Oklahoma School Grades Improve; Graduation Rate Dips
Oklahoma families can now check each public school's grades, with fewer D and F schools than last year.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Secondary Education
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The Oklahoma State Department of Education released its 2026 Public School Report Cards, grading 1,750 public schools, with 64% earning A's, B's, and C's. Fifteen schools received no overall grade due to insufficient data, and the four-year graduation rate fell to 77.6% for the class of 2025.
Why it matters
The overall picture shows fewer D and F schools than last year, but the statewide graduation rate dropped from 82.2% to 77.6%, a decline largely tied to a federal requirement to exclude Core Curriculum graduates from the calculation. For Oklahoma families, the grades are a practical signal of how a neighborhood school is performing across academics, graduation, and attendance.
Of the 1,750 public schools graded, 64% earned A's, B's, or C's, and 24 fewer schools received a D and ten fewer received an F compared with 2025. Eleven high schools improved their four-year graduation rate by more than ten percentage points in the 2025 school year.
The players
Oklahoma State Department of Education
The state agency that sets public school accountability standards and publishes annual school report cards for Oklahoma families.
U.S. Department of Education
The federal agency whose approval is required for Oklahoma's chronic absenteeism plan and whose guidelines shape state graduation-rate reporting.
The details
Oklahoma's A-F letter grades, set under state law, indicate whether schools are making adequate or better progress. Because state report cards must follow current federal guidelines, the chronic absenteeism indicator was included for 2025-2026 while the state awaits final federal approval. Subject-matter mastery and four-year graduation rate both received a D statewide, while preparing students for the future and supporting English learners each received a B.
Timeline
The 2025 school year (SY2025) saw eleven high schools improve graduation rates by more than ten points.
The class of 2024 had a four-year graduation rate of 82.2%, and the class of 2025 fell to 77.6%.
Chronic absenteeism is included in the 2025-2026 grades while federal approval is pending.
Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, chronic absenteeism will no longer be a required grade indicator once approved.
The Home Front
Oklahoma's school grading changes follow SB 711 (2024), which moves chronic absenteeism from a ten-point indicator to a bonus category. The graduation-rate drop reflects a federal rule excluding Core Curriculum graduates, a methodology shift that affects how this year's numbers compare with prior years.
Check your child's school's overall grade and its individual indicators on the official school-by-school report card data at Oklaschools.com. If graduation or attendance grades matter to your family, ask the school directly what steps it is taking in those areas.
The takeaway
A school's overall letter grade can mask shifts in graduation and attendance, so review the individual indicators as well as the summary grade. Keep the school-by-school report card data bookmarked to track changes once the new chronic absenteeism rules take effect.
What happens next
Federal approval of Oklahoma's chronic absenteeism plan is expected in the coming weeks, after which the indicator will be dropped as a required grade starting in the 2026-2027 school year.
Further reading
For the broader context behind these grades, explore Secondary Education coverage on We are Home.
More information
Look up your school's full results on school-by-school report card data from the state's official portal.
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