OSDE: Electronic transcript platform launches this week

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) is launching a new service that gives educators and students free access to electronic academic records. OSDE has partnered with Parchment, a digital credential service, to deliver the Oklahoma e-Transcript Initiative, through which e-transcripts can be requested, verified and shared through a single online platform.

“The Oklahoma e-Transcript Initiative provides a consistent, uniform and streamlined way to access academic records,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister. “This process makes it less cumbersome to provide documentation for school transfers and more efficient to apply for postsecondary opportunities.”

The Parchment platform allows for the secure electronic exchange of academic transcripts among school districts, colleges, universities and the Oklahoma CareerTech system. Students can also request transcripts and other supporting admission documents to be sent electronically to more than 85% of U.S. college and university admissions offices.

“Oklahoma public higher education strongly supports efforts that reduce barriers for students to pursue education after high school,” said state Chancellor Glen D. Johnson. “The Oklahoma State Department of Education’s e-Transcript Initiative will simplify the college application and admission process for students and families. The partnership will also facilitate essential data exchange between the K-12 and higher education systems that will further inform our efforts to strengthen college readiness and student success initiatives.”

“The e-transcript provides the opportunity for students’ educational experiences to be expressed on one platform,” said Oklahoma CareerTech State Director Marcie Mack. “As students earn industry credentials, concurrent enrollment and certifications, they can now be accurately reflected on a student’s transcript. This is a substantial advancement for Oklahoma education and would not be possible without the continued cross-collaboration of all our agencies.”

The Oklahoma e-Transcript Initiative is funded by the New Skills for Youth grant. The $2 million, three-year grant was awarded by the Council of Chief State School Officers and JPMorgan Chase & Co in 2017.

For questions about how to launch Parchment at a school, please contact the Office of College and Career Readiness.