The Pryor Board of Education recognized Pryor High School senior Quincy Orcutt as a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist during its September 14 meeting.

Quincy’s family joined him for the recognition as Superintendent Dr. Lisa Muller highlighted his outstanding academic achievement. “Only 0.5 percent of U.S. high school seniors earn recognition as National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists,” Muller noted.

In addition to his academic accomplishments, Quincy is actively involved in both the district’s Fine Arts and STEM programs. He serves as lead lighting engineer at the AVRA Performing Arts Center and is completing his STEM Capstone at the PHS Innovation Center.

Strengthening the Path to Academic Success

Dr. Tiffany Ballard, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, provided board members with an update on the work of the Teaching and Learning Department. She began by explaining that much of the department’s work takes place behind the scenes and may not always be visible to families and the community.

Ballard outlined six major areas through which the department supports student success: supporting teachers, strengthening instruction, building systems for success, developing leaders, using data to drive improvement, and propelling learning forward.

Emphasizing the importance of strong classroom instruction, Ballard said the department works to “make sure our Tier 1 teaching is the best that it can be.”

“We are the team that connects the data. We work with the individual sites,” Ballard said. “We identify what is working. We ask what can be improved. We help schools turn ideas into action.”

A districtwide commitment to every student and family guides that work.

“How do we make the learning experience better for every student?” Ballard asked. “We think every student is ours. We think every parent is ours. We think the community is ours, and we want to improve what is going on with our students.”

Ballard also presented updated state testing results demonstrating continued academic growth. In 2022, Pryor students scored above the state average in five of 16 testing areas. In 2026, students scored at or above the state average in 11 of the 16 areas—above the state average in 10 and at the state average in one.

“Consistency in growth, I believe, is the sign of a great school, and I’m very, very pleased,” Ballard said. “The hard work is showing up, and it is hard work.”

Ballard credited the district’s teachers as an integral part of that progress.

“We are hiring really good teachers, and they are not leaving,” she said. “We are retaining our teachers, which allows us to do this work.”

Board President Fred Sordahl said he was extremely pleased with the district’s academic progress. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining a broad definition of student success and continuing to support every student, including those whose strengths or career goals may not be reflected by ACT scores or other traditional academic measures.

The September meeting focused on academic success at both the individual and district levels, emphasizing the combined efforts of students, teachers, staff, families, and district leaders working together to strengthen learning opportunities for all Tigers.