State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced Friday in a media release, the transformative shift in Oklahoma’s approach to student assessment, marking the end of traditional statewide summative assessments (testing).

Beginning in the 2025–2026 school year, the Oklahoma State Department of Education will allow districts to use approved benchmark assessments in place of the current high-stakes end-of-year tests for grades 3–8 in Math and English Language Arts.

This decision follows an overwhelming response from parents, with 81% of the nearly 23,000 surveyed expressing that state testing is not necessary for evaluating student learning.

“The teachers-union-approach is failing our kids,” said Superintendent Walters. “By moving away from outdated state tests and empowering local districts, we’re reducing the burden on students, parents, and teachers while ensuring high-quality education is no longer driven by bureaucrats or outside groups.”

For months, OSDE has embarked on unprecedented education reform as power is being taken away from teachers union groups and given back to parents. For too long, students and parents have come in second while bureaucratic educators have called the shots – and that method has failed.

Oklahoma families are greatly benefiting from The Trump Administration as he is giving power back to states, so we can give it back to parents, where it belongs. The verdict is clear: students, and families, are benefiting from the Trump Administration, and we are proud to follow their lead.