Oklahoma’s Education Rankings Under Scrutiny Amid Claims of Decline
A recent commentary by former state Senate candidate Erin Brewer has ignited discussions regarding Oklahoma’s educational performance. Brewer asserted that in 2011, Oklahoma ranked 17th in the nation for its education system but has since plummeted to the bottom, often cited as 48th to 50th.
Brewer attributes this decline to a decade of unified Republican governance that began with Mary Fallin as governor. However, experts challenge her claims, noting that Oklahoma’s 17th-place ranking in 2011 cited by Brewer was misrepresented and not reflective of actual academic outcomes. While the Quality Counts report from Education Week gave the state high marks for educational policies, it concurrently indicated poor student achievement—citing a D for K-12 performance.
Concrete evidence from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), regarded as the gold standard in educational assessments, reveals that Oklahoma’s fourth-grade reading scores were well below the national average in 2011. Despite early improvements in the state’s academic outcomes during the Republican-led administration, later changes in educational policy, particularly under State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, saw reading scores decline.
Between 2011 and 2024, funding per student in Oklahoma increased significantly, yet academic outcomes continued to fall, with recent data showing fourth-grade average scores plummeting to 207—placing the state just above the very bottom nationwide.
Critics argue Brewer’s narrative overlooks pivotal legislative changes and their consequences on educational performance. As scrutiny continues, stakeholders emphasize a need for a deeper understanding of the complexities influencing Oklahoma’s education system, challenging oversimplified partisan conclusions.
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