In July, the Statewide Charter School Board (SCSB) released an interactive annual report on the status of charter schools in Oklahoma AND the Oklahoma Public School Resource Center (OPSRC) released in tandem an accompanying interactive data dashboard that details the performance of all Oklahoma public schools. Both dashboards were developed by the two organizations independently of one another but in partnership. Both allow for direct comparisons between individual schools and deep dives in the areas of demographics, academic performance and financials.

Top findings in the charter dashboard are that more than 80 percent of brick-and-mortar charters are outperforming the traditional district in which they share boundaries, despite serving the most economically challenged and diverse student bodies of any type of public school. These schools also have the lowest per pupil expenditures, including that of virtual charter schools, which have seen theirs rise substantially since 2021.

The partnership between the SCSB and OPSRC to form these dashboards brings school transparency to a never-before-seen level in Oklahoma and was made possible thanks to a three-year grant. The grant provides for the national firm Education Strategy Consultants to build out comprehensive data visualization dashboards so the public and policymakers have greater access to meaningful data to drive better student outcomes.

During the next three years, more data components will be added to the dashboards in a continuing effort to make them as comprehensive, useful and relevant as possible.

The charter school annual report/data dashboard can be accessed from the SCSB’s website, and the OPSRC dashboard, which it refers to as its “matrix,” can be accessed directly from the OPSRC website or under the “Resources” area of the charter school dashboard. To optimize use of both tools, it is recommended users watch the two-minute tutorial and read the Executive Summary both found on the Overview page of the charter school dashboard.

Users can reach out to the SCSB at info@scsb.ok.gov with any ideas they have to improve the dashboards as the agency works to further build it out.

The National Charter Schools Institute has officially launched its podcast “Bold By Choice,” which is a show focused on all things charter schools. “From bold beginnings to big decisions,” NCSI frames its podcast as a resource for charter leaders to learn from others’ successes and challenges.

“Bold by Choice takes listeners inside the real-life journey of charter schools — from ideas to impact. Whether you’re an authorizer, school leader, board member or advocate, this podcast is for you,” NCSI said in a communication distributed to the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board (SCSB).

You can find the podcast wherever you tune in to your podcasts and directly at: CharterInstitute.org/Podcast. Hosted by Jim Goenner, who was the SCSB’s keynote speaker at its inaugural conference this past spring, and Vashaunta Harris Episodes 1-4 of “Bold By Choice” are now live. New episodes drop every Wednesday.

2026 Legislative Priorities Being Formed

While the 2025 Legislative Session just concluded in late May, work on the priorities for the 2026 are already under way. Know that staff of the Statewide Charter School Board have been meeting with representatives of the Oklahoma Charter School Association and charter school leaders in Oklahoma City and Tulsa to ensure priorities reflect the consensus of the Oklahoma charter school community of where lawmakers should focus to strengthen our community and drive better student outcomes. If you would like to provide feedback, please contact either info@scsb.ok.us or contact the leadership of the Oklahoma Charter Schools Association.