The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in Science. The lowest is 27% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Parker Intermediate Ctr
Parker Intermediate Center, part of McAlester Public Schools, serves fifth and sixth graders. It is a mid-sized school for those two grade levels, drawing students from across the city. The school’s racial and ethnic composition reflects the broader McAlester area: the largest group is White, a substantial share of students identify as two or more races, and there are significant populations of American Indian or Alaska Native students and Hispanic students. Smaller numbers of Black and Asian students also attend. Data on free or reduced-price meal eligibility, special education, and English learner status were not available, so a family would want to ask the school about those support programs directly.
On Oklahoma’s state assessments, proficiency rates at Parker place it above most districts in Pittsburg County. In the most recent testing year, the school’s overall proficiency across math, English language arts, and science ranked in the top quartile among the fourteen districts in the county. That is a relative strength. At the same time, the absolute share of students scoring proficient or above remains modest. In math, the fifth-grade proficiency rate was higher than the sixth-grade rate; in English language arts, both grade levels showed similar, moderate results. Science, tested only in fifth grade, had a somewhat higher proficiency rate than either math or ELA for that grade. Because the school covers only fifth and sixth grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data were not available.
McAlester itself is the county seat and a trade hub for southeastern Oklahoma. Its economy long relied on coal mining and railroads; today major employers include the Oklahoma State Penitentiary and the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, along with the county government and the school district itself. The city is largely auto-oriented, with a historic downtown district and a mix of neighborhoods. Population has been relatively stable but slightly declining over recent decades. Housing in the area is notably more affordable than the state or national median, with home values well below the Oklahoma average. For a family moving to McAlester, the lower cost of living can be a practical advantage, though the job base is concentrated in a few sectors.
No recent district-level changes were found in public reporting, and no information about programs, extracurriculars, or specialized offerings at Parker was available in the data. A parent evaluating this school would likely want to learn more about what academic supports, enrichment, or elective courses are offered for these middle-grade years. The school is not a charter or magnet. Its Title I status was not provided.
Parker Intermediate Center fits a family seeking a school that performs relatively well within its county, in a small city with affordable housing and a stable, industry-anchored economy. The test results suggest that a substantial portion of students are not yet meeting state proficiency benchmarks, so a parent whose child needs strong academic support or enrichment may want to investigate the school’s intervention programs and the district’s resources for fifth and sixth graders. The school’s size and two-grade span offer a focused environment for that transitional age, without the complexity of a full K–8 or middle school. For families already settled in McAlester, this is the public intermediate option; for those moving in, it is worth pairing a visit to the school with a broader look at the city’s civic and economic landscape.
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