At first glance, the MAP For Kids project, an ambitious $ 700 million renovation and construction program that aims to benefit Oklahoma City schools, is a program that cannot fail. It has all the criteria necessary to make it a success: it has the backing of the city administration and, in fact, it is the cornerstone of Mayor Cornett’s time in office. It has the funds to renovate dilapidated buildings, dilapidated classrooms, ill-equipped labs, and other infrastructure needs that are so evident in Oklahoma City schools.

But even when Maps for Kids was launched, it was feared that the project would result in new exteriors in many Oklahoma City schools, but interior rot would be hard to stop. There was anxiety that after millions of dollars invested in renovating Oklahoma City schools, the dropout rate would remain high and test results would be as lousy as before.

Now, six years after the launch of the 10-year program, analysts are analyzing the results of Maps for Kids. First, let’s look at the positives. Many renovation projects have been completed at various Oklahoma City schools. New schools have sprung up and shiny new buses take students on field trips and back home. There is enough to be proud of.

But there is also another, less encouraging side to the story.

While enrollment is steady, the number of schools attending Oklahoma City schools is declining. This is especially true for elementary and middle school students.

There has been an increase in the number of charter school enrollments. This could be considered to mean that students are not satisfied with the standards of traditional Oklahoma City schools. This is a disturbing sign.

While dropout rates have been reduced, there is a risk that students will go out into the world unprepared to meet the demands of the workforce in a 21st century society.

There is a pressing need for early childhood education programs, but the number of students in these programs is quite insignificant. There seems to be a lack of interest.

In other words, the construction efforts have yielded excellent results and the changes in school infrastructure in Oklahoma City schools are clearly apparent to all. It is the non-infrastructure facets of education that still appear to be stagnant. This is of great concern to educators and analysts alike, who lament the fact that a lot is done to clean up new buildings, but not enough is done to actually improve the quality of education so that students have a better chance of success. get ahead when they graduate.

After all, education is much more than freshly painted walls and gleaming tile floors.

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