Education is the most American of all public structures. Early in our nation's history we recognized that education was the key to our social and economic future. Publicly-funded colleges were created before the American Revolution and were expanded with federal assistance in the 19th century. Public schools were invented in the United States; a wave of immigration and the desire for all people to have greater economic opportunities demanded that children of every background and social status have access to a free, public education. In Oklahoma and most other states, public education became a matter of constitutional right.

Over time our conception of public education has expanded. We have created libraries, museums, technical schools, pre-primary education, and other institutions to improve the educational attainment of all Americans and all Oklahomans. Education has increasingly been understood as an investment in economic development. America's economy has grown fastest when education attainment has grown quickly. States with more educated citizens have higher income levels and more diverse economies. Even at the individual level there is a close relationship between education and income. If Oklahoma wants to increase incomes and expand its economy, education is a large part of the way to do it.

Oklahomans expect a lot from our investment in education. Higher education should be affordable but plentiful; we want many campuses offering a broad range of majors and professional degrees. We also want options like community colleges and technical schools for those who are not ready for or do not need university-level work. We expect these to be even more broadly spread across the state. Our greatest demands, though, are placed upon the school districts that now offer preschool through twelfth grade education. While they maintain their responsibility to provide basic education and socialize diverse elements to the American and Oklahoma ways of life, now we expect much more. Schools are expected to prepare students for higher level education and for the working world. They must meet community and cultural needs by providing athletics and performing arts as well as a meeting place for the community. Recently we have viewed schools as providers of health and social services as well. Schools provide basic nutrition for many students and some health care for all.

Considering how closely public education is intertwined with the American dream and how much we demand from our educational services, it is not surprising that we spend a great deal of money to support education. We also are more interested in each year in how our investment is paying off.

Oklahoma has accomplished a lot through its educational efforts. Our schools serve all children regardless of background and are more equally funded than in many states. Our public school systems are controlled locally through their communities. We work harder than most states to be sure children are prepared for school on the first day. We also have a higher education system that offers affordable and quality education in every corner of the state and a career education system that is among the best in the country.

There are many areas where we have fallen short, though. We spend less on education and pay our teachers less than almost every state. In doing so we are reducing the chances we can increase student achievement and we are risking our ability to attract and retain the best possible teachers. Our students achieve less by many measures. We have problems in higher education as well. In spite of broad availability and relatively low costs, our rates of college attendance and graduation lag behind other states. Affordability is increasingly a problem since tuition is rising faster than virtually any other cost faced by Oklahoma families.

The indicators below give a good picture of where Oklahoma education stands today.

1--Oklahoma ranked highest in access to preschool programs for 4-year-olds in 2009, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research. Oklahoma's program met nine of the organization's ten benchmark measures.

106% --In 10 years from 2001 to 2011, resident tuition at Oklahoma's research universities more than doubled, while Oklahoma income per person increased 58 percent. According to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Oklahoma's 2010-11 tuition was 39th highest among state four-year universities. 

C+--78.1 out of 100. Oklahoma ranked 17th in Education Weekly's Quality Counts 2011 and its score was the national average. We got high marks for standards and accountability, fair funding, college readiness, and some teaching measures. Oklahoma's scores were D or below for grades K-12 achievement and overall spending on schools. In most respects, Oklahoma's performance improved from 2009 to 2011.

47th--Oklahoma's average teacher pay in 2010 was 47th among the states and District of Columbia. The average salary of $44,143 was $11,207 below the national average, according to the National Education Association.

37th--According to the U.S. Department of Education, 26 percent of Oklahoma 8th graders read at or above the proficient level in 2007. This is slightly below the national average of 29 percent and is down from 30 percent in 1998.

46th--The National Education Association's estimated 2007 Oklahoma school current expenditures of $7,084 per student were nearly $2,500 less than the national average and above only four states.

• Education Agencies and Services

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