April 7, 2004 :: EPAS Test Results Show Improvement Needed in
Some Areas When it comes to the building blocks of a good
education – English, math, reading and science reasoning – most
of Oklahoma’s eighth and 10th graders are meeting or beating the
national average, but minorities are not. In a report released
by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, eighth-and
10th-grade students who participated in the most recent Oklahoma
Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS) tests either
exceeded or met the national average in nearly all content
areas. The tests also revealed that, on average, African
Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics scored under the
national norms in all areas. “These tests are a good indication
of how our middle and high school students are being prepared to
compete in college and in a global economy,” Chancellor Paul G.
Risser said. “I’m encouraged that so many school districts are
involved in this process and that, for the most part, our eighth
and tenth graders’ scores