. Stutsman was in a similar position following a strong 2023 season. Stutsman elected to return to Norman in 2024 and had another strong individual season. That resulted in him being taken in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Lewis’ decision to return gives Oklahoma one of the most experienced and talented linebackers in the country for another season. By following the same path as Stutsman, Lewis is betting on development and another opportunity to improve his draft stock.
If he continues to lead at the level he has throughout his career, his final season in Norman could be the one that cements him as one of the top defensive players in college football.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on X @jaronspor.
TULSA, Okla — Tulsa has seen a boost in its food industry, thanks in part to a growing population.
Local News
Study shows Hispanic population boom boosting Tulsa economy
The Hispanic and Latino population has also contributed to the Oklahoma economy through restaurants, catering businesses, and food trucks.
According to a study conducted by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, the number of Hispanic and Latino individuals who have gone into the state’s food service industry has grown by more than 12,000 between 2001 and 2021.
To help continue this growth, the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation is starting up its “Lanzamiento Program” for Spanish speakers who are interested in pursuing a career in the culinary industry.
Local News
Mother Road Market hosts program for Hispanic, Latino food entrepreneurs
The classes are held in partnership with Mother Road Market for 12 weeks.
Wendy Henriquez is the owner of Sugar Crave and completed the program back in 2024.
She said it was a huge help when it came to learning the ins and outs of the industry.
It also helped her that it was all in Spanish, the language she prefers.
“All of the classes were focused on the regulations here in the United States and Oklahoma needing to be met,” she said. “In every class, we had experts talk to us about things like taking out loans, insurance, credit.”
“Wow, I mean it isn’t easy, but it’s possible,” she said. “Perseverance is important.”
Abel Aguilar is the Program Manager in charge of the Lanzamiento course.
“We believe it’s important because not only do we have a strong population of both Hispanic and Latin entrepreneurs here in Tulsa, they may not know the resources that they have available to them,” he said.
While tuition doesn’t start off as being free of charge, there are financial assistance options to help.
We Street Credit Union has also pitched in to offer funds for financial assistance so some weight can be taken off of the participant.
Aguilar also said Lobeck Taylor will work something out if finances are the only obstacle to applying.
For others interested in other resources to help kickstart their business, Avanzando Juntos is also a non-profit organization that can help.
Primarily for Spanish speakers, Avanzando Juntos helps connect business owners with grants and funding that can help eliminate some of the costs that come with starting a business.
For those interested in applying to the “Lanzamiento” Program, you can visit the Kitchen 66 website for the application.
Isabel Flores is your North & East Tulsa reporter.
Is there something you think she should know about or look into?
You can email her at Isabel.Flores@kjrh.com.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere —
1. Death of inmate at Oklahoma County Detention Center under investigation
Oklahoma County Detention Center.
• 33-year-old Dancing Feathers Whitecrow found unresponsive
• Taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead
• Active investigation ongoing
Officials are investigating the death of an inmate at the Oklahoma County Detention Center.
Officers found 33-year-old Dancing Feathers Whitecrow unresponsive just before 7 p.m. Sunday. She was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. Whitecrow had been booked into the jail in April.
This remains an active investigation.
The Oklahoma County Criminal Investigations Division is investigating after Dancing Feathers Whitecrow, 33, died in custody.
2. Deadly hit-and-run in southwest Oklahoma City
• Pedestrian struck and killed near Southwest 61st and May
• Crash happened just before midnight
• No description of the vehicle yet
Oklahoma City Police are investigating a deadly hit-and-run that happened late Tuesday in southwest Oklahoma City.
One person was struck and killed by a vehicle near Southwest 61st and May just before midnight on Wednesday.
Police say they currently have no description of the vehicle involved.
3. Elderly Moore woman mauled to death by dog
• 86-year-old Beatrice Carruth found dead July 2nd
• Dog belonged to her son, who was previously arrested in a related incident
• Dog has been euthanized
An 86-year-old Moore woman was mauled to death in her home by her son’s dog.
Beatrice Carruth was found dead on July 2nd. Family members say the dog, a Labrador and American Pit Bull Terrier mix, had previously attacked her in May.
The dog was euthanized Monday.
The Moore Police Department arrived at the scene near Northeast 27th Street and Highland Drive to find a woman with severe injuries.
4. Cattle rescue after semi overturns on I-40 near Tinker
News 9
• Mayberry family from Oklahoma City Stockyards helped clear the scene
• 109 head of cattle in trailer; more than 80 survived
• Similar crashes have happened in recent years
A family of ranchers helped rescue cattle after a semi overturned on I-40 near Tinker Air Force Base.
The Mayberry family responded to the scene and worked to safely remove the animals. They say they’ve assisted with several similar crashes over the past four years.
A trailer carrying 62 head of cattle overturned Tuesday morning, leaving only a single westbound lane of I-40 open for hours as crews rescued trapped animals.
5. Attorney General Drummond sues Allstate over insurance practices
• Lawsuit accuses company of denying or underpaying wind and hail claims
• Alleges use of undisclosed restrictive standards
• Similar lawsuit previously filed against State Farm
Attorney General Gentner Drummond is suing Allstate, accusing the insurance company of running a scheme to deny or underpay wind and hail claims.
The lawsuit alleges Allstate used undisclosed restrictive standards to limit coverage for Oklahomans. Drummond says the company is putting profits ahead of policyholders.
A similar lawsuit was previously filed against State Farm.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Cleveland County District Court and alleges violations of state consumer protection and anti-racketeering laws.
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Editor’s note: We used AI tools to help with editing and formatting this story. A human journalist reviewed everything before publication.
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