By Mindy Ragan Wood
Staff Writer
The Oklahoma State Department of Education shows Okarche schools are among the best in the state.
Schools are graded on several criteria for a letter grade that is assigned to each school site.
The testing criteria for the 2018 school year was the first to be assessed due to a new law that passed the legislature in 2016.
Okarche Elementary tested for academic achievement, academic growth, chronic absenteeism and an overall grade. The school scored an almost unheard of A for its overall grade, nearly 30 percent higher than the state average.
Principal Chris Roby said he was excited to see the results.
“It’s definitely very exciting,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I am surprised because I know we have good teachers and good kids here. I would say that we watch over and hopefully do our best to make sure they progress like they’re supposed to into the next grade level, next school and from there.”
Roby said at a small school, teachers and aides can have a hands-on approach to supervise that progress.
“Attendance is part of that, making sure they get to school and if they don’t, then we have reasons why they don’t and we have that communication,” he said.
Good teachers cannot do their jobs without the support of the administration and board of education.
“Our discussion is always about, ‘does it support kids’ and to me that’s the answer. If the answer is yes, they’re on board for almost anything we can ask for. I think that pays a big dividend to what we have. Whether it’s professional development for teachers or it’s something for a classroom, it’s supported by the administration we have and the community.”
Roby said he isn’t taking anything for granted and that every year they have to work hard.
“We want it to stay on the same path,” he said.
The elementary school shared a spotlight with the middle and high school’s scores.
The middle school scored a B for its overall grade, 15 percent higher than the state average. The school achieved an A for attendance, and B’s for academic growth and academic performance.
The high school also scored an B for its overall grade with an A for graduation rates and attendance. The school dipped to a C for academic achievement but maintained a 10 percent higher score compared to the state average.
The report card for post-secondary opportunities came back as a D for the school, but that grade did not worry Superintendent Rob Friesen.
“I really don’t want to tweak too much. Our kids are keeping a more rigorous schedule than I see in other schools,” he said. “A lot of our kids are taking calculus, trigonometry, anatomy and chemistry instead of just one of those subjects. Smaller schools may not do a lot of career tech classes, but I’d rather see them keep a more rigorous schedule than us worry about a letter grade. You don’t want to get too focused on that. When they leave here, they’re very ready for college.”
