| Oklahoma City Schools have ridden a
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| | created in 2001 that has earmarked $512
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| roller coaster of ups and downs for the
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| | million for new or renovated school
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| past decade. The district was labeled as
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| | buildings for all Oklahoma City Schools.
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| "in need of improvement" under the No
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| | Other funds in the initiative include $52
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| Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB).
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| | million for computer and technological
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| That federal mandate led to major
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| | resources for Oklahoma City Schools. The
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| overhauls which included a district
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| | plan draws on sales tax increases over
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| improvement plan, a comprehensive local
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| | the coming years, as well as bond funds
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| education plan (CLEP) and numerous
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| | to feed the aggressive changes. Board
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| initiatives by then superintendent Bob
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| | members and administrators in the
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| Moore. The changes have seen marked
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| | Oklahoma City Schools believe that
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| improvements.
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| | Porter, coming from a district that
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| Following Moore's resignation, interim
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| | manages an operating budget of $1.85
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| superintendent Linda S. Brown and the
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| | billion fairly successfully, will be able
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| Oklahoma City Schools' Board instituted
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| | to use district funding to institute the
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| four major tools to help meet Adequate
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| | needed AYP improvements.
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| Yearly Progress (AYP) as required by the
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| | The nearly year long search for the new
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| NCLB act. These tools are: district
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| | Oklahoma City Schools Superintendent
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| restructuring, the Instructional
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| | seems to have board members breathing a
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| Facilitator Program, the Organizational
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| | sigh of relief. Oklahoma City Schools
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| Health Inventory, and the High
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| | have gone over 10 months without a
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| Performance Model. The major concern of
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| | permanent leader in the superintendent's
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| Oklahoma City Schools during the previous
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| | position. Chairman of the Oklahoma City
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| academic year was finding someone capable
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| | Schools Board, Cliff Hudson said, "While
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| of continuing the upward progress of
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| | it has taken us some time to find a new
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| these initiatives.
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| | leader, I can say it was worth the wait
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| That search came to an end in April when
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| | because we have found an exceptional
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| Oklahoma City Schools announced the
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| | person to lead the Oklahoma City Public
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| selection of John Q. Porter as the next
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| | Schools District."
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| Superintendent of Schools. Porter is
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| | While politics dictate that this sunny
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| currently Deputy Superintendent of the
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| | outlook will face challenges during the
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| highly ranked Montgomery County Public
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| | actual interactions over the next school
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| Schools (MCPS) in Rockville, Maryland.
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| | year, the fact that Porter is positively
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| Porter is nationally recognized for his
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| | embraced by most of the Oklahoma City
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| work in improving both accountability and
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| | Schools administrators is encouraging.
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| academics in the MCPS. He also has had
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| | Hudson implied that the community
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| success in integrating technology with
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| | investment made by MAPS for kids was
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| student learning. This is one of the
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| | partly responsible for the high quality
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| reasons that Oklahoma City Schools think
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| | of applicants who applied for the
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| he might be the right man for the job.
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| | superintendent's position. Porter will
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| Oklahoma City Schools have received
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| | officially assume the title of Oklahoma
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| acclaim for its MAPS (Metropolitan Area
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| | City Schools newest superintendent on
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| Public Schools) for kids program. MAPS
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| | July 1st.
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| for kids is an "historic bond initiative"
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