For decades, Oklahoma educators have been asked to do more with less – more testing, more paperwork, more mandates – while being told that test scores alone define success. After more than forty years in Oklahoma classrooms, I believe it’s time to refocus on what actually improves learning: effective teaching supported by meaningful information.
No one disputes the importance of accountability. Parents, teachers, and taxpayers deserve to know how students are performing. But the way we currently rely on end-of-year assessments too often provides answers long after the opportunity to help a student has passed.
The Problem with End-of-Year Testing
National measures like the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show Oklahoma continues to struggle in reading and math, particularly in the early grades – skills that form the foundation for all future learning. In some cases, performance has declined since the pandemic, underscoring the urgency of getting instruction right early.
Even the Oklahoma State Department of Education recognizes that state assessments were never intended to stand alone. In its own guidance, the agency emphasizes that statewide tests should be part of a broader assessment system that includes classroom-level measures teachers can use to adjust instruction in real time.
That distinction matters. Data that arrives months after a school year ends may satisfy reporting requirements, but it does little to help a teacher intervene when a child is struggling to read or grasp foundational math concepts. Effective assessment should support instruction, not overshadow it.
Education researchers have long cautioned against systems that rely too heavily on high-stakes testing, noting that such approaches can narrow instruction and divert time away from the very learning they are meant to measure.
Benchmark Testing and Real-Time Feedback
The most successful classrooms I’ve seen use assessment as a tool, not a verdict. Teachers receive timely feedback, parents understand progress throughout the year, and students benefit from early intervention rather than late labels.
Oklahoma doesn’t need to abandon accountability. We need to use it wisely. When assessment supports teaching instead of replacing it, schools improve, trust grows, and students are better prepared for life beyond the classroom.
By Dr. John Cox, Peggs Public Schools Superintendent and candidate for Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction