Oklahoma missed deadline to include test scores in US News Best High Schools in Oklahoma list

Jana Hayes, The Oklahoman
·2 min read

The Oklahoma State Department of Education missed a deadline to allow US News & World Report to include Advanced Placement test scores in its annual Best High School rankings.

Because those scores make up nearly a third of each school's cumulative ranking, the resulting list parents use to see which schools get their children ready for college doesn't show the full picture, educators say.

While the state Board of Education unanimously approved in November the release of Advanced Placement data, the letter granting permission sent to the College Board and US News was too late for the data to be included in the 2024 "Best High Schools" ranking, according to US News spokesperson Jeanette Colby. Because Oklahoma missed this deadline, Oklahoma schools who "administered AP exams were not able to be fully credited on their College Readiness," according to US News.

Data on schools with students who took and earned a qualifying score on an AP test help form the school's "College Readiness Index," or 30% of a school's overall score. College Board requires schools to send a signed letter granting permission to share this data every three years, Colby said.

State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks during an Oklahoma school board meeting at the Oklahoma Capitol in Oklahoma City, on Thursday, April 25, 2024.
State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks during an Oklahoma school board meeting at the Oklahoma Capitol in Oklahoma City, on Thursday, April 25, 2024.

Colby said that OSDE missed the permission granting deadline twice - for both the 2023 and 2024 rankings - but Dan Isett, spokesperson for the education department, told The Oklahoman it was "a one-year issue." Colby confirmed the department has already sent a letter confirming permission for the data to be used in the 2025 Best High School rankings.

Isett said the missed deadline appeared to have been "caused by some sort of mail issue."

"Everything has been done to correct that moving forward," Isett said.

Colby declined to comment on questions pertaining to when the US News deadline is for accessing College Board's AP data, or when Oklahoma's department of education last granted that permission.

Of the top 10 "Best High Schools in Oklahoma," eight list "N/A" under their College Readiness Index.

According to a 2022 Best High Schools in Oklahoma list from KFOR, four of the now top 10 high schools in Oklahoma were not even in the top 20 in 2022.

KFOR also reported many of the top 20 schools in 2022 plummeted in their rankings this year, and some superintendents told the outlet they believe it's related to their AP scores not being available to US News.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: The 2024 Best High Schools in Oklahoma is missing AP test score data