Oklahoma Now Grades Schools on Instructional Time, Not Chronic Absenteeism
New Minga data shows tardiness outpacing every behavior challenge, even as Oklahoma swaps absenteeism grades for a
Press Release Disclaimer: This is a press release distributed through the XPR Media network. It has not been independently verified by our newsroom.
New Minga data shows tardiness outpacing every behavior challenge, even as Oklahoma swaps absenteeism grades for a metric of instructional time instead.
OK, UNITED STATES, October 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — New data from Minga, the Student Behavior & Engagement Platform used by 2,500+ schools nationwide, shows tardiness has become the top student behavior challenge among school leaders, a warning sign Oklahoma schools can’t afford to stop watching even as the state changes how it grades attendance.
Starting with the 2025-26 school year, Oklahoma no longer judges schools on whether their chronic absenteeism rates go up or down. Lawmakers voted to remove the indicator from the state’s A-F accountability system, replacing it with a measure of instructional time. For many superintendents, that is real relief from a metric they felt they could not control. But the compulsory attendance law has not changed. Missing school without a valid excuse is still a misdemeanor under Title 70 O.S. Section 10-105, and the new instructional-time measure is driven by the same daily pattern schools have always tracked: whether students are in their seats. The accountability formula changed. The underlying problem did not.
Across four national education conferences in 2026, Minga surveyed thousands of school leaders on their biggest student behavior challenges. The result was the same everywhere. Attendance and tardiness together accounted for more than half of all responses at the largest events, nearly double every other challenge combined. In every room, in every region, the same two issues led the conversation.
“Tardies and hallway loitering are not just daily frustrations,” said Jason Richards, CEO of Minga. “They are leading indicators of absenteeism. The schools that catch those signals early are the ones that keep their students.”
A student who is chronically late is not simply a punctuality problem. They are a student starting to drift, one period at a time, and by the time they become chronically absent, the warning signs have been visible for weeks.
The problem is not the students. It is the system. In a national survey of school leaders, 37% cited the absence of a consistent tardy policy as their biggest challenge. Different rules in different classrooms, applied differently by different teachers. When students learn that being late carries no real consequence, the drift toward chronic absenteeism follows, whether or not it shows up on a state report card.
Dr. Kathy Knowles, Head Principal at Mustang High School in Oklahoma, leads a campus of 4,000 students. Getting hallways and tardies under control was the first priority. “The teachers were happy. We were happy. Kids were getting to class,” Knowles said of the initial shift. Adding recognition on top: “I have been shocked by how excited these kids are to earn points and rewards. It has changed our culture.”
Oklahoma is far from the only state grappling with this. Chris Bryant, Principal at Midland Lee High School in Texas, also had issues with latecomers. Before Minga, his school tracked tardies in a Google Sheet, and administrators weren’t notified until a student hit three tardies to a single teacher. “We were missing that student accountability piece. It just became an overwhelming daily headache,” Bryant said. Since putting a consistent policy in place: “We had zero tardies after lunch, which is a big deal at a school with an open campus lunch program. Students pushed back at first, but now they’ve bought in, because they’re also earning recognition for good behavior.”
Oklahoma’s report card may no longer count chronic absenteeism against a school, but the compulsory attendance law and the instructional-time measure now in its place both start with the same daily signal: whether a student walked into class on time. The schools closing that gap now are the ones that will not need a grade to know they are ahead of it.
ABOUT MINGA
Minga is an educational partner and unified platform designed to help K-12 schools streamline their operations. Used by over 2,500 schools nationwide, Minga provides the foundation for a better school culture by protecting instructional time and fostering student belonging. For more information, visit minga.io.
Giuseppe Simpatico
Minga Solutions Inc
+1 250-864-2949
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Media gallery
