Strong evaluation systems are foundational to improving teacher and principal quality; meaningful evaluations recognize excellence, support development, and address ineffectiveness. In this area, Oklahoma is strong in several aspects. Teachers and principals are evaluated annually according to a five-tier rating of effectiveness that includes multiple measures, which for teachers includes classroom observations and for principals includes the effective management of teachers. Notably, student growth comprises 50% of the total evaluation, with 35% based on objective measures of student growth and the remaining 15% based on other academic measures. Additionally, the state's evaluation criteria should not be subject to contract negotiations, ensuring these systems will be subject to change based on student interests alone.

Basing personnel decisions on performance is critical to building schools that retain effective teachers and make student achievement paramount. Oklahoma is strong in several aspects of this area. The state has clear dismissal policies related to ineffective performance; teachers who receive two consecutive ineffective ratings are subject to dismissal. Furthermore, when forced to lay off teachers during a budget-related reduction in force, schools must consider performance as the primary factor. However, seniority is not explicitly prohibited from being considered. With regard to tenure, probationary periods are contingent on performance: Teachers with a consistent record of highly effective performance serve a shorter probationary period, while those with an effective record of performance serve a slightly longer one. This can be sidestepped if, after four consecutive years at a school, a teacher is recommended for tenure by the school principal. There is no clear process for revocation based on performance. Oklahoma must continue taking steps to establish a system that prioritizes students and great teachers, using teacher performance as the driving influence for all personnel decisions.

To encourage a high-quality, diverse workforce, professional pay should be based on performance rather than other non-classroom factors such as seniority or degrees held. Oklahoma sets a minimum salary schedule for teachers based on years of experience and degree type. School districts can develop their own schedule, but they must incorporate the state's minimums. In the 2012-13 school year, districts may implement performance-based pay plans that reward teachers who increase student and school achievement or address other concerns, such as filling subject-area shortages. Student test scores cannot be the only criteria used to allocate pay under any plan. To strengthen teacher compensation systems across the state, Oklahoma should eliminate automatic pay increases for master's degrees alone and require all districts to tie salary increases to performance measures that prioritize student outcomes.

Oklahoma provides several streamlined pathways to alternative certification. The state requires a 2.5 GPA and demonstration of content knowledge through an undergraduate major. Candidates must pass general competency and content exams. Except for the Troops to Teachers program, candidates must demonstrate two years of experience. To improve candidate quality, Oklahoma should eliminate the requirement that candidates possess a degree in the content area taught and rely on the content exam results instead. Oklahoma has a process for authorizing and evaluating alternative certification programs, as well as processes for decommissioning programs that do not produce effective educators. However, these processes are not well established and do not link the program's evaluation to teacher performance. To ensure its teacher preparation programs are producing high-quality teachers, Oklahoma should require programs to be evaluated on the effectiveness of its graduates and their students' achievement scores.

In 2011, Oklahoma passed a law that empowers parents with information by requiring that all PK_12 schools receive an annual letter grade based on student achievement and growth. Including achievement gap data in the school letter grade could strengthen this law. Oklahoma can further empower parents by requiring notifying parents when their children are placed with an ineffective teacher and allowing parents access to teacher evaluation information upon request. Additionally, the state should require that districts obtain parental consent for placement of a student with an ineffective teacher. Oklahoma does not have a parent trigger law. To give parents more options, the state should establish a parent trigger law that allows a majority of parents to band together at the grassroots level and petition to turn around a low-performing school.

Oklahoma must ensure its students are not trapped in failing schools by creating policies that increase high-quality school choice options. Oklahoma currently limits charter establishment and does not support growth of quality schools. Instead of restricting charter school growth, the state should focus on holding charter schools accountable for student achievement results. The state should establish clear criteria for closing low-performing schools and requirements for annual reviews and performance reporting for both schools and authorizers. Additionally, the state should create a publicly funded opportunity scholarship program for low-income students in low-performing schools to attend a private school. Any private school accepting publicly funded scholarships should meet certain accountability standards.

Children stuck in chronically failing schools should have an option to attend another school of their choice without being punished by the state through reduced funding. Oklahoma provides public charter schools with state operational funds, but it does not provide access to local tax revenues. Oklahoma should provide comparable state, local, and federal funding and should reform its skimming provisions that currently allow up to 5% of funding to be retained by the charter authorizer. Public charter schools also should have access to unused facilities and facility financing programs. Separately, Oklahoma should amend its tax credit scholarship program to provide a scholarship tuition amount that is competitive with private school tuition. The amount is currently limited to approximately $5,000 annually.

The ability to turn around failing schools is often hampered by bureaucratic red tape and politics. Oklahoma law allows for governance flexibility at the state level but not the local level. The Oklahoma Board of Education is authorized to assume control of the management and operations of certain schools that are consistently listed as a low-achieving. To streamline performance accountability at the local level, Oklahoma should allow mayoral control of low-performing districts.

Given the limited resources available for public education, states must ensure that districts spend as many dollars as possible in the classroom rather than in bureaucracy and that the dollars invested drive the greatest change. Oklahoma limits class sizes. Oklahoma should provide greater staffing and spending flexibility to school districts by removing ineffective regulations on class size past the third grade and other restrictions that limit districts' ability to reallocate resources to their greatest needs. Moreover, Oklahoma should empower data-driven decisionmaking by improving the financial data it collects and linking spending to academic achievement. The law should enable the state to initiate governance changes at school districts when resources are mismanaged.

Attracting a high-quality workforce will require a competitive retirement plan. Portable retirement options, such as 401(k) plans, are an essential component of compensation packages and make the teaching profession more competitive. It is a classic win-win for teachers and districts. Under current policy, Oklahoma requires employees of traditional schools to participate in its defined benefit plan. These plans promise teachers a payout based on years of service and salary, not the actual amount contributed to or earned through the fund. If teachers leave before reaching retirement age, they risk losing a significant portion of their savings. To provide career flexibility and ensure sustainability of the existing system, Oklahoma should move to a portable employer-sponsored retirement plan and continue to make this option available to public charter schools.