The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in Science. The lowest is 25% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Cleveland Intermediate Es
Cleveland Intermediate serves the town of Cleveland, a small rural city in Pawnee County, Oklahoma. The school covers only third through fifth grade, pulling students from the district’s earlier elementary buildings and sending them on to the middle school. That makes it a transition point, and an important one, because the state tests administered at these grade levels give a clear picture of how students are doing in the core subjects.
Academically, the picture is mixed. The most recent state assessment results, from the 2024-25 school year, show that proficiency rates in math and English language arts are below what many families would hope to see. In third grade, for example, a modest share of students reached the proficient level in math, and an even smaller share did so in reading. Fourth and fifth grade math rates were somewhat stronger, especially in fourth grade, but still sat below the midpoint of what the state considers proficient. English language arts scores improved a bit as students moved up, with fifth graders performing better than third graders, but across all three tested grades the majority of students scored below the proficient threshold.
Science scores in fifth grade were notably higher, suggesting that this might be a relative strength of the curriculum or a better fit for the way students learn that subject. Even so, roughly half of fifth graders were not yet at the proficient level in science.
When compared with other districts in Pawnee County, Cleveland Intermediate’s overall proficiency across subjects and grades placed in the top quartile. That means that while the raw numbers may look low to a parent accustomed to higher-performing schools elsewhere, the school is performing at the upper end of a small group of county districts. The cohort includes only three districts, so the comparison is a narrow one; the range between the lowest and highest of those three is not wide.
The student body is predominantly White, with a substantial share of students who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, making the school more diverse than many in rural Oklahoma. Hispanic and multiracial students each make up a noticeable minority. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report, and information on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education, and English learner status was not available in the data provided.
Cleveland itself is a quiet town with a long history as an oil-boom settlement and later an agricultural center. Its population has been stable for decades, with no major growth pressures. Housing values in the area are well below the national median, and the typical home is affordable by most measures. The town offers basic amenities: a hospital, a public library, several parks, and access to Keystone Lake and Feyodi Creek State Park for outdoor recreation. Many employed residents commute to Pawnee or other job centers, which suggests that local employment options are limited.
The district did not have any recent parent-relevant changes reported in the available sources, so a reader will not find new boundaries, bond measures, or program launches to consider. For a family looking at this school, the main consideration is academic. The state test results are soft, particularly in reading and math, and a parent may want to investigate what interventions or support the school offers for students who are not yet at grade level. The school’s position relative to other Pawnee County districts is favorable, but the absolute proficiency rates are low enough that a parent should visit, talk to teachers, and ask about classroom instruction and any programs aimed at raising achievement.
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