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ENGROSSED HOUSE
BILL NO. 4115 By: West (Tammy) of the House
and
Seifried of the Senate
An Act relating to teachers; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 6-194, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter
277, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 6-194),
which relates to professional development programs;
changing maximum number of professional development
hours from one hundred fifty to two hundred during
any five-year period for classroom teachers with less
than five years of teaching experience; providing an
effective date; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-194, as
last amended by Section 1, Chapter 277, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp.
2025, Section 6-194), is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-194. A. The district boards of education of this
state shall establish professional development programs for the
certified teachers and administrators of the district. Programs
shall be adopted by each board based upon recommendations of a
professional development committee appointed by the board of
education for the district.
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B. Each professional development committee shall include
classroom teachers, administrators, school counselors or licensed
mental health providers, and parents, guardians, or custodians of
children in the school district and shall consult with a higher
education faculty. A majority of the members of the professional
development committee shall be composed of classroom teachers. The
teacher members shall be selected by a designated administrator of
the school district from a list of names submitted by the teachers
in the school district. The members selected shall be subject to
the approval of a majority vote of the teachers in the district.
C. In developing program recommendations, each professional
development committee shall annually utilize a data-driven approach
to analyze student data and determine district and school
professional development needs. The professional development
programs adopted shall be directed toward development of
competencies and instructional strategies in the core curriculum
areas for the following goals:
1. Increasing the academic performance data scores for the
district and each school site;
2. Closing achievement gaps among student subgroups;
3. Increasing student achievement as demonstrated on state-
mandated tests and nationally norm-referenced college entrance
exams;
4. Increasing high school graduation rates; and
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5. Decreasing college remediation rates.
Each program may also include components on classroom management
and student discipline strategies, outreach to parents, guardians,
or custodians of students, special education, and racial and ethnic
education, which all personnel defined as teachers in Section 1-116
of this title shall be required to complete at a frequency as
determined by the board of education. The State Board of Education
shall provide guidelines to assist school districts in developing
and implementing racial and ethnic education components into
professional development programs.
D. A program which includes the following information shall be
completed the first year a certified teacher is employed by a school
district, and then once every fifth academic year:
1. Training on recognition of child abuse and neglect;
2. Recognition of child sexual abuse;
3. Proper reporting of suspected abuse; and
4. Available resources.
E. One time per year, beginning in the 2009-2010 school year,
training in the area of autism shall be offered and all resident
teachers of students in early childhood programs through grade three
shall be required to complete the autism training during the
resident year and at least one time every three (3) years
thereafter. All other teachers and education support professionals
of students in early childhood programs through grade three shall be
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required to complete the autism training at least one time every
three (3) years. The autism training shall include a minimum
awareness of the characteristics of autistic children, resources
available, and an introduction to positive behavior supports to
challenging behavior. Each adopted program shall allow school
counselors to receive at least one-third (1/3) of the hours or
credit required each year through programs or courses specifically
designed for school counselors.
Districts are authorized to utilize any means for professional
development that is not prohibited by law including, but not limited
to, professional development provided by the district, any state
agency, institution of higher education, or any private entity.
F. One time per year, beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, a
dyslexia awareness program shall be offered. Beginning in the 2023-
2024 school year, the program shall include information and training
in dysgraphia. At a minimum, the program shall include:
1. Training in awareness of dyslexia characteristics in
students;
2. Training in effective classroom instruction to meet the
needs of students with dyslexia; and
3. Available dyslexia resources for teachers, students, and
parents.
G. Except as otherwise provided for in this subsection, each
certified teacher in this state shall be required by the district
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board of education to meet the professional development requirements
established by the board, or established through the negotiation
process. Except as otherwise provided for in this subsection, the
professional development requirements established by each board of
education shall require every teacher to annually complete a minimum
number of the total number of points required to maintain
employment; provided, no more than a total of one hundred fifty
(150) two hundred (200) hours of local, state, or federal
professional development or training shall be required for classroom
teachers with less than five (5) years of experience as a full-time
classroom teacher in the preceding ten (10) years during any five-
year period and no more than a total of one hundred fifty
(150)_hours of local, state, or federal professional development or
training shall be required for all other classroom teachers during
any five-year period. Failure of any teacher to meet district board
of education professional development requirements may be grounds
for nonrenewal of such teacher's contract by the board. Such
failure may also be grounds for nonconsideration of salary
increments affecting the teacher. Teachers shall maintain written
documentation of all their completed professional development.
H. Each district shall annually submit a report to the State
Department of Education on the district level professional
development needs, activities completed, expenditures, and results
achieved for each school year by each goal as provided in subsection
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C of this section. If a school district elects not to adopt and
offer a professional development program as provided for in
subsection A of this section, the district shall not be required to
submit an annual report as required pursuant to this subsection but
shall report to the State Department of Education its election not
to offer a program and all professional development activities
completed by teachers and administrators of the school district.
I. Subject to the availability of funds, the Department shall
develop an online system for reporting as required in subsection H
of this section. The Department shall also make such information
available on its website.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
SECTION 3. 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.
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Passed the House of Representatives the 9th day of March, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
Passed the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the Senate