The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in English language arts. The lowest is 16% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Will Rogers Es
Will Rogers Elementary serves students in first through fifth grade and is one of the elementary schools in the Shawnee Public Schools district, located on the north side of the city. It is a traditional public school, not a charter or magnet. The school’s student body is moderately sized for its grade band, with a demographic mix that includes a substantial share of white students, a large group identifying as two or more races, and smaller but notable populations of Hispanic and American Indian students. Black and Asian students make up very small shares. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, receiving special education services, or classified as English learners was not reported, so a parent would need to ask the school directly about those supports.
The picture from state testing is one of low academic performance in absolute terms, though the school’s overall proficiency index placed it above the midpoint among districts in Pottawatomie County. That county-level comparison is meaningful only as a relative position: the school is not the lowest-performing in the area, but the proficiency rates themselves remain modest across all tested subjects and grades. In mathematics, the proportion of students scoring at the proficient or above level was low in third, fourth, and fifth grades, with fourth grade showing the weakest results. In English language arts, fourth-grade proficiency was similarly low, while fifth grade was slightly higher but still below a majority. The third-grade ELA result was suppressed for data privacy reasons, so a precise figure is not available, but the pattern from other grades suggests similar challenges. Fifth-grade science results also showed low proficiency. Because the state changed its cut scores in both math and ELA in this testing year, a parent may want to ask the school how it interprets these results relative to previous years and whether the school’s instructional approach has shifted in response.
Will Rogers is an elementary school only, so there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not serve high school grades, so measures like college readiness, Advanced Placement, or career pathways do not apply. No information on special programs, course offerings, or enrichment activities was available in the data provided. A parent interested in gifted programs, arts, or extracurriculars would need to contact the school directly.
The school sits within Shawnee, a regional hub of moderate size that serves as the Pottawatomie County seat. The city blends a historic downtown centered on Main Street with auto-oriented residential and commercial strips along Interstate 40. Major employers include a regional medical center, Oklahoma Baptist University, the Gordon Cooper Technology Center, and the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, which has a substantial tribal government and casino operations. Housing in the area is moderately priced compared to both state and national benchmarks, and rents are relatively affordable. The city has seen steady but moderate growth, with a bond issue passed to build a new elementary school on the north side, indicating residential expansion in that direction. Civic anchors include the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, the historic Santa Fe Depot museum, and Woodland Park. The city is car-dependent overall, with walkable areas concentrated downtown and around the university campus.
The district brief returned no specific parent-relevant changes in recent years, such as boundary adjustments, program additions, or leadership transitions. For a family considering Will Rogers, the school’s central attribute is its elementary-only structure and its place within a mid-sized, mixed-economy city. The testing data points to a school where many students are not yet meeting state standards, and a parent would want to understand what academic interventions or supports are in place. The absence of reported data on free lunch eligibility, special education, and English learner services means a family should request that information from the school to get a fuller picture of student needs and resources.
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