Epic Charter School Elementary, Oklahoma City OK

Original Research by School Decision on Epic Charter School Elementary

Epic Charter School Elementary is a public charter school serving prekindergarten through eighth grade, part of the statewide EPIC Charter School organization. It operates from a central office in Oklahoma City but functions as a virtual school, which means enrolled students primarily learn from home with online curriculum and state-certified teachers. The school is large, drawing a substantial number of families from across Oklahoma, and its grade band covers early childhood through middle school, with no high school program on this campus.

State assessment results from the most recent testing year show proficiency rates that are well below typical levels for Oklahoma public schools. In math, across all tested grades from third through eighth, the share of students scoring proficient or above ranged from about one in ten to roughly one in seven. English language arts scores ran slightly higher but still landed near one in seven across most grades. Science results were somewhat stronger, around one in five for fifth grade and one in four for eighth grade. The state adjusted its cut scores for math and English language arts that year, so these results are not directly comparable to earlier years; a parent may want to ask the school how its students have performed on the prior standard to get a clearer sense of trajectory. The school’s overall proficiency index falls below the midpoint when compared with the districts that serve Oklahoma County, though as a statewide virtual charter it sits in an unusual comparison group.

The student body is diverse. White students make up roughly half of enrollment, with students identifying as two or more races accounting for about one in five. Hispanic students are close to one in seven, Black students around one in twelve, and American Indian students about one in eighteen. A small share of students are Asian or Pacific Islander. Enrollment is large for a single school, with roughly thirteen thousand students across the PK-8 span, which means class sizes and teacher loads are organized differently than in a traditional brick-and-mortar school. Data on economic disadvantage and special education status was not available in the reporting.

The school’s setting is Oklahoma City, a sprawling state capital that covers a vast land area and blends downtown government and energy-industry hubs with wide residential suburbs, ranchland, and industrial zones. Housing values in the area are moderate by national standards, with rents and home prices typical for a mid-sized Sun Belt city. The city has invested heavily in downtown revitalization through its MAPS program, funding a streetcar system, parks, and a convention center, while many residential areas remain car-dependent. Major employers include Tinker Air Force Base, energy firms, state government, and health systems. The economy has been growing, and the city’s population has risen steadily over recent years.

The school’s parent district, EPIC Charter School, underwent a significant governance change in recent years. It severed its contract with the private management company that its co-founders had operated, and the co-founders were later charged with financial crimes. The district also expanded its enrollment eligibility to include Oklahomans up to age thirty, broadening beyond the traditional K-12 model. On the financial side, the district paid off a large line of credit early, signaling improved stability after a period of audit findings and controversy.

Because Epic Charter School Elementary serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not offer the kinds of advanced coursework or career pathways that would be typical at a high school. For families considering it, the central questions are whether a virtual learning model fits a child’s needs and how the school supports students who are performing below grade level in core subjects. The low proficiency numbers are a clear area to explore directly with the school, especially given the recent change in state testing standards.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 314%

School 14% · District 14%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 414%

School 14% · District 14%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 59%

School 9% · District 9%

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 613%

School 13% · District 13%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 715%

School 15% · District 15%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 89%

School 9% · District 9%

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 315%

School 15% · District 15%

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 13%

▼ 4 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 15%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 616%

School 16% · District 16%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 716%

School 16% · District 16%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 814%

School 14% · District 14%

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Science

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 19%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 824%

School 24% · District 24%

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

This schoolEPIC Charter School, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income26%Higher-income50%24 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income29%Higher-income46%17 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income26%Higher-income48%22 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income24%Higher-income43%20 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income24%Higher-income44%21 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income26%Higher-income50%25 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income14%Higher-income35%21 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income16%Higher-income41%25 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income12%Higher-income29%18 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income17%Higher-income37%21 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income13%Higher-income34%21 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income10%Higher-income27%17 pp gap