Oklahoma

Oklahoma ranks 32nd among the states when the Opportunity to Learn of the state’s historically disadvantaged students is combined with a measure of educational quality (3). Oklahoma’s Native American, Black and Latino students, taken together, have approximately 80 percent of the opportunity to learn in the state’s best-supported, best-performing schools compared to the state’s White, non-Latino students. Black, non-Latino students have less than half and Asian American and Latino students approximately two-thirds the opportunities to learn as do all White, non-Latino students, without regard to income. Unusually, Native American students in Oklahoma have a better opportunity to learn than all other groups.

The key Opportunity to Learn resources used in this report are high quality early childhood education, highly effective teachers, well-funded instructional materials and a college preparatory curriculum. All students must have equitable access to key educational resources if they are to have equitable opportunities for success.

Key Research Findings: Oklahoma is one of a group of states with high graduation rates, average percentages of students from disadvantaged groups and comparatively low funding for instruction.

Opportunity for Success

Asian American, Black, Latino and low-income students are more likely than all White, non-Latino students in Oklahoma to be disadvantaged by attending schools where they have little chance of becoming proficient in basic skills and graduating on time. The state’s Black, non-Latino and Latino students are twice as likely to be disadvantaged in this regard.

Dividing the percentages of Native American, Black and Latino students in these “drop-out factories” by the percentage of White, non-Latino students in those schools gives us the comparative disadvantage of each group: (Higher numbers are worse: more of a disadvantage)

Taking steps to improve access to key resources, improving the teacher-to-student ratio and increasing the percentage of highly effective teachers in the state’s less effective schools will improve the Opportunity to Learn of the state’s minority and low-income students.

Economic Consequences⁽⁸⁾

Total Annual Economic Burden to Taxpayers Because of Inequity: $331 million(9)

	Potential Return on School Improvement Investment: (Differences attributable to high school graduation per annual cohort)	250%
	State Annual Total Lifetime Health Loss	$65 million
	State Annual Crime-Related Loss	$42 million
	State Tax Losses (Lifetime)	$223 million
	Annual Lost Lifetime Earnings (Difference attributable to high school graduation per annual cohort)	$460 million
	Net Annual Potential Revenue Increase from Equity (After deducting estimated cost of improving schools)	$204 million

Social and Civic Consequences

Changes attributable to educational equalization with highest performing large group:

	College Graduation (25 years of age+)(10) Increase Expected Attributable to Equitable Access
	Black, Latino, Native American (total)	84%
	Employment (11) Increase Expected Attributable to Equitable Access
	With High School Diploma	5%
	Further Increase with Bachelor's Degree	3%
	Income(12) Increase Expected Attributable to Equitable Access
	With High School Diploma	34%
	Further Increase with Bachelor's Degree	66%
	Health(13) Increase Expected Attributable to Equitable Access
	Black, non-Latino	6%
	Latino	35%
	Civic Engagement(14) (National Election Participation)
	Increase Expected Attributable to Equitable Access	2%
	Incarceration(15) Decrease Expected Attributable to Equitable Access to Education
	Black, non-Latino	-89%

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