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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
HOUSE BILL 3702 By: Caldwell (Chad)
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 1-109, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter
480, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 1-109),
which relates to length of school year; requiring
public schools to be in session for 185 days or 1,110
hours per year; allowing a school year length of 170
days if the school district adopts a certain policy;
changing references from 181 days to 185 days;
changing references from 1,086 hours to 1,110 hours;
prohibiting school districts from counting
professional meetings and parent-teacher conferences
toward classroom instruction time; amending 70 O.S.
2021, Section 1-111, as last amended by Section 1,
Chapter 4, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section
1-111), which relates to the school day; amending
Section 3, Chapter 492, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp.
2025, Section 1210.901), which relates to math
proficiency screenings; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 1210.508C, as last amended by Section 2,
Chapter 297, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section
1210.508C), which relates to reading screenings; 70
O.S. 2021, Section 1210.5E, which relates to math
remediation; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 4516,
which relates to school calendars; updating
references to length of school year; providing an
effective date; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1-109, as
last amended by Section 1, Chapter 480, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp.
2025, Section 1-109), is amended to read as follows:
Section 1-109. A. For all public schools in this state, school
shall actually be in session and classroom instruction offered:
1. For not less than one hundred eighty-one (181) one hundred
eighty-five (185) days;
2. For not less than one thousand eighty-six (1,086) one
thousand one hundred ten (1,110) hours each school year, if a
district board of education adopts a school-hours policy and
notifies the State Board of Education prior to October 15 of the
applicable school year;
3. Beginning with the 2025-2026 2026-2027 school year, for not
less than one thousand eighty-six (1,086) one thousand one hundred
ten (1,110) hours with a minimum of one hundred sixty-six (166) one
hundred seventy (170) days of instruction each school year, if a
district board of education adopts a school-hours policy and
notifies the State Board of Education prior to October 15 of the
applicable school year; or
4. Beginning with the 2025-2026 2026-2027 school year, for not
less than one thousand eighty-six (1,086) one thousand one hundred
ten (1,110) hours each school year, if a district board of education
adopts a school-hours policy, notifies the State Board of Education
prior to October 15 of the applicable school year, and meets the
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requirements established by the State Board of Education pursuant to
subsection H of this section.
B. A school district may shall not count more than thirty (30)
hours each school year that are used for attendance of professional
meetings toward the one hundred eighty-one (181) one hundred eighty-
five (185) days or one thousand eighty-six (1,086) one thousand one
hundred ten (1,110) hours of classroom instruction time required in
subsection A of this section.
C. Teachers off contract with an employing district shall not
be required by the employing school district to attend professional
meetings unless the teacher is paid additional compensation for the
additional time. Teachers may be paid additional compensation for
attending professional meetings in excess of their contract term.
Subject to district board of education policy or collective
bargaining agreement, additional paid professional days may be
granted for individual teachers to attend or participate in
professional meetings, staff development training, or National Board
certification portfolio development as provided for in Section 6-
204.2 of this title.
D. A school district may authorize parent-teacher conferences
to be held during a regular school day. If authorized by the school
district, parent-teacher conferences shall not be counted as toward
the one hundred eighty-five (185) days or the one thousand one
hundred ten (1,110) hours of classroom instruction time for no more
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than six (6) hours per semester, for a total of twelve (12) hours
per school year required in subsection A of this section.
E. A school district may maintain school for less than a full
school year only when conditions beyond the control of school
authorities make the maintenance of the term impossible and the
State Board of Education has been apprised and has expressed
concurrence in writing.
F. The State Board of Education shall establish criteria for an
extended-day schedule for schools subject to paragraph 1 of
subsection A of this section. The criteria shall:
1. Prescribe a lengthened school day within limits determined
not to be detrimental to quality instruction;
2. Ensure that the schedule is equivalent in annual hours of
instruction to the one-hundred-eighty-one-day one-hundred-eighty-
five-day school year specified in paragraph 1 of subsection A of
this section; and
3. Be consistent with the provisions of this section and
Sections 1-111 and 1-112 of this title but may result in fewer
annual days of instruction.
G. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection F of this
section, a school district board of education subject to paragraph 1
of subsection A of this section may adopt and implement an extended-
day schedule subject to the following requirements:
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1. The annual number of hours of instruction shall equal or
exceed one thousand eighty-six (1,086) one thousand one hundred ten
(1,110) hours, which is the equivalent of one hundred eighty-one
(181) one hundred eighty-five (185) days of instruction as specified
in subsection A of this section for six (6) hours each day as
specified in Section 1-111 of this title;
2. The annual number of days of instruction shall equal or
exceed one hundred eighty-one (181) one hundred eighty-five (185)
days as specified in subsection A of this section;
3. The schedule adopted shall be consistent with the provisions
of Sections 1-111 and 1-112 of this title, except that for not more
than one (1) day per week, a school day shall consist of not less
than five (5) hours devoted to academic instruction in a regular
classroom setting;
4. The district shall hold a public hearing prior to the
adoption of an extended-day schedule authorized pursuant to this
subsection; and
5. The district shall document the impact on student
achievement as determined by the academic performance data score and
any other relevant factors that are a result of implementation of an
extended-day schedule authorized pursuant to this subsection and
provide an annual report to the State Board of Education of the
results. If improvement in student achievement cannot be documented
in the report, the district board of education shall revoke
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authorization as provided by this subsection. If the district board
of education does not revoke authorization after student achievement
is not documented in the report, the State Board of Education may
deny accreditation of any school in violation of this subsection.
H. Beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, a school district
board of education may adopt a school-hours policy as provided for
by paragraph 4 of subsection A of this section only if it meets or
exceeds the minimum guidelines for student performance and school
district cost savings established by the State Board of Education.
The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules, subject to
approval by the Legislature, establishing the minimum guidelines for
student performance and school district cost savings.
I. If subject to paragraph 2 of subsection A of this section, a
district board of education or designee may elect to close a school
during the school day for inclement weather purposes. In such an
event, the number of hours incurred in classroom instruction time
prior to school closure shall be counted toward the one thousand
eighty-six (1,086) one thousand one hundred ten (1,110) hours per
year requirement.
J. 1. Except as provided for in paragraph 2 of this
subsection, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year a school
district or charter school shall not count days or portions of days
when school is closed and virtual instruction is provided toward the
one hundred eighty-one (181) one hundred eighty-five (185) days or
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one thousand eighty-six (1,086) one thousand one hundred ten (1,110)
hours of classroom instruction time required by subsection A of this
section. For the purposes of this subsection, "virtual instruction"
means the use of the Internet or other digital information
transmission systems as a form of instruction.
2. Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, a school district
or charter school may count up to two (2) days or twelve (12) hours
when school is closed and virtual instruction is provided toward the
one hundred eighty-one (181) one hundred eighty-five (185) days or
one thousand eighty-six (1,086) one thousand one hundred ten (1,110)
hours of classroom instruction time required by subsection A of this
section only if:
a. the Superintendent of Public Instruction has approved
the virtual instruction plan submitted by a school
district board of education or charter school
governing board. A school district board of education
or charter school governing board shall approve its
virtual instruction plan, publish the plan on the
website for the school district or charter school, and
submit it to the Superintendent of Public Instruction
by November 1, 2025. The Superintendent shall approve
or disapprove all submitted virtual instruction plans
by January 31, 2026. A school district board of
education or charter school governing board shall
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review its virtual instruction plan annually and
approve any necessary revisions for submission to the
Superintendent of Public Instruction by November 1
each subsequent year, and the Superintendent shall
approve or disapprove submitted plans by January 31
each subsequent year. If a plan is disapproved, the
school district board of education or charter school
governing board may approve a revised plan, publish it
on the website for the school district or charter
school, and submit it to the Superintendent. The plan
shall include a virtual needs assessment which shall
address availability of technology infrastructure to
deliver virtual instruction. The plan shall also
address how the school district or charter school
plans to provide:
(1) instruction to students on an Individualized
Education Program (IEP),
(2) child nutrition services, and
(3) transportation for students enrolled in
technology center school courses or programs,
b. a state of emergency or proclamation has been issued
by the Governor for a specific reason relating to
school district or charter school operations, and
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c. the school district board of education or charter
school governing board approves the use of virtual
instruction.
3. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to
statewide virtual charter schools or full-time virtual education
programs operated by a school district.
K. By June 30, 2027, and by June 30 each subsequent year, the
State Department of Education shall publish on its website and
electronically submit to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of
the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a report
with information regarding the use of virtual instruction as
authorized by subsection J of this section. The report shall
include, at a minimum:
1. The school districts and charter schools that closed school
and provided virtual instruction as authorized by subsection J of
this section and the length of time virtual instruction was
provided; and
2. The reason for which school was closed and virtual
instruction was provided.
L. Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting the
right of an employing school district to require teachers as defined
in Section 6-101.3 of this title to work in excess of the one
thousand eighty-six (1,086) one thousand one hundred ten (1,110)
hours required for student instruction. In addition, nothing in
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this section shall be construed to affect the Fair Labor Standards
Act of 1938 status of any school district employee.
M. The provisions of this section shall not prohibit the
Oklahoma School for the Blind or the Oklahoma School for the Deaf
from adopting an alternative school-hours policy if the Oklahoma
School for the Blind or the Oklahoma School for the Deaf notifies
and receives approval from the State Board of Education prior to
October 15 of the applicable school year.
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1-111, as
last amended by Section 1, Chapter 4, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
2025, Section 1-111), is amended to read as follows:
Section 1-111. A. Except as otherwise provided for by law, a
school day shall consist of not less than six (6) hours devoted to
school activities. A district board of education may elect to
extend the length of one (1) or more school days to more than six
(6) hours and reduce the number of school days as long as the total
amount of classroom instruction time is not less than one thousand
eighty (1,080) one thousand one hundred ten (1,110) hours per year
as required pursuant to Section 1-109 of this title.
B. A school day for nursery, early childhood education,
kindergarten, and alternative education programs shall be as
otherwise defined by law or as defined by the State Board of
Education. Except as otherwise provided for in this subsection, not
more than one (1) school day shall be counted for attendance
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purposes in any twenty-four-hour period. Two (2) school days, each
consisting of not less than six (6) hours, may be counted for
attendance purposes in any twenty-four-hour period only if one of
the school days is for the purpose of parent-teacher conferences
held as provided for in Section 1-109 of this title.
C. Except as provided in subsection D of this section, students
absent from school in which they are regularly enrolled may be
considered as being in attendance if the reason for such absence is
to participate in scheduled school activities under the direction
and supervision of a regular member of the faculty or to participate
in an online course approved by the district board of education.
The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to provide for the
implementation of supplemental online courses which shall include,
but not be limited to, provisions addressing the following:
1. Criteria for student admissions eligibility;
2. A student admission process administered through the
district of residence, which provides the ability for the student to
enroll in individual courses;
3. A process by which students are not denied the opportunity
to enroll in educationally appropriate courses by school districts.
For the purposes of this section, "educationally appropriate" means
any instruction that is not substantially a repeat of a course or
portion of a course that the student has successfully completed,
regardless of the grade of the student, and regardless of whether a
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course is similar to or identical to the instruction that is
currently offered in the school district;
4. Creation of a system which provides ongoing enrollment
access for students throughout the school year;
5. A grace period of fifteen (15) calendar days from the first
day of an online course for student withdrawal from an online course
without academic penalty;
6. Mastery of competencies for course completion rather than
Carnegie units;
7. Student participation in extracurricular activities in
accordance with school district eligibility rules and policies and
any rules and policies of a private organization or association
which provides the coordination, supervision, and regulation of the
interscholastic activities and contests of schools;
8. Parent authorization for release of state test results to
online course providers, on a form developed by the State Department
of Education; and
9. A review process to identify and certify online course
providers and a uniform payment processing system.
D. Except as provided in paragraph 3 of this subsection,
students absent from school in which they are regularly enrolled
shall be given an excused absence if the reason for such absence is
to participate in scheduled 4-H activities or programs as approved
by the county 4-H educator. The number of excused absences allowed
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pursuant to this subsection shall be subject to the attendance
policy of the school district board of education.
1. Upon request from a school principal or attendance officer,
a 4-H educator shall provide documentation as proof of student
participation in an activity or program sponsored by 4-H.
2. Students shall be given the opportunity to make up any
schoolwork missed while they are participating in activities or
programs sponsored by 4-H. Students shall not have their class
grades adversely affected for lack of attendance or participation
due to their participation in activities or programs sponsored by 4-
H.
3. A school principal or his or her designee shall not credit a
student who participates in an activity or program sponsored by 4-H
with an excused absence if the participation occurs during:
a. the schedule established by the State Board of
Education for the administration of statewide student
assessments, or
b. any period of time for which the student has been
disciplined, suspended, or expelled, if the terms of
punishment would preclude the student from
participating in an educational field trip or
extracurricular activity.
E. Each district board of education shall adopt policies and
procedures that conform to rules for online courses as adopted by
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the State Board. Such policies shall include criteria for approval
of the course, the appropriateness of the course for a particular
student, authorization for full-time students to enroll in online
courses, and establishing fees or charges. No district shall be
liable for payment of any fees or charges for any online course for
a student who has not complied with the district's policies and
procedures. School districts shall not deny students the
opportunity to enroll in educationally appropriate courses and shall
provide an admissions process which includes input from the student,
the parent or legal guardian of the student, and school faculty.
F. Districts shall require students enrolled in online courses
to participate in the Oklahoma School Testing Program Act. Students
participating in online courses from a remote site will be
responsible for providing their own equipment and Internet access,
unless the district chooses to provide the equipment. Credit may
not be granted for such courses except upon approval of the State
Board of Education and the district board of education.
G. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a student who
transfers from the district in which the student resides to another
school district pursuant to the Education Open Transfer Act from
enrolling in a full-time virtual education program offered by the
receiving school district. A student who enrolls pursuant to this
subsection shall be subject to the provisions of Section 8-103.2 of
this title. The board of education of a school district with a
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full-time virtual education program shall adopt a policy to
determine the number of transfer students the program has the
capacity to accept in each grade level, as provided for in Section
8-101.2 of this title.
H. Districts may provide students with opportunities for
blended instruction. "Blended instruction" shall mean a combination
of brick-and-mortar learning and virtual learning environments that
includes elements of a student's control over place, pace, and path
of learning. A student in blended instruction may work on virtual
courses at home or at school in a blended flex lab but shall
participate in at least one unit or set of competencies as defined
by Section 11-103.6 of this title at a physical school building in a
traditional classroom setting which is the academic equivalent of
one (1) hour per day for each instructional day in the school year
as defined by Section 1-109 of this title.
I. The school day for kindergarten may consist of six (6) hours
devoted to school activities.
SECTION 3. AMENDATORY Section 3, Chapter 492, O.S.L.
2025 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 1210.901), is amended to read as
follows:
Section 1210.901. A. To identify students who have a math
deficiency including students with characteristics of dyscalculia,
each student enrolled in second, third, fourth, and fifth grade in a
public school in this state shall be screened at the beginning,
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middle, and end of each school year for math proficiency including,
but not limited to, real-world problem-solving skills, procedural
fluency, conceptual understanding, and productive dispositions. A
screening instrument approved by the State Board of Education shall
be utilized for the purposes of this section. In determining which
screening instrument to approve, the State Board of Education shall
take into consideration, at a minimum, the following factors:
1. The time required to conduct the screening instrument with
the intention of minimizing the impact on instructional time;
2. The timeliness in reporting screening instrument results to
teachers, administrators, and parents or legal guardians of
students; and
3. The integration of the screening instrument into the math
curriculum.
B. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, the State Board of
Education shall approve a list of screening instruments for use at
the beginning, middle, and end of the school year for monitoring
progress and measurement of math proficiency as required in
subsection A of this section. The screening instrument shall:
1. Assess mathematical proficiency, which is a combination of
real-world problem-solving skills, procedural fluency, conceptual
understanding, and productive dispositions for the grade level as
defined by the state's subject matter standards;
2. Document the validity and reliability of each assessment;
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3. Be used for identifying students who are at risk for math
deficiencies and for progress monitoring throughout the school year;
4. Be used to assess students with disabilities and English
language learners; and
5. Be accompanied by a data management system that provides
profiles of students, class, grade level, and school building. The
profiles shall identify each student's instructional point of need,
competency for advanced math coursework, and math proficiency level.
The State Board of Education shall also determine other comparable
math assessments for diagnostic purposes to be used for students at
risk of math failure.
C. 1. Exemptions to the screening requirements required by
this section may be provided to students who have documented
evidence that they meet at least one of the following criteria as
related to the provision of classroom instruction:
a. the student participates in the Oklahoma Alternate
Assessment Program (OAAP) and is taught using
alternate methods,
b. the student's primary expressive or receptive
communication is sign language,
c. the student's primary form of written or read text is
Braille, or
d. the student's primary expressive or receptive language
is not English, the student is identified as an
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English learner using a state-approved identification
assessment, and the student has had less than one (1)
school year of instruction in an English-learner
program.
2. A public school that grants an exemption pursuant to
paragraph 1 of this subsection shall provide ongoing evidence of
student progression toward English language acquisition with the
same frequency as administration of screening assessments. Evidence
may include, but not be limited to, student progression toward OAAP
math essential elements, proficiency in sign language and
mathematical reasoning, and proficiency in Braille and mathematical
concepts.
D. 1. Students who are administered a screening instrument
pursuant to subsection A of this section and are found to be
exceeding grade-level targets shall be provided advanced learning
opportunities in mathematics approved for that student's grade
level. No student who qualifies pursuant to this subsection shall
be removed from the advanced learning opportunity provided to the
student unless a parent or legal guardian of the student provides
written consent for the student to be excluded or removed after
being adequately informed that the student's placement was
determined by the student's achievement on the screening instrument.
2. Students who are administered a screening instrument
pursuant to subsection A of this section and are found not to be
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meeting grade-level targets shall be provided a program of math
instruction designed to enable students to acquire the appropriate
grade-level math proficiency. The program of math instruction shall
be based on scientific math research and align with the subject
matter standards adopted by the State Board of Education. A program
of math instruction shall include:
a. sufficient additional in-school instructional time for
the acquisition of mathematical proficiency, which is
a combination of real-world problem-solving skills,
procedural fluency, conceptual understanding, and
productive dispositions,
b. if necessary and if funding is available, tutorial
instruction after regular school hours, on Saturdays,
and during summer; however, such instruction may not
be counted toward the one-hundred-eighty-day one-
hundred-eighty-five-day or one-thousand-eighty-hour
one-thousand-one-hundred-ten-hour school year required
in Section 1-109 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes
this title,
c. assessments identified for diagnostic purposes and
periodic monitoring to measure the acquisition of math
proficiency including, but not limited to, real-world
problem-solving skills, procedural fluency, conceptual
understanding, and productive dispositions, as
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identified in the student's program of math
instruction,
d. high-quality instructional materials grounded in
scientifically based math research, and
e. a means of providing every family of a student in
second, third, fourth, and fifth grade access to free
online evidence-based math instruction resources to
support the student's math development at home.
3. A student enrolled in second, third, fourth, and fifth grade
who exhibits a deficiency in math at any time based on the screening
instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of this section
shall receive an individual math intervention plan no later than
thirty (30) days after the identification of the deficiency in math.
The math intervention plan shall be provided in addition to core
math instruction that is provided to all students. The math
intervention plan shall:
a. describe the research-based math intervention services
the student will receive to remedy the deficiency in
math,
b. provide explicit and systematic instruction in real-
world problem-solving skills, procedural fluency,
conceptual understanding, and productive dispositions,
as applicable,
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c. monitor the math progress of each student's math
proficiency throughout the school year and adjust
instruction according to the student's needs, and
d. continue until the student is determined to be meeting
grade-level targets in math based on screening
instruments administered pursuant to subsection A of
this section or assessments identified for diagnostic
purposes and periodic monitoring pursuant to
subparagraph c of paragraph 2 of this subsection.
4. The math intervention plan for each student identified with
a deficiency in math shall be developed by a student math
proficiency team and shall include supplemental instructional
services and supports. Each team shall be comprised of:
a. the parent or legal guardian of the student,
b. the teacher assigned to the student who had
responsibility for math instruction in that academic
year,
c. a teacher who is responsible for math instruction and
is assigned to teach in the next grade level of the
student, and
d. a teacher who specializes in math interventions, if
one is available.
5. A school district shall notify the parent or legal guardian
of any student in second, third, fourth, and fifth grade who
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exhibits a deficiency in math at any time based on the screening
instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of this section.
The notification shall occur no later than thirty (30) days after
the identification of the deficiency in math.
SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508C,
as last amended by Section 2, Chapter 297, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S.
Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508C), is amended to read as follows:
Section 1210.508C. A. To identify students who have
characteristics of dyslexia that lead to or cause reading
difficulty, each student enrolled in kindergarten and first, second,
and third grade in a public school in this state shall be screened
at the beginning, middle, and end of each school year for reading
skills including, but not limited to, phonological awareness,
decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. A screening
instrument approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation
with the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability and
the Secretary of Education, shall be utilized for the purposes of
this section. In determining which screening instrument to approve,
the State Board of Education, the Commission for Educational Quality
and Accountability, and the Secretary of Education shall take into
consideration at a minimum the following factors:
1. The time required to conduct the screening instrument with
the intention of minimizing the impact on instructional time;
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2. The timeliness in reporting screening instrument results to
teachers, administrators, and parents and legal guardians of
students; and
3. The integration of the screening instrument into reading
curriculum.
B. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, the State Board of
Education shall approve no fewer than three screening instruments
for use at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year for
monitoring of progress and for measurement of reading skills as
required in subsection A of this section. The screening instruments
shall meet the following criteria:
1. Assess for phonological awareness, decoding, fluency,
vocabulary, and comprehension;
2. Document the validity and reliability of each assessment;
3. Can be used for identifying students who are at risk for
reading deficiency and progress monitoring throughout the school
year;
4. Can be used to assess students with disabilities and English
language learners; and
5. Accompanied by a data management system that provides
profiles of each student, class, grade level, and school building.
The profiles shall identify each student's instructional point of
need and reading achievement level. The State Board shall also
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determine other comparable reading assessments for diagnostic
purposes to be used for students at risk of reading failure.
C. 1. Exemptions to the screening requirements of this section
may be provided to students who have documented evidence that they
meet at least one of the following criteria as related to the
provision of classroom instruction:
a. the student participates in the Oklahoma Alternate
Assessment Program (OAAP) and is taught using
alternate methods,
b. the student's primary expressive or receptive
communication is sign language,
c. the student's primary form of written or read text is
Braille, or
d. the student's primary expressive or receptive language
is not English, the student is identified as an
English learner using a state-approved identification
assessment, and the student has had less than one (1)
school year of instruction in an English-learner
program.
2. A public school that grants an exemption pursuant to
paragraph 1 of this subsection shall provide ongoing evidence of
student progression toward English language acquisition with the
same frequency as administration of screening assessments. Evidence
may include, but not be limited to, student progression toward OAAP
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reading essential elements, proficiency in sign language and reading
comprehension, and proficiency in Braille and reading comprehension.
D. 1. Students who are administered a screening instrument
pursuant to subsection A of this section and are found not to be
meeting grade-level targets shall be provided a program of reading
instruction designed to enable students to acquire the appropriate
grade-level reading skills. The program of reading instruction
shall be based on scientific reading research and align with the
subject matter standards adopted by the State Board of Education. A
program of reading instruction shall include:
a. sufficient additional in-school instructional time for
the acquisition of phonological awareness, decoding,
fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension,
b. if necessary and if funding is available, tutorial
instruction after regular school hours, on Saturdays,
and during summer; however, such instruction may not
be counted toward the one-hundred-eighty-day one-
hundred-eighty-five-day or one-thousand-eighty-hour
one-thousand-one-hundred-ten-hour school year required
in Section 1-109 of this title,
c. assessments identified for diagnostic purposes and
periodic monitoring to measure the acquisition of
reading skills including, but not limited to,
phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary,
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and comprehension, as identified in the student's
program of reading instruction,
d. high-quality instructional materials grounded in
scientifically based reading research, and
e. a means of providing every family of a student in
prekindergarten, kindergarten, and first, second, and
third grade access to free online evidence-based
literacy instruction resources to support the
student's literacy development at home.
2. A student enrolled in kindergarten or first, second, or
third grade who exhibits a deficiency in reading at any time based
on the screening instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of
this section shall receive an individual reading intervention plan
no later than thirty (30) days after the identification of the
deficiency in reading. The reading intervention plan shall be
provided in addition to core reading instruction that is provided to
all students. The reading intervention plan shall:
a. describe the research-based reading intervention
services the student will receive to remedy the
deficiency in reading,
b. provide explicit and systematic instruction in
phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary,
and comprehension, as applicable,
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c. monitor the reading progress of each student's reading
skills throughout the school year and adjust
instruction according to the student's needs, and
d. continue until the student is determined to be meeting
grade-level targets in reading based on screening
instruments administered pursuant to subsection A of
this section or assessments identified for diagnostic
purposes and periodic monitoring pursuant to
subparagraph c of paragraph 1 of this subsection.
3. The reading intervention plan for each student identified
with a deficiency in reading shall be developed by a Student Reading
Proficiency Team and shall include supplemental instructional
services and supports. Each team shall be composed of:
a. the parent or legal guardian of the student,
b. the teacher assigned to the student who had
responsibility for reading instruction in that
academic year,
c. a teacher who is responsible for reading instruction
and is assigned to teach in the next grade level of
the student, and
d. a certified reading specialist or an individual with
advanced training or specialization in literacy
instruction, if one is available.
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4. A school district shall notify the parent or legal guardian
of any student in kindergarten or first, second, or third grade who
exhibits a deficiency in reading at any time based on the screening
instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of this section.
The notification shall occur no later than thirty (30) days after
the identification of the deficiency in reading.
E. 1. Every school district shall adopt and implement a
district strong readers plan which has had input from school
administrators, teachers, and parents and legal guardians and if
possible a reading specialist, and which shall be submitted
electronically to and approved by the State Board of Education. The
plan shall be updated annually. School districts shall not be
required to electronically submit the annual updates to the Board if
the last plan submitted to the Board was approved and expenditures
for the program include only expenses relating to individual and
small group tutoring, purchase of and training in the use of
screening and assessment measures, summer school programs, and
Saturday school programs. If any expenditure for the program is
deleted or changed or any other type of expenditure for the program
is implemented, the school district shall be required to submit the
latest annual update to the Board for approval. The district strong
readers plan shall include a plan for each site which includes an
analysis of the data provided by the Oklahoma School Testing Program
and other reading assessments utilized as required in this section,
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and which outlines how each school site will comply with the
provisions of the Strong Readers Act.
2. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the
implementation and evaluation of the provisions of the Strong
Readers Act. The evaluation shall include, but not be limited to,
an analysis of the data required in subsection L of this section.
F. 1. Any first-grade, second-grade, or third-grade student
who demonstrates proficiency in reading through a grade-level
appropriate screening instrument approved pursuant to subsection B
of this section shall not require a program of reading instruction
or an individual reading intervention plan. After a student has
demonstrated proficiency through a screening instrument, the
district shall provide notification to the parent or legal guardian
of the student that he or she has satisfied the requirements of the
Strong Readers Act. The district shall continue to monitor the
student in the next successive grade level to ensure he or she
maintains proficiency.
2. Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, if a third-grade
student is identified at any point of the academic year as having a
significant reading deficiency, which shall be defined as not
meeting grade-level targets on a screening instrument administered
pursuant to subsection A of this section, the district shall provide
the student with intensive intervention services for the appropriate
amount of the instructional day consistent with the individual
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reading intervention plan developed pursuant to paragraph 2 of
subsection D of this section and as determined by the Student
Reading Proficiency Team. Intensive intervention services shall
continue until the student demonstrates proficiency at his or her
grade level based on a screening instrument administered pursuant to
subsection A of this section.
G. Each school district shall annually report in an electronic
format to the State Department of Education, the Office of
Educational Quality and Accountability, and the Secretary of
Education the number of students in kindergarten through third grade
per grade level who exhibit grade-level reading proficiency, the
number of students per grade level who received intensive
intervention services pursuant to paragraph 2 of subsection F of
this section, the number of students per grade level who attended a
summer academy as provided for in Section 1210.508E of this title,
the number of students per grade level who exhibited improved
reading proficiency after completion of intensive intervention
services, and the number of students per grade level who are still
in need of intensive intervention services. The State Department of
Education shall publicly report the aggregate and district-specific
numbers submitted pursuant to this subsection on its website and
shall provide electronic copies of the report to the Governor,
Secretary of Education, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Speaker
of the House of Representatives, and to the respective chairs of the
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committees with responsibility for common education policy in each
legislative chamber.
H. The parent of any student who is found to have a reading
deficiency and is not meeting grade-level reading targets and has
been provided a program of reading instruction as provided for in
paragraph 1 of subsection D of this section shall be notified in
writing of the following:
1. That the student has been identified as having a substantial
deficiency in reading;
2. A description of the current services that are provided to
the student pursuant to subsection D of this section;
3. A description of the proposed intensive intervention
services and supports that will be provided to the student that are
designed to remediate the identified area of reading deficiency as
provided for in paragraph 2 of subsection F of this section;
4. That a student who is promoted to the fourth grade shall
receive supplemental intensive intervention services;
5. Strategies for parents to use in helping their child succeed
in reading proficiency; and
6. The grade-level performance scores of the student.
I. No student may be assigned to a grade level based solely on
age or other factors that constitute social promotion.
J. 1. Each school district board of education shall annually
publish on the school website and report electronically to the State
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Department of Education, the Office of Educational Quality and
Accountability, and the Secretary of Education by September 1 of
each year the following information on the prior school year:
a. the policies and procedures adopted by the school
district board of education to implement the
provisions of this section. The information submitted
shall include expenditures related to implementing the
provisions of this section, the number of staff
implementing the provisions of this section, and
average daily classroom time devoted to implementing
the provisions of this section,
b. by grade, the number and percentage of all students in
kindergarten through third grade who did not meet
grade-level targets based on a screening instrument
administered pursuant to subsection A of this section,
c. by grade, the number and percentage of all students in
kindergarten through third grade who have been
enrolled in the district for fewer than two (2) years,
d. by grade, the number and percentage of students in
kindergarten through third grade who demonstrated
grade-level proficiency based on a screening
instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of
this section, and
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e. by grade, the number and percentage of students in
kindergarten through third grade who are on an
individualized education program (IEP) in accordance
with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) and who demonstrated grade-level proficiency
based on a screening instrument administered pursuant
to subsection A of this section or an alternative
assessment prescribed by the student's IEP.
2. The State Department of Education shall establish a uniform
format for school districts to report the information required in
this subsection. The format shall be developed with input from
school districts and shall be provided not later than ninety (90)
days prior to the annual due date. The Department shall annually
compile the information required, along with state-level summary
information, and electronically report the information to the
public, the Governor, the Secretary of Education, the President Pro
Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
K. The State Department of Education shall provide technical
assistance as needed to aid school districts in administering the
provisions of the Strong Readers Act.
L. On or before January 31 of each year, the State Department
of Education shall electronically submit to the Governor, the
President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
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Representatives, and members of the committees with responsibility
over common education in both houses of the Legislature a Strong
Readers Report which shall include, but is not limited to, trend
data detailing three (3) years of data, disaggregated by student
subgroups to include economically disadvantaged, major racial or
ethnic groups, students with disabilities, and English language
learners, as appropriate for the following:
1. The statewide aggregate number and percentage of students in
kindergarten through third grade determined to be at risk for
reading difficulties compared to the total number of students
enrolled in each grade;
2. The statewide aggregate number and percentage of students in
kindergarten who continue to be at risk for reading difficulties as
determined by the year-end administration of the screening
instrument required in subsection A of this section;
3. The statewide aggregate number and percentage of students in
kindergarten through third grade who have successfully completed
their program of reading instruction and are reading on grade level
as determined by the results of screening instruments administered
pursuant to subsection A of this section;
4. The statewide aggregate and district-specific number and
percentage of students that meet or do not meet grade-level targets
for reading based on screening instruments administered pursuant to
subsection A of this section;
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5. The amount of funds received by each district for
implementation of the Strong Readers Act;
6. An evaluation and narrative interpretation of the report
data analyzing the impact of the Strong Readers Act on students'
ability to read at grade level;
7. The type of reading instruction practices and methods
currently being used by school districts in the state;
8. Socioeconomic information, access to reading resources
outside of school, and screening for and identification of learning
disabilities for students not reading at the appropriate grade level
in kindergarten and first through third grade;
9. By grade level, the types of intensive intervention efforts
being conducted by school districts for students who are not on an
IEP and who are not reading at the appropriate grade level and for
students who are on an IEP and who are not reading at the
appropriate grade level; and
10. Any recommendations for improvements or amendments to the
Strong Readers Act.
The State Department of Education may contract with an
independent entity for the reporting and analysis requirements of
this subsection.
M. Copies of the results of the screening instruments
administered pursuant to subsection A of this section shall be made
a part of the permanent record of each student.
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SECTION 5. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.5E, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 1210.5E. A. Contingent upon the provision of
appropriated funds designated for such purpose, students who do not
perform satisfactorily on the mathematics portion of either the
norm-referenced or criterion-referenced tests for grades three
through eight required pursuant to Section 1210.508 of this title
shall be provided remediation. The remediation may include but not
be limited to tutorial instruction after regular school hours, on
Saturdays and during the summer. Such instruction shall not be
counted toward the one-hundred-eighty-day one-hundred-eighty-five-
day school year required in Section 1-109 of this title.
B. Implementation of this section shall be delayed until the
current expenditure per pupil in average daily attendance in public
elementary and secondary schools in unadjusted dollars for the 1998-
99 school year or any school year thereafter for Oklahoma, as
reported by the National Center for Education Statistics annually in
the Digest of Education Statistics, reaches at least ninety percent
(90%) of the regional average expenditure for that same year, and
funds are provided. For purposes of this section, the regional
average expenditure shall consist of the current expenditure per
pupil in average daily attendance in public elementary and secondary
schools in unadjusted dollars for each of the following states:
Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and
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Texas, averaged together. By January 1 of each year, the State
Board of Education shall report whether or not the ninety-percent
expenditure level has been reached based on information reported
annually in the Digest of Education Statistics by the National
Center for Education Statistics. This section shall be implemented
on July 1 after the first January 1 report verifies that the ninety-
percent expenditure level has been reached and funds have been
provided for the specific purposes of this section.
SECTION 6. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 4516, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 4516. The board of education of any school district
operating pursuant to the provisions of Section 4511 et seq. of this
title shall establish a school calendar whereby the teaching
sessions and vacation periods during the school year are on a
rotating basis.
Each selected school shall be closed for all students and
employees on regular school holidays.
The schools and classes shall be conducted for a total of no
less than one hundred eighty (180) one hundred eighty-five (185)
days or no less than one thousand eighty (1,080) one thousand one
hundred ten (1,110) hours during the academic year as provided for
in Section 1-109 of this title.
The provisions of all other laws relating to compulsory full-
time education and the enrollment and attendance of pupils in the
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kindergarten, elementary and secondary grades shall be applicable
with respect to the regular school days prescribed for the entire
academic year established for the school at which a program pursuant
to Section 4511 et seq. of this title is conducted, and to the
attendance area established for such school.
SECTION 7. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
SECTION 8. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
60-2-15070 SW 01/14/26