Ryan Walters confirms new student test results are ‘very different’

Despite calling media reports on the topic “fan fiction,” Oklahoma’s top education official acknowledged the state’s student assessment process changed significantly without any announcement informing the public.

State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters said Thursday that Oklahoma’s scoring data and annual tests are now “very different.” He said there has been no public announcement because his administration is busy explaining the new results to school districts.

However, several school leaders told Oklahoma Voice they received their test scores from the Oklahoma State Department of Education with no notice that there were material changes to scoring.

State test results were released to schools, families and the public this month with the appearance of dramatic improvements in student proficiency.

However, public records Oklahoma Voice obtained show the cause of spiking scores was not better school performance, but rather a result of the state lowering the bar for students to receive a proficient score on English and math tests.

Had the state not changed its scoring methods, test results would have been similar or slightly lower than student performance in 2023, according to internal data analysis from the state Education Department, which Oklahoma Voice obtained from a source involved in the assessment process.

Walters said his administration intends to give clarity to educators and parents.

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“We are actively working with districts through that process,” Walters said. “You guys haven’t seen this big announcement from the (state Board of Education). You guys haven’t seen us walk through it yet because, again, what we’re trying to do is make sure the districts understand how do you use these (results) with your teachers and training for next year? How do you make sure that the context is there?”

Oklahoma lawmakers criticize OSDE for not announcing student test score changes sooner

Leaders of a legislative committee on education funding said the state “dropped the ball” by failing to announce the scoring change sooner.

“This left districts shocked and surprised when they saw this year’s scores, and it puts a false narrative out there,” said Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, and Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber, in a joint statement Thursday.

Schools and families received their students’ test scores this month, and the Education Department posted statewide results on its website for public view.

Regardless, Walters denied the state ever released this year’s test scores.

“It is an incredible position of the media gaslighting the public on what’s happening here,” he said. “We have not rolled out the test scores yet. So to be attacked on how we rolled out test scores before we roll out test scores, I found (a) really fascinating bit of fan fiction out there.”

What were the changes made to how scores were assessed? How it impacted Oklahoma test scores

Over the summer, the state Education Department initiated a process, called standard setting, to reset grade-level expectations for student performance on annual English and math exams. The agency did this because requirements for what schools must teach in English and math classes have changed since the last scoring update.

Standard setting involves several panels of teachers describing which competencies students should be able to demonstrate on state tests in order to be considered ready for the next grade.

The process resulted in new expectations that lowered the performance level needed to get a proficient score, according to public records Oklahoma Voice obtained from the state.

As a result, statewide proficiency rates skyrocketed by as much as 33% even while students performed at relatively the same level as the year before, state records and internal data show.

More: OSDE changes led to a big jump in student test scores, but did performance really improve?

Walters claimed the committees that developed the new grade-level expectations had “no connection” to his agency.

But, Education Department officials explained in detail how they oversaw the standard setting process in a July presentation to the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability, which had to approve the new scoring system. Oklahoma Voice obtained the presentation slides and the new scoring expectations through an open records request.

Oklahoma last made a major reset to test scoring in 2017, when it aligned its assessments with national standards.

At that time, the state Education Department warned schools and the public that the new scoring system would cause proficiency rates to drop significantly. The agency did so before releasing the scores to the public at large.

That’s what the Education Department should have done this time, said McBride, the chairperson of the House education funding committee.

“Had (the agency) done its job and communicated this process clearly before these scores were released, we would not have this misunderstanding,” McBride said. “I can only hope they do better in the future.”

Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: info@oklahomavoice.com . Follow Oklahoma Voice on Facebook and Twitter .

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ryan Walters confirms new student test results are ‘very different’