Oklahoma Elementary Jumps from F to C Grade in Two Years

A school that was failing two years ago just proved that turnarounds are possible with the right approach.

Pleasant Hill Elementary in Oklahoma's Mid-Del School District jumped from an F to a C on the state report card, showing dramatic improvement while many schools across the state saw their grades drop. The secret wasn't flashy programs or expensive technology.

Principal Patrice Tucker credits what she calls "good old-fashioned teaching." Teachers stuck to the district curriculum and made sure every student understood the material before moving forward. That consistency paid off with a 14% increase in academic achievement at a time when Oklahoma as a state scored just a D in that category.

The real game changer was collaboration. Every two weeks, Tucker sits down with teachers, district officials, and members of their professional learning community to talk about what's working and what's not. They review student data together and adjust their teaching strategies to help each child grow.

"You have to have a picture of every student in order to grow them," Tucker explained. That means tracking progress individually rather than teaching to the middle of the class.

The timing matters. Last year's state report showed fewer schools earning A's, more schools getting D's, and no change in the number of F-rated schools. Pleasant Hill moved against that trend by keeping their focus narrow and their execution consistent.

The Ripple Effect

The lessons from Pleasant Hill could help struggling schools across Oklahoma and beyond. The approach doesn't require extra funding or specialized resources. It relies on regular meetings, shared data, and a commitment to adjusting instruction based on what students actually need.

Other schools in districts facing similar challenges now have a roadmap. The professional learning community model that Tucker uses gives teachers support instead of leaving them to figure out solutions alone. When one teacher discovers a strategy that works, everyone benefits.

Tucker says the letter grade matters less than daily growth. "We can look at those letter grades, those A's and those B's," she said. "But what's important is growing our kiddos each and every day, and if you're doing that, then they will achieve at higher levels."

For families at Pleasant Hill, the improvement means their children are getting the education they deserve in their neighborhood school.