Oklahoma

==Education==

{{See also|List of school districts in Oklahoma|List of colleges and universities in Oklahoma}}
[[File:Seminary Hall.jpg|thumb|Oklahoma's system of public regional universities includes [[Northeastern State University]] in [[Tahlequah, Oklahoma|Tahlequah]].]]
[[File:University of Oklahoma July 2019 69 (Bizzell Memorial Library).jpg|thumb|[[Bizzell Memorial Library]], the heart of the [[University of Oklahoma]] in [[Norman, Oklahoma|Norman]]]]

With an educational system made up of [[State school|public school]] districts and independent [[private school|private institutions]], Oklahoma had 638,817 students enrolled in 1,845 public primary, secondary, and [[vocational education|vocational]] schools in 533 [[school districts]] {{as of|2008|lc=on}}.<ref name="OK Education">{{cite web|title=2008–09 Facts: Oklahoma Public Schools |publisher=Oklahoma State Department of Education |year=2010 |url=http://sde.state.ok.us/Services/Data/pdf/StatCard08-09.pdf |access-date=January 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928231700/http://sde.state.ok.us/Services/Data/pdf/StatCard08-09.pdf |archive-date=September 28, 2011 }}</ref> Oklahoma has the highest enrollment of Native American students in the nation with 126,078 students in the 2009–10 school year.<ref name="NCES">{{cite web |url=http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2011/2011347.pdf |publisher=IES, National Center for Education Statistics |title=Public Elementary and Secondary School Student Enrollment, High School Completions and Staff from the Common Core of Data, School Year 2009–10| page=11|access-date=January 22, 2012}}</ref> Oklahoma spent $7,755 for each student in 2008, and was 47th in the nation in expenditures per student,<ref name="OK Education" /> though its growth of total education expenditures between 1992 and 2002 ranked 22nd.<ref>{{cite web | title =Growth in Oklahoma's State Governments 1992–2002 | publisher=University of Central Oklahoma | date = February 1, 2006 | url = http://www.busn.ucok.edu/ucopi/docs/govgrowth1992-2002.pdf | access-date = August 3, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070808074216/http://www.busn.ucok.edu/ucopi/docs/govgrowth1992-2002.pdf |archive-date = August 8, 2007}}</ref>

The state is among the best in [[pre-kindergarten]] education, and the National Institute for Early Education Research rated it first in the United States with regard to standards, quality, and access to pre-kindergarten education in 2004, calling it "a model for [[early childhood education|early childhood schooling]]".<ref>{{cite web | title =Superintendent Garrett announces Oklahoma No. 1 in Pre-Kindergarten | publisher=Oklahoma State Department of Education | date = November 19, 2004 | url = http://www.sde.state.ok.us/pro/prek/default.html |access-date = August 3, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070629100813/http://www.sde.state.ok.us/pro/prek/default.html|archive-date=June 29, 2007 }}</ref> High school dropout rate decreased from 3.1 to 2.5 percent between 2007 and 2008 with Oklahoma ranked among 18 other states with 3 percent or less dropout rate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2012/2012006.pdf|publisher=IES, National Center for Education Statistics |title=Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 1972–2009 |pages=7–8, 37| access-date=January 22, 2012}}</ref> In 2004, the state ranked 36th in the nation for the relative number of adults with [[high school diploma]]s, though at 85.2 percent, it had the highest rate among Southern states.<ref>{{cite web | title = High school diploma or higher, by percentage by state | publisher = Statemaster.com | year = 2004 | url = http://www.statemaster.com/graph/edu_hig_sch_dip_or_hig_by_per-high-school-diploma-higher-percentage | access-date = August 20, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927223755/http://www.statemaster.com/graph/edu_hig_sch_dip_or_hig_by_per-high-school-diploma-higher-percentage | archive-date = September 27, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Missouri and the Nation |publisher=[[University of Missouri]] |date=February 9, 2007 |url=http://www.oseda.missouri.edu/mo_nation/no_highschool_grad_1990_2000.shtml |access-date=August 3, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012160129/http://oseda.missouri.edu/mo_nation/no_highschool_grad_1990_2000.shtml |archive-date=October 12, 2007 }}</ref> According to a study conducted by the Pell Institute, Oklahoma ranks 48th in college-participation for low-income students.<ref>{{cite news|title=College study should concern Oklahoma policymakers|url=https://newsok.com/article/5595964/college-study-should-concern-oklahoma-policymakers|access-date=May 30, 2018|newspaper=The Oklahoman}}</ref>

The [[University of Oklahoma]], [[The University of Tulsa]], [[Oklahoma State University]], the [[University of Central Oklahoma]], and [[Northeastern State University]] are the largest institutions of higher education in Oklahoma, each operating through one primary campus and satellite campuses throughout the state. The two state universities, along with [[Oklahoma City University]] and the [[University of Tulsa]], rank among the country's best universities.<ref>{{cite web | title =America's Best Colleges—2007| publisher=Oklahoma Education Information System|year = 2007 | url = http://www.okhighered.org/oeis/News.shtml| access-date = August 3, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928073528/http://www.okhighered.org/oeis/News.shtml|archive-date=September 28, 2007 }}</ref>

[[Oklahoma City University School of Law]], [[University of Oklahoma College of Law]], and [[University of Tulsa College of Law]] are the state's only ABA-accredited institutions. Both University of Oklahoma and University of Tulsa are Tier{{nbsp}}1 institutions, with the University of Oklahoma ranked 68th and the University of Tulsa ranked 86th in the nation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Best Law Schools |publisher=U.S. News |year=2013 |url=http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/law-rankings |access-date=July 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130713083022/http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/law-rankings |archive-date=July 13, 2013 }}</ref>

Oklahoma holds eleven public regional universities,<ref>{{cite web | title =Student Center Financial Aid| publisher=Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education | year=2008|url = http://www.okhighered.org/student-center/financial-aid/rubs.shtml| access-date = April 6, 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080323062821/http://www.okhighered.org/student-center/financial-aid/rubs.shtml| archive-date = March 23, 2008}}</ref> including [[Northeastern State University]], the second-oldest institution of higher education west of the [[Mississippi River]],<ref name="NSU demographics" /> also containing the only College of [[Optometry]] in Oklahoma<ref>{{cite web| title =Rare Eye Condition Takes Center Stage at NSUOCO| publisher =Northeastern State University| year =2008| url =http://www.nsuba.edu/news/story.php?1960| access-date =April 6, 2008| archive-date =September 13, 2019| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20190913024841/https://www.nsuok.edu/}}</ref> and the largest enrollment of [[Indigenous peoples of the United States|Native American]] students in the nation by percentage and amount.<ref name="NSU demographics">{{cite web|title=NSU Demographics |publisher=Northeastern State University |year=2006 |url=http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~research/formsguide/NSU%20DEMOGRAPHICS%202005-2006.pdf |access-date=February 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201151858/http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~research/formsguide/NSU%20DEMOGRAPHICS%202005-2006.pdf |archive-date=December 1, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=INBRE Participants |publisher=Oklahoma Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence |url=http://okinbre.org/participating%20institutions.htm |access-date=April 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410193841/http://okinbre.org/participating%20institutions.htm |archive-date=April 10, 2008 }}</ref> [[Langston University]] is Oklahoma's only historically black college. Six of the state's universities were placed in the [[Princeton Review]]'s list of best 122 regional colleges in 2007,<ref>{{cite web|title=OBU Named to The Princeton Review "Best in the West" list |publisher=[[Oklahoma Baptist University]] |date=August 26, 2005 |url=http://www.okbu.edu/news/view_article.php?id=482 |access-date=August 3, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808024101/http://www.okbu.edu/news/view_article.php?id=482 |archive-date=August 8, 2007 }}</ref> and three made the list of top colleges for best value. The state has 55 post-secondary technical institutions operated by [[Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education|Oklahoma's CareerTech program]] for training in specific fields of industry or trade.<ref name="OK Education" />

In the 2007–2008 school year, there were 181,973 undergraduate students, 20,014 graduate students, and 4,395 first-professional degree students enrolled in Oklahoma colleges. Of these students, 18,892 received a bachelor's degree, 5,386 received a master's degree, and 462 received a first professional degree. This means the state of Oklahoma produces an average of 38,278-degree-holders per completions component (i.e. July 1, 2007{{snd}}June 30, 2008). National average is 68,322 total degrees awarded per completions component.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collegedegreereport.com/articles/oklahoma-colleges-profile-college-degree-programs-post-secondary-education-oklahoma|title=Oklahoma Colleges: A Profile of College Degree Programs & Post-Secondary Education in Oklahoma|access-date=March 18, 2010|archive-date=March 10, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310111128/http://www.collegedegreereport.com/articles/oklahoma-colleges-profile-college-degree-programs-post-secondary-education-oklahoma}}</ref>

Beginning on April 2, 2018, tens of thousands of K–12 public school teachers [[2018 Oklahoma teachers' strike|went on strike]] due to lack of funding. According to the National Education Association, teachers in Oklahoma had ranked 49th out of the 50 states in terms of teacher pay in 2016. The Oklahoma Legislature had passed a measure a week earlier to raise teacher salaries by $6,100, but it fell short of the $10,000 raise for teachers, $5,000 raise for other school employees, and $200 million increase in extra education funding many had sought.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fed up with school spending cuts, Oklahoma teachers walk out|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2018/04/02/fed-up-with-school-spending-cuts-oklahoma-teachers-prepare-to-walk-out/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=April 2, 2018|access-date=April 2, 2018}}</ref> A survey in 2019 found that the pay raise obtained by the strike lifted the State's teacher pay ranking to 34th in the nation.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/teacher-pay-raise-boosts-oklahoma-to-th-in-nation-new/article_b06ad560-40ed-5ccf-9517-036e9dbddbb4.html | title= Teacher pay raise boosts Oklahoma to 34th in nation, new rankings find | date= April 29, 2019 | publisher= Andrea Eger, Tulsa World, April 29, 2019 | access-date=April 29, 2019}}</ref>

===Non-English education===

[[File:Cherokeeclass.png|thumb|Writing in [[Cherokee syllabary|Cherokee]]]]

The [[Cherokee Nation]] instigated a ten-year plan in 2005 that involved growing new speakers of the [[Cherokee language]] from childhood as well as speaking it exclusively at home.<ref>{{cite web| title = Native Now: Language: Cherokee| website = We Shall Remain—American Experience—PBS| access-date = April 9, 2014| year = 2008| url = https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/native_now/language_cherokee| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140407132754/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/native_now/language_cherokee| archive-date = April 7, 2014| df = mdy-all}}</ref> The plan was part of an ambitious goal that in fifty years would have at least 80% of their people fluent.<ref name="preservation" /> The [[Cherokee Preservation Foundation]] has invested $3 million into opening schools, training teachers, and developing curricula for language education, as well as initiating community gatherings where the language can be actively used.<ref name="preservation">{{cite web|title=Cherokee Language Revitalization |website=Cherokee Preservation Foundation |access-date=April 9, 2014 |year=2014 |url=http://www.cherokeepreservationfdn.org/cultural-preservation-connect/major-programs-and-initiatives/cherokee-language-revitalization |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407070520/http://www.cherokeepreservationfdn.org/cultural-preservation-connect/major-programs-and-initiatives/cherokee-language-revitalization |archive-date=April 7, 2014 }}</ref>
A Cherokee language immersion school in [[Tahlequah, Oklahoma]] educates students from pre-school through eighth grade.<ref>{{Cite news| last = Chavez, Will| title = Immersion students win trophies at language fair| work = Cherokeephoenix.org| access-date = April 8, 2013| date = April 5, 2012| url = http://www.cherokeephoenix.org/Article/Index/6142}}</ref>