OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Nearly 16 percent of Oklahoma's third graders scored unsatisfactory on state reading tests and could be held back next year, although state education officials say they expect that number will go down.
The Oklahoma State Department of Education released figures Friday that show nearly 80 percent of third graders are eligible to advance to fourth grade based on their reading test scores.
Agency spokeswoman Tricia Pemberton says the 16 percent of students who scored unsatisfactory will have additional chances to retest or qualify for an exemption before the start of the next school year.
The percentage of unsatisfactory third-grade readers in the state's two largest districts, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, were nearly twice the state average — 32.7 in Tulsa and 28.9 percent in Oklahoma City.
On the tests, 1,107 students scored Advanced, 32,149 scored Proficient, 7,011 scored Limited Knowledge and 7,917 scored Unsatisfactory.