CLEVELAND – State Superintendent Ryan Walters recently announced a shift in Oklahoma’s approach to student assessment, marking the end of traditional statewide summative testing.
Beginning in the 2025–2026 school year, the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) will allow districts to use approved benchmark assessments in place of the current end-ofyear tests for grades 3–8 in Math and English Language Arts (ELA).
Under this proposal, districts could use an “approved benchmark assessment” in place of current state exams.
“This is the first time we have been made aware of this possible change, and while the idea is intriguing and closely aligned with Cleveland Public Schools’ vision for tracking student growth, there are still many important questions that remain unanswered,” Superintendent Sol Bayouth said.
He said those unanswered questions include: ▪ Will CPS's current benchmark assessment, NWEA MAP, be included on the state’s “approved” list?
▪ How will this change affect federal requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act that mandates end-of-year testing requirements in certain grades and subjects?
▪ Does this still mean that CPS's 5th and 8th grade science exams and 8th grade US citizenship exams are still in place?
“The concept of using a progressive benchmark system that measures growth throughout the year aligns strongly with our goals at CPS—this is why we have already implemented districtwide benchmarking,” Bayouth said. “We believe that assessments should be used to guide instruction, support individual student growth, and inform building-wide instructional strategies—not simply as a single high-stakes measure at the end of the year.”
Bayouth said they should not rush the process. “At this time, CPS remains fully committed to using NWEA MAP data to guide and adjust our classroom instruction, shape individual growth plans, and inform building-wide procedures as the year progresses,” he said. “Whether or not our students will take an end-of-year state exam in the future will depend on further guidance from the Oklahoma State Department of Education. We will continue to monitor this development closely and communicate updates as soon as we have more concrete information. In the meantime, please know that our focus remains on your child’s learning, growth, and success every single day.”