Oklahoma superintendent announces end of traditional statewide summative testing

State Superintendent Ryan Walters has announced that Oklahoma will change its student assessment system starting in the 2025–2026 school year. The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) will allow school districts to use approved benchmark assessments instead of the current statewide end-of-year tests for grades 3–8 in Math and English Language Arts.

The decision comes after a survey of nearly 23,000 parents showed that 81% believe state testing is not necessary for evaluating student learning. “The teachers-union-approach is failing our kids,” said Superintendent Walters. “By moving away from outdated state tests and empowering local districts, we’re reducing the burden on students, parents, and teachers while ensuring high-quality education that is no longer driven by bureaucrats or outside groups.”

Walters also stated that recent reforms have shifted authority from teachers union groups to parents. He credited the Trump Administration for policies that return power to states and, in turn, to families. “Oklahoma families are greatly benefitting from The Trump Administration as he is giving power back to states, so we can give it back to parents, where it belongs. The verdict is clear: students, and families, are benefitting from the Trump Administration, and we are proud to follow their lead.”