YUKON (July 10, 2017) – The 12 finalists for Oklahoma’s next Teacher of the Year were announced today in a ceremony at Yukon High School during EngageOK On the Road, the summer conference of the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE).
“Classroom teachers are the heart and soul of education, and research tells us they are the most important person in the schoolhouse,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister.
Chronic absenteeism arises from a variety of obstacles. While it is important to keep students learning and on track with their peers, Attendance Works reminds us that the challenge of improving attendance is to avoid making the incorrect assumption that chronically absent students or their parents simply do not care.
The following resources provide strategies to bring schools, families, and community partners together, so they can determine the causes of chronic absence, and implement approaches that address these barriers.
Chronic absenteeism was recommended by the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution to be adopted as the “fifth indicator” of student success and school quality (Schanzenbach, Bauer & Mumford, 2016) based on the accountability requirements listed in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Students who are chronically absent in middle school are more likely to drop out of high school (BERC, 2011).
Chronically absent 3rd graders were less likely to be reading on grade level (Arkansas Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, 2016).
Chronic absenteeism, which represents lost instructional time for students, is gaining nationwide awareness. Student attendance is strongly correlated to academic achievement, graduation rates, and postsecondary success. Research indicates that schools and districts can have an impact on student absenteeism rates.
All finalists are teachers of the year for their districts and were selected after their application packets were reviewed by a panel that included educators, members of the business community, legislators and nonprofit partners.
The 2019 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year will be revealed Sept. 17 in a ceremony at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City.
Twelve Finalists
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Last updated on December 31, 1969
