Union Teachers

• For the 2022-23 School Year, Union Virtual served 150 students in grades K-12, with another 1,200 students participating in the blended virtual program at the High School. Course work was provided through a combination of Flexpoint, Edgenuity, and Edynamics.
• Canvas has grown as our 6-12 Learning Management System, with most of our curriculum vendors integrating directly into Canvas for both textbooks and assignments.
• TalkingPoints was launched as our parent/teacher communication tool, translating over 1 million messages into the home language of the parent during the school year.
• 928 seniors graduated with the Class of 2023
• Seniors of The Year were Makayla Good and Grayson Tempest.
• Seniors Kayden Kehe and Celestine Kim were named 2023 Academic All-State Students by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.
• For the 11th year in a row, Union Public Schools has been recognized by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education as the Oklahoma’s Promise 2023 State 6A Champion for having 172 seniors from the class of 2022 quali- fy for the Oklahoma’s Promise Scholarship. Note: In the spring of 2024, Union was named OK Promise champion for a record 12th year!
• Six seniors were named National Merit Semifinalists National Merit finalists: Jason Boydstun, Nayab Ijaz, Kayden Kehi, Celestine Kim, Michael Nguyen and Cassandra Robison.
• 16 seniors were named College Board National Recognition Program Awardees for their academic achievements and performance on the PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT™ 10, and/or AP® Exams:
  • National African American Recognition Award: Ashaylee Gaines, Breanna Leach, Jenaya Monroe, Khari Carreno, Juwura Oyedele, Salyse Dillihay, Tolu Oguntayo
  • National Hispanic Recognition Award: Bigbai Flores, Chelsey Molina, Colby Brister, Ivan Herrera, Parker Perez Melendez, Oscar Gomez, Rebekah Robison, Ximena Maya Trevizo
  • National Hispanic Recognition Award: Kiefer Boyd
• Seniors Caleb Barrows and Akhil Pinnapareddy were named Commended Students as part of the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program.
• 12 seniors completed more than 200 hours of community service during their four years of high school, earning the distinction of a Community Service Graduate.
• 25 seniors were named Distinguished Graduates for their outstanding academic achievements and service to school and community.
• 17 seniors earned valedictorian status by ranking in the top 1 percent of their class as determined by their weighted grade point average, and 27 were named salutatorians, the top 2 percent.

• Senior Kayden Kehe was a semifinalist in the prestigious U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.

• Seniors Daniel Flores and Michael Nguyen were awarded full four-year scholarships to Stanford and Princeton, respectively, through the QuestBridge National College Match. QuestBridge National College Match is a highly competitive program that connects high-achieving high school seniors from low-income backgrounds with full four-year scholarships to 48 of the nation’s best colleges.

• Senior Grant Greever won the Belvin Hill Scholarship for $1,000 from Muscogee (Creek) Nation. He won for his essay on “What the Challenge Bowl Means to Me.”

• Wichita State University’s College of Engineering invited senior Breanna Leach to join its Wallace Scholar program in Kansas. The scholarship allowed the biomedical engineering student to receive $28,500 to attend WSU for four years.

• 21 advanced placement courses were offered.

• 342 students took a total of 621 AP exams. Two hundred thirty-four students (68  percent) earned a score of “3” or higher. Forty-four students received AP Scholar recognition with an average score of 3.2. An additional 12 students earned the designation of AP Scholar with Honors and had an average score of 3.50. Of the 56 AP scholars, 33 students earned National AP Scholar with Distinction recognition with an average test score of 4.20 on five or more exams.

• Students attending college classes offered at the Union Collegiate Academy through a dual credit partnership with Tulsa Community College have earned 23,935 credits since the program began in 2010.

• The EDGE (Earn a Degree, Graduate Early) program, the first in the state of Oklahoma, in partnership with Tulsa Community College, had 193 students enrolled. Each student enrolled in EDGE has the opportunity to earn an associate degree by the time he or she graduates from high school. Seventy-six students have earned an associate degree in the first three graduating cohorts.

• 60 eighth grade students were selected as the next cohort to participate in the EDGE program.

• 36 seniors in the third cohort of the EDGE program graduated with both an associate degree and their high school diploma.

• The College & Career Center hosted the 4th Annual Beyond U Senior Conference in October 2022 at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa. The one-day event provided seniors the opportunity to attend breakout sessions of their choosing on a variety of topics related to college, careers, and successful “adulting.”

• The College & Career Center hosted several freshmen and sophomores at “918 Kickstart,” a college-readiness camp at the University of Tulsa in June 2022. The two-day event had about 100 Union students and hosted 25 more students from the area. For many, the 918 camp was the first time they experienced a college campus and their very first introduction to college.

• 38 seniors were admitted into the University of Tulsa.
   

• 210 children enrolled in the 3-year-old program at Rosa Parks Early Childhood Education Center.
• 719 4-year-old students were enrolled in pre-kindergarten classes district wide.
• Oklahoma ranked third in the country for pre-kindergarten access for 4-year-olds, according to a report by the National Institute for Early Education Research. State-funded preschool enrollment partially recovered from the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with enrollment at 39,240 students, an increase of 790 students.
• State spending for preschool programs was $184,734,990, a decrease of $8,606,291. State spending per child enrolled was $4,708. Oklahoma met nine of 10 quality standards benchmarks and achieved universal preschool for 4-year-old students.

Oklahoma launched its early childhood 4-year-old program in 1980, years ahead of the rest of the country. In 1998, Oklahoma became only the second state to offer pre-kindergarten for all 4-year-olds, with 100 percent of school districts participating

Union’s Community Schools philosophy seeks to equalize the playing field for students and families by removing barriers to learning and by providing access to basic needs and layered supports.

During the 2022-2023 school year, Union’s nine full-service community schools partnered with more than 100 community organizations to support students, families, and teachers. These partnerships provide students and their families access to social services and resources in the school building, creating an environment where students and families feel safe, supported, and engaged.

Students in afterschool programs reported being more excited about attending school.

Out-of-School-Time Programs

Union partners with enrichment providers and teachers to offer a variety of academic and enrichment programs after-school for students. Program categories include STEM, health and fitness, fine arts, youth development and leadership, and academic support. These programs are offered throughout the school year and summer. Students receive a healthy snack, access to enrichment programs, and transportation home. Union’s afterschool programs support the development of social and emotional competencies and 21st Century Skills. This goal is closely aligned with the district’s mission of 100 percent graduation, college, and career ready.

2022-2023 Facts

During the 2022-23 school year 2,869 students participated in afterschool and summer programs at Boevers, Roy Clark, Grove, Jarman, Jefferson, McAuliffe, Ellen Ochoa, and Rosa Parks elementary schools.

The 2,182 students of the Union 6th/7th Grade Center also benefited from being a community school

Impact Of Afterschool Programs

Afterschool programs were successful in supporting and building "21st century skills" for students who participated.

• Students responded favorably to the statement: “Afterschool programs helped me …”
  • Become a better leader – 69 percent
  • Get better at doing my best – 74 percent
  • Work better with others – 78 percent
  • Think more about others before I act or speak – 66 percent
    Become a better problem solver – 64 percent
• Free to all students and their families
• 56 STEM programs
• 74 academic and tutoring programs
• 61 health and wellness programs
• 47 youth development/leadership programs
• 52 fine arts programs

Results Of Afterschool Programs

As a result of participating in afterschool programs, students also reported favorably to:

• Being more excited about coming to school – 77 percent
• Getting to try new things – 82 percent
• Doing things they did not think they could do before – 67 percent
• Starting to think about what they want to do when they grow up – 57 percent
• Learning about STEM – 72 percent
• Being more interested in taking STEM classes when they are older – 63 percent

Early Childhood Programs

Tulsa City-County Library’s Youth Ser-vices Department distributed 4,160 books to 488 Pre-K students at Boevers, Roy Clark, Grove, Jarman, Jefferson, McAuliffe, Ellen Ochoa, and Rosa Parks elementary schools. This project is funded by the Krueger Charitable Foundation through the Tulsa Library Trust.

Two hundred thirty-six students attended pre-kindergarten camp, which helps incoming students get ready and excited for pre-kindergarten. This program is supported by Union Schools Education Foundation.

Parent and Family Engagement

There were 258 combined opportunities for parent and family engagement at Boevers, Clark, Grove, Jarman, Jefferson, McAuliffe, Ochoa, and Rosa Parks.

The combined parent-teacher conference participation rate was 94 percent.

Community Partner Appreciation Breakfast

More than 240 guests attended Union’s annual community partner appreciation breakfast. The featured guest speaker was Union senior Daniel Flores.

Comprehensive Support System

Union is committed to connecting students and families to resources they need. Examples:

• Assistance League of Tulsa’s signature program, Operation School Bell, provided 474 students with new clothing, shoes, and hygiene products.
• Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma provided 426 students with food to take home every weekend through the Food for Kids Backpack Program.
• Union partnered with a variety of community partners, including James Mission and district staff to distribute holiday presents to 705 students.
• 348 families received meal assistance during the holidays.
• 243 students received mentoring from various community partners.
• 572 students received behavioral and mental health supports at the school.
•  4,064 students received free vision screenings through Vizavance.
• 2,552 students received free hearing screenings through the University of Tulsa.
• 808 individuals were served for emergency needs such as food, clothing, hygiene products, coats, etc.

STEM Vision

STEM at Union Public Schools is a transdisciplinary approach to learning that encourages students to inquire, explore and problem solve. 

Notable 2022-2023 Facts

• Pre-kindergarten through 5th grade: PLTW Launch modules provide exposure for all three STEM pathways: bio-medical, computer science, and engineering. PLTW stands for Project Lead The Way.
• Grades 6-8: Elective class offerings for students to explore the biomedical, computer science, and engineering pathways more in depth.
• Grades 9-12: Specialized class offerings for students in the STEM pathway of their choice (20 science, 24 technology, 11 engineering, and 15 math offerings).
• Afterschool programming with a STEM focus continues to expand for elementary and middle school students.
• Cedar Ridge, Darnaby, and Jarman were recognized as Project Lead the Way’s Distinguished School Launch Programs.
• Robotics programs are offered for all ages at Union, beginning with several FIRST Lego League groups at the elementary level.
  • The Bazinga Project and Project Agnizab for grades 8-12 are aimed primarily at middle school students, creating the FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team. Both compete to solve real-world problems using STEM and problem-solving skills, learning to work together as a team.
  • Ubotics (robotics team for grades 9-12) comes together to design, program, and build a robot that meets specific criteria to accomplish tasks in FIRST Robotics competitions.
• Union's construction program continues to grow with more than 300 students in grades 9-12 enrolled in Construction 1 and Construction 2.
• eSports participation continues to grow with student interest in both playing and commentating.
• The use of virtual reality was successfully used in a high school math course, allowing students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a real-world situation utilizing the math concepts they learned. Based on positive student and teacher feedback, Union planned to consider the use of virtual reality in additional math and science classes.
• STEM course offerings continue to expand for 2023-24 with the addition of an Aviation program starting at Union Freshman Academy. Note: Union launched an aviation program in the fall of 2023.

For more information on Union's STEM offering, visit the district STEM page.