The year 2026 is shaping up to be a big one for education in Oklahoma. During this spring’s legislative session, state leaders have passed bills to extend the school year, redouble efforts to improve early literacy, permanently ban student cell phone use during the school day, give children more time for recess, and address a number of other issues that touch the state’s schools. And as spring gives way to summer, it will not just be the barbecues heating up: important political races will be heating up as well. Oklahomans will elect a new governor and a new state superintendent of public instruction this year, and the leaders who emerge from those contests are sure to shape the state’s approach to education for years to come.
Into this moment arrives the latest issue of the Oklahoma Education Journal, offering research and commentary on a host of important issues that Oklahoma educators, policymakers, and families are debating. As always, our goal is to provide credible, timely, and accessible analysis that can inform conversations about how to strengthen education in Oklahoma.
In this issue, OSU professor and OEJ associate editor Jentre Olsen reviews research on the effects of extended instructional time. Moore Public Schools Superintendent Robert Romines describes how his district is working to combat teacher turnover through a comprehensive induction program for new teachers. OEJ editor-in-chief Daniel Hamlin and OU Transformative Tutoring Initiative director Cristina Moershel examine the effects of an Oklahoma high school math tutoring program. And Tonja Norwood of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education makes the case for expanding work-based learning opportunities for high school students.
We also feature two articles based on research conducted at the Oklahoma Center for Education Policy, a policy center at the University of Oklahoma founded last fall. The 2026 Oklahoma Education Poll is the third installment of this annual poll in OEJ. Along with gauging Oklahomans’ views on key education policies, this year’s poll finds that Oklahomans hold the most negative views of the state’s schools since the poll began in 2024. Another OCEP-based article that I have authored may help explain why Oklahomans are so gloomy about the state’s schools. That article, entitled “Documenting Oklahoma’s Educational Decline,” shows that Oklahoma’s educational rank, based on National Assessment of Educational Progress scores in 4th and 8th grade math and reading, has fallen by more than ten places over the past decade. The Sooner State now ranks 48th among the states and the District of Columbia.
Taken together, the articles in this issue speak to both the challenges and opportunities facing Oklahoma education. They address questions of time, talent, tutoring, workforce preparation, public opinion, and student achievement, all issues likely to remain central as the state enters a pivotal election year.
As always, we encourage you to share your thoughts on this spring’s journal publicly or with us directly at OCEP@ou.edu. We would love to hear from you. And if you have a topic on which you would like to share your expertise with our readers, please consider sending us a pitch.
Journal Content
The Oklahoma Education Journal spans the boundaries of research, policy, and practice through a variety of features. In Relevant Evidence articles, the journal spotlights empirical studies performed in Oklahoma while Research Review pieces offer unbiased syntheses of national research on education issues affecting Oklahoma’s schools. Each issue includes profiles of state leaders, exploring innovative programs and approaches to school leadership. In Point-Counterpoint features, contributors present well-reasoned arguments on opposing sides of a policy debate. Additionally, journal contributors produce legal analyses, book reviews, school health and wellness features, dissertation research, professional learning initiatives, and updates on state education news, events, and resources.
Our Commitment to Readers
The editorial team is unwavering in its commitment to presenting accurate information to the greatest extent possible. We aim for neutrality and balance. The journal does not advocate for any political groups, ideologies, or programs. These promises to the readership guide the work of the editorial team and staff.
Author Bio
Adam Tyner is Executive Director of the Oklahoma Center for Education Policy (OCEP) at the University of Oklahoma. He also serves as Executive Editor for the Oklahoma Education Journal.
