Bishop Kelley Names Brandon Birks ‘98 as Next Vice-Principal/Dean of Students

December 12, 2025

Bishop Kelley High School is pleased to announce that Mr. Brandon Birks ’98 will serve as the next Vice-Principal and Dean of Students beginning in March 2026.

Mr. Birks will succeed Mr. Jeff Pratt, who has served in this role since 2001. Mr. Pratt and Mr. Birks will work together throughout the 2025-2026 fourth quarter in a planned nine-week transition.

A 1998 graduate of Bishop Kelley, Mr. Birks returned to campus in 2003 as a teacher and coach. Over the past twenty-two years, he has established a reputation as a mission-driven educator who leads with humility and a sincere commitment to the formation of young people. He holds a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership, an Oklahoma Secondary Principal Certification, and has served as Social Studies Department Chair since 2019.

“Both Jeff and Brandon have given the service of their professional careers to the mission of Bishop Kelley, seeing it as their vocation much more than a job” said Sister Mary Hanah Doak, RSM, President. “Jeff has led with compassion, strength, and devotion for more than two decades. Brandon brings that same deep commitment to Catholic education along with a vision for student formation that will continue to move our school forward. We are blessed by their leadership and their dedication to our students.”

Bishop Kelley is grateful for Mr. Pratt’s exceptional service and looks forward to welcoming Mr. Birks into this key leadership role.

Bishop Kelley Mission

Bishop Kelley is a Catholic diocesan high school, inspired by St. John Baptist De La Salle, that carries on the teaching ministry of Jesus Christ by preparing students’ hearts and minds for a purposeful life.

More About Bishop Kelley

Bishop Kelley High School is Oklahoma’s largest private high school and is considered a life-preparatory institution. It offers a faith-based education that fosters academic excellence, spiritual growth and personal development. The school features a rigorous curriculum, including more than 40 honors and AP courses across a wide range of disciplines. With an average ACT score of 28 and an average SAT score of 1260, Bishop Kelley graduates are well-prepared for college, with 90% attending four-year institutions. The Blessed Stanley Rother Academic Support Program provides individualized assistance to students with diverse learning needs.

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Bishop Kelley Named to Advanced Placement Gold Honor Roll

January 15, 2026

Bishop Kelley High School was recently named to the Gold Advanced Placement Honor Roll by the College Board . The AP Honor Roll program works to acknowledge schools around the United States that help students achieve excellence while maintaining broad access to challenging curriculum. According to the College Board, Honor Roll schools, “Reflect a commitment to increasing college-going culture, maximizing college readiness.” The award also recognizes the broad access to advanced classes especially for students in underrepresented populations. The AP Honor Roll distinguished schools in three main areas: college culture, college credit and college optimization. Seventy-two percent of Bishop Kelley students in the Class of 2025 took at least one AP class and test during their time at the school. Fifty-eight percent earned college credit by scoring at least a “3” on one AP test and thirteen percent of the class took at least five AP tests through their four years of high school. All three of these indicators show an increase from previous years for Bishop Kelley. Two hundred and fifty-seven Bishop Kelley students took a record six hundred and twenty-six Advanced Placement (AP) tests in May, 2025 with an extraordinary 85% scoring “3” or higher. Nineteen percent of Bishop Kelley test takers scored the highest possible “5” on their exams, the equivalent of “Extremely Well Qualified” according to the College Board which administers the international testing. A “5” equates to an A+ or A in college level classes. Internationally, only 9% of all tests earn a “5” score. Another thirty-six percent of Bishop Kelley students scored at the second highest tier, a “4,” equal to ”Very well Qualified,” a level only achieved by twenty percent of all testers. The record number of exams for Bishop Kelley students cover a wide range of disciplines including science, math, English, social studies, fine arts, world languages and business. The largest number of tests for Bishop Kelley students included one hundred and thirteen AP English Language and Composition students, followed by eighty-six students who took the AP United States Government test, and seventy-one who took the AP United States History exam. Bishop Kelley students scored the highest average on the second-year AP Precalculus exam with a school mean score of 4.6, followed by AP Physics I with a mean score of 4.3. In the 2024-2025 school year, Bishop Kelley offered AP tests in twenty-four different subject areas. The Advanced Placement program is sponsored by the College Board. Research has proven that students who take AP classes are more likely to enroll in and complete four-year colleges.