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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
HOUSE BILL 4149 By: Hasenbeck
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to the Strong Readers Act; amending
70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508A, as amended by
Section 3, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
2025, Section 1210.508A), which relates to the short
title; updating references; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 1210.508B, as amended by Section 4, Chapter
411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section
1210.508B), which relates to legislative findings;
declaring intent of the Legislature; 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; including reading deficiencies for
identification in screenings; prohibiting reading
instruction for deficient students from including the
three-cueing systems model; allowing certain students
to be placed in a transition class; adding additional
requirements to parent notifications regarding the
child's reading deficiency; directing the State
Department of Education to create a reading panel to
recommend alternate reading assessments; establishing
reading panel members and duties; requiring
demonstration of sufficient reading skills for
promotion to fourth grade; mandating that third-grade
students be retained in the third grade if certain
conditions are not met; providing good-cause
exemptions from third grade retention; requiring
fourth-grade students promoted with a good-cause
exemption be provided intensive reading instruction;
implementing a good-cause exemption request process;
adding parental notification requirement of student
retention; requiring intensive reading intervention
for retained students; detailing additional support
and services to be provided to retained students;
requiring schools to establish an intensive
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acceleration class for students retained more than
once; adding school district reporting requirements;
adding State Department of Education reporting
requirements; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section
1210.508F, as last amended by Section 3, Chapter 297,
O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508F),
which relates to teacher training requirements;
clarifying instruction to prospective teachers;
mandating that teacher candidates receive certain
instruction regarding the three-cueing systems model;
creating a requirement to demonstrate an eighth-grade
reading level for minors to obtain a driver license;
establishing criteria for satisfying reading tester
requirements for a driver license for public school
students; requiring students under eighteen to
complete a reading proficiency test; requiring a plan
of remedial reading if assessments are not
successfully completed; providing an option for
students to take alternative reading proficiency
tests if the assessments are not successful; allowing
students to take an alternative reading test for
motorcycle licenses; establishing alternative reading
testing site requirements; requiring school districts
provide alternative documentation of reading
proficiency if applicable; establishing alternative
documentation requirements; allowing students to
submit reading proficiency test results from other
states; requiring the Department of Education to
approve or disapprove out of state test results;
creating requirement for documentation of school
enrollment, completion, or lawful excuse for minors
to obtain a driver license; requiring minors to
demonstrate reading proficiency at an eighth-grade
reading level unless excused; establishing exception
for summer months; establishing documentation
requirements for students educated by other means;
establishing misdemeanor for violations; providing
alternate route to obtain driver license for certain
employed persons under eighteen; establishing
employer fines for falsification; requiring
attendance officers to provide documentation;
requiring attendance officers to notify Department of
Public Safety of certain student withdrawals;
requiring notification of license cancellation in
certain circumstances; providing exceptions for
notice requirements; requiring school districts to
provide documentation of reading proficiency to
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certain enrolled students; defining terms; providing
exceptions to reading proficiency requirements;
requiring the Department of Public Safety to approve
forms; providing for codification; 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 1210.508A,
as amended by Section 3, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
2025, Section 1210.508A), is amended to read as follows:
Section 1210.508A. Sections 1210.508A through 1210.508H
1210.508I of this title shall be known and may be cited as the
"Strong Readers Act".
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508B,
as amended by Section 4, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
2025, Section 1210.508B), is amended to read as follows:
Section 1210.508B. A. The Legislature finds that it is
essential for children in the public schools to read early and well
in elementary school. The Legislature further finds that clear and
visible goals, assessments to determine the reading level at each
elementary school, use of a scientifically based and researched
methodology in reading instruction in addition to regular and
periodic measurements of elementary school reading improvement, and
accountability in each level of the educational system will result
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in a significant increase in the number of children reading at or
above grade level.
B. The purpose of the Strong Readers Act is to ensure that
progression from one grade to another is determined, in part, upon
proficiency in reading, that school district board of education
policies facilitate reading instruction and intervention services to
address student reading needs, and that each student and his or her
parent or legal guardian be informed of that student's reading
progress. It is the intent of the Legislature that every student
reads at or above grade level by the end of third grade.
C. Each public school district in this state shall ensure that
all students receive a well-rounded education that is focused on
building deep foundations in reading, writing, and mathematics. The
State Board of Education shall encourage school districts to
integrate the teaching of the other curricular areas in the subject
matter standards adopted by the Board with the instruction of
reading, writing, and mathematics. All teachers of reading in the
public schools in this state in kindergarten through third grade
shall incorporate into instruction the five elements of reading
instruction which are phonological awareness, decoding, fluency,
vocabulary, and comprehension.
D. It is the intent of the Legislature that beginning with the
2025-2026 school year, school districts and charter schools in this
state shall be prohibited from using the three-cueing system model
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of teaching students to read. For the purposes of this section, the
"three-cueing system" means any model of teaching students to read
based on meaning, structure, syntax, and visual cues, which may also
be known as meaning, structure, and visual (MSV), balanced literacy,
or whole language.
SECTION 3. 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 a reading
deficiency or 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:
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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 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
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need and reading achievement level. The State Board shall also
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
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may include, but not be limited to, student progression toward OAAP
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 or one-
thousand-eighty-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 which do not
include the three-cueing systems model as described in
subsection D of Section 1210.508B of this title, 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,
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b. provide explicit and systematic instruction in
phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary,
and comprehension, as applicable,
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
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d. a certified reading specialist or an individual with
advanced training or specialization in literacy
instruction, if one is available.
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.
5. 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 may be placed in a transition class.
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
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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,
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 S 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.
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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
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
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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
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 if the child's reading deficiency is not corrected by
the end of third grade, the child shall not be promoted to fourth
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grade unless a good-cause exemption specified under subsection L of
this section is met;
5. That a student who is promoted to the fourth grade for good
cause shall receive supplemental intensive intervention services;
5. 6. Strategies for parents to use in helping their child
succeed in reading proficiency; and
6. 7. The grade-level performance scores of the student; and
8. That while the statewide English Language Arts assessment is
the initial determinate for promotion, approved alternative
standardized reading assessments are available to assist the school
district in knowing when a child is reading at or above grade level
and ready for promotion to fourth grade.
I. No student may be assigned to a grade level based solely on
age or other factors that constitute social promotion.
J. The State Department of Education shall establish an
Oklahoma Reading Panel to collaborate with the State Department of
Education in recommending appropriate equitable alternative
standardized reading assessments and cut scores to be used to
determine promotion to the fourth grade for third-grade students who
scored at the lowest achievement level on the statewide English
Language Arts assessment or who, for unforeseen circumstances, were
unable to take the assessment. The panel shall consist of six (6)
members as follows:
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1. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction, or his or
her designee, who will chair the panel;
2. The Chair of the House Education Oversight Committee, or his
or her designee;
3. The Chair of the Senate Education Committee, or his or her
designee;
4. One member appointed by the Governor; and
5. Two additional members appointed by the State Superintendent
of Public Instruction.
K. 1. Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, third-grade
students shall demonstrate sufficient reading skills for promotion
to fourth grade. Students shall be provided the following options
to demonstrate sufficient reading skills for promotion to fourth
grade:
a. scoring above the lowest achievement level on the
third-grade statewide English Language Arts
Assessment, or
b. earning an acceptable score on an alternative
standardized reading assessment as determined and
approved by the State Board of Education.
2. Students who do not demonstrate sufficient reading skills in
accordance with paragraph 1 of this subsection, shall not be
promoted to the fourth grade unless a good-cause exemption specified
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under subsection L of this section is met. Screening instruments
described in this section shall not be used for promotion purposes.
L. 1. The district school board may only exempt students from
mandatory third grade retention, as provided in subsection K of this
section, for good cause. A student who is promoted to fourth grade
with a good-cause exemption shall continue to receive intensive
reading intervention that includes specific reading strategies
prescribed in the student's individual reading intervention plan
until the deficiency is remedied. The school district shall assist
schools and teachers with the implementation of reading strategies
that research has shown to be successful in improving reading among
students with reading difficulties. Good-cause exemptions shall be
limited to the following:
a. students with disabilities whose Individual Education
Plan (IEP) indicates that participation in the
statewide assessment program is not appropriate,
consistent with state law,
b. students identified as English language learners who
have had less than two (2) years of instruction in an
English-learner program,
c. students with disabilities who participate in the
statewide English Language Arts assessment and who
have an IEP or a Section 504 plan that reflects that
the student has received intensive reading
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intervention for more than two (2) years but still
demonstrates a deficiency in reading, or who was
previously retained for one (1) year in kindergarten,
first, second, or third grade,
d. students who demonstrate an acceptable level of
reading proficiency on an alternative standardized
reading assessment approved by the State Board of
Education, and
e. students who have received intensive reading
intervention for two (2) or more years but still
demonstrate a deficiency in reading, and who were
previously retained in kindergarten, first, second, or
third grade for a total of two (2) years.
2. A student who is promoted to fourth grade with a good-cause
exemption shall be provided intensive reading instruction and
intervention informed by specialized diagnostic information and
delivered through specific reading strategies to meet the needs of
each student so promoted. The school district shall assist schools
and teachers in implementing reading strategies that research has
shown to be successful in improving reading among students with
persistent reading difficulties.
M. Requests to exempt students from the mandatory third-grade
retention requirement, as provided in subsection K of this section,
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using one of the good-cause exemptions, as described in subsection L
of this section, shall be made consistent with the following:
1. Documentation shall be submitted from the student's teacher
to the school principal indicating that the promotion of the student
is appropriate. Such documentation shall consist only of the good-
cause exemption being requested and clear proof that the student is
covered by such exemption; and
2. The school principal shall review and discuss the
recommendation for exemption with the student's teacher. If the
principal determines that the student meets one of the good-cause
exemptions based on the discussion and documentation provided, the
school principal shall make such recommendation in writing to the
school district superintendent. The school district superintendent
shall accept or reject the school principal's recommendation in
writing. A parent or legal guardian of any student promoted under
this section may choose that the student be retained for one (1)
year, even if the principal and district superintendent determine
otherwise.
N. The school district shall assist schools with providing
written notification to the parent of any student who is retained.
Such notification shall state that his or her child has not met the
reading level required for promotion to the fourth grade, the
reasons the child is not eligible for a good-cause exemption, and
that his or her child will be retained in third grade. The
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notification shall include a description of the proposed
interventions and supports that will be provided to the child to
remedy the identified areas of reading deficiency in the retained
year.
O. Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, students retained
under the provisions of subsection K of this section shall be
provided intensive reading intervention to remedy the student's
specific reading deficiency. The reading intervention services
shall include effective instructional strategies to accelerate
student progress. Each school district shall conduct a review of
student reading intervention plans for all students retained in
third grade. The review shall address additional supports and
services needed to remedy the identified areas of reading deficiency
and ensure the following are provided to retained students:
1. A highly effective teacher of reading as demonstrated by
student reading performance data, teacher performance evaluations,
or specific training relevant to implementation of this section;
2. A minimum of ninety (90) minutes during regular school hours
of daily, scientifically research-based reading instruction that
includes phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and
comprehension, and other strategies prescribed by the school
district, which may include, but are not limited to:
a. small group instruction,
b. reduced teacher-to-student ratios,
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c. tutoring in scientifically research-based reading
services in addition to the regular school day,
d. the option of transition classes,
e. extended school day, week or year, and
f. summer reading camps; and
3. A "Read at Home" plan outlined in a parental contract,
including participation in regular parent-guided home reading.
P. Each school shall establish an intensive acceleration class
for any student retained in third grade who was previously retained
in kindergarten, first, or second grade. The focus of the intensive
acceleration class is to increase a student's reading level at least
two (2) grade levels in one (1) school year. The intensive
acceleration class shall include the additional supports and
services described in subsection O of this section and:
1. Provide explicit, systematic, sequential, and cumulative
reading instruction and intervention for the majority of student
contact time each day; and
2. Incorporate opportunities to master the fourth-grade state
standards in other core academic areas.
Q. 1. Each school district board of education shall annually
publish on the school website and report electronically to the State
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:
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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 all students in
kindergarten through third grade who were retained,
e. 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
e.
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f. 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,
g. the number and percentage of all students in third
grade who demonstrated sufficient reading skills for
promotion to the next grade on the alternative reading
assessment,
h. the number and percentage of students in third grade
who were promoted to fourth grade for good cause, by
category of good cause as specified in subsection L of
this section, and
i. the performance of fourth-grade students promoted with
a good-cause exemption on the statewide English
Language Arts assessment.
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
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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. R. 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. S. 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
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
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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;
5. The statewide aggregate and district-specific number and
percentage of students that were retained in third grade;
6. The amount of funds received by each district for
implementation of the Strong Readers Act;
6. 7. 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. 8. The type of reading instruction practices and methods
currently being used by school districts in the state;
8. 9. 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;
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9. 10. 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. 11. 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. T. 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.
SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508F,
as last amended by Section 3, Chapter 297, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S.
Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508F), is amended to read as follows:
Section 1210.508F. A. The Commission for Educational Quality
and Accountability shall ensure that the reading competencies for
elementary teachers are included in the competencies for special
education teachers.
B. The Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability in
collaboration with the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
shall ensure that all teachers and adjuncts of early childhood
education, elementary education, and special education are provided
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quality training in intervention, instruction, and remediation
strategies in the science of reading to provide explicit and
systematic instruction in phonological awareness, decoding, fluency,
vocabulary, and comprehension and implement reading strategies that
research has shown to be successful in improving reading among
students with reading difficulties. In addition, quality education
for prospective teachers shall be provided in research-based
instructional strategies for instruction, assessment, and
intervention for literacy development for all students including
advanced readers, typically developing readers, and struggling
readers who are coping with a range of challenges including, but not
limited to, English learners, learners at risk for reading
deficiencies, and learners with handicapping conditions and learning
disabilities, including dyslexia. Quality training shall include
guidance from professional resources such as the Report of the
National Reading Panel, Response to Intervention guidelines, and
professional organizations such as the Council for Exceptional
Children, International Dyslexia Association, International Literacy
Association, National Council of Teachers of English, and National
Association for the Education of Young Children.
C. All institutions within The Oklahoma State System of Higher
Education that offer elementary, early childhood education, or
special education programs approved by the Commission for
Educational Quality and Accountability shall incorporate into those
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programs the requirement that teacher candidates study the five
elements of reading instruction which are phonological awareness,
decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Teacher
candidates shall study strategies including, but not limited to,
instruction that is explicitly taught, sequenced, multimodal
(reading, writing, speaking, listening, hands-on, etc.),
multidisciplinary, and reflective to adapt for individual learners.
Additionally, teacher candidates shall study:
1. How to implement reading instruction using high-quality
instructional materials which do not include the three-cueing
systems model;
2. The negative impacts of the three-cueing systems model;
3. How to identify the three-cueing systems model in
curriculum; and
4. Why the three-cueing systems model is a flawed model of
teaching children to read.
D. Effective July 1, 2025, any person seeking initial
certification in a special education, early childhood education, or
elementary education program in this state shall be required to
successfully complete a comprehensive reading instruction assessment
approved by the Commission for Educational Quality and
Accountability as a condition for certification. The assessment
shall evaluate the certification applicant's knowledge and
understanding of the five elements of reading instruction which are
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phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and
comprehension.
E. Candidates applying for adjunct positions, an alternative
placement teaching certificate, or an emergency teaching certificate
in elementary education shall complete instruction in the science of
reading as determined by the Commission for Educational Quality and
Accountability and the State Board of Education.
SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1210.515A of Title 70, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. Pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 2 of subsection A of
Section 6 of this act, any person under the age of eighteen (18)
years wishing to apply for a driver license or permit shall
successfully demonstrate a satisfactory reading ability at the
eighth-grade reading level by meeting the following criteria:
1. A student enrolled in a public school shall successfully
complete the reading portion of the statewide assessment
administered pursuant to Section 1210.508 of this title and that is
offered in the eighth grade. Following the administration of this
assessment in the eighth grade, any student not successfully
completing the reading portion shall be assigned a plan of remedial
reading. Any student not successful in completing the reading
portion of the state assessment may take a comparable alternative
reading proficiency test to satisfy the criteria for a driver
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license or permit. Alternative reading proficiency tests shall be
approved by the State Department of Education. Subsequent
successful completion of an alternative reading proficiency test
shall serve to satisfy any retake requirement for the reading
portion of the state assessment in the eighth grade in the Oklahoma
School Testing Program. School districts shall notify, in writing,
each student who takes the reading portion of the state assessment
for the eighth grade or who takes an alternative reading proficiency
test and the student's parent or legal guardian of the results. If
the student fails to perform satisfactorily on the test, the notice
shall inform the student of the reading proficiency driver license
requirement and the school's remediation plan for the student. Upon
the student's successful completion of the test, the school shall
furnish the student with the documentation needed for the driver
license application in Oklahoma;
2. Unless alternatively documented according to the provisions
of subsection C of this section, students under the age of eighteen
(18) years shall successfully complete a reading proficiency test
approved by the State Department of Education; and
3. Any student who wishes to apply for a restricted license to
operate a motorcycle may take an alternative reading proficiency
test, subject to the provisions of this section.
B. Alternative reading proficiency tests shall be offered by
testing sites:
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1. Which shall include the public schools at least four times
per calendar year;
2. And may include any of the following which choose to
participate;
3. The technology center school districts;
4. Regional Education Service Centers;
5. Colleges;
6. Accredited private schools; and
7. Other sites approved by the State Department of Education.
A student may take the test as often as wished, subject to the
provisions of this section. Testing sites shall provide the first
alternative reading proficiency test for each student at no cost.
Students may be assessed a fee not to exceed Twenty-five Dollars
($25.00) by the testing site for each subsequent alternative reading
proficiency test taken.
C. A school district shall provide for alternative
documentation of reading proficiency for the purposes of paragraph 2
of subsection A of Section 6 of this act for any student with an
individualized education program (IEP) that, at a minimum, is in an
area related to reading. The alternative documentation shall be
furnished to such student who is performing satisfactorily in
reading pursuant to the individualized education program of the
student. Parents of disabled students educated pursuant to the
provisions of Section 4 of Article XIII of the Oklahoma Constitution
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may satisfy the requirement of paragraph 2 of subsection A of
Section 6 of this act by signing an affidavit that, based upon their
best information and belief, their child would qualify for an
individualized education program that, at a minimum, is in an area
related to reading if enrolled in public school, and that in their
judgment their child is performing satisfactorily in reading and is
therefore academically qualified to satisfy the requirement of
paragraph 2 of subsection A of Section 6 of this act.
D. Any person under the age of eighteen (18) who has previously
completed and successfully passed a reading proficiency test from
another state may submit the results of such test to the State
Department of Education for verification and approval. The State
Department of Education shall have thirty (30) days from receipt of
the reading proficiency results submitted by the person to verify
that the reading proficiency requirements from the other state are
equivalent or comparable to the reading proficiency requirements
established for Oklahoma students pursuant to this section. Upon
verification and approval by the State Department of Education, the
Department shall furnish the person with the documentation needed
for the driver license application in Oklahoma. If the reading
proficiency documentation submitted by the person is disapproved by
the Department, the person may take an alternative reading
proficiency test as provided for in subsection B of this section.
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SECTION 6. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 6-107.8 of Title 47, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. The Department of Public Safety shall deny a license,
restricted license, or instruction permit for the operation of a
motor vehicle to any person under eighteen (18) years of age who
does not, at the time of application, present documentation that
such person:
1. a. is a student enrolled in a public or private secondary
school, including any technology center school, of
this state or any other state,
b. has received a diploma or certificate of completion
issued to the person from a secondary school of this
state or any other state,
c. is enrolled and making satisfactory progress in a
program leading to a Certificate of High School
Equivalency issued by the State Department of
Education, or has obtained such certificate,
d. is excused from such requirement pursuant to a lawful
excuse as defined in subsection G of this section or
due to circumstances beyond the control of the person,
or
e. is excused from such requirement pursuant to
subsection C of this section; and
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2. Has successfully passed the criterion-referenced reading
test required for all eighth-grade students or an alternative
reading proficiency test approved by the State Department of
Education, pursuant to the provisions of Section 5 of this act,
demonstrating reading proficiency at the eighth-grade reading level,
unless such student is excused from such requirement pursuant to the
provisions of Section 5 of this act. Provided, during the summer
months when school is not in regular session, as established by the
school district pursuant to Section 1-109 of Title 70 of the
Oklahoma Statutes, a person under eighteen (18) years of age may
satisfy the documentation requirement of this subsection by
providing a notarized written statement from and signed by the legal
custodial parent or legal guardian of the person to the Department
of Public Safety stating that the person completed the immediately
previous school year and is enrolled or intends to enroll for the
immediately subsequent school year.
B. 1. A person under eighteen (18) years of age who is
receiving education by other means, including education at home
pursuant to Section 4 of Article XIII of the Oklahoma Constitution,
shall satisfy the documentation requirement of paragraph 1 of
subsection A of this section by providing a written statement from
and signed by the legal custodial parent or legal guardian of the
person to the Department of Public Safety stating that the person is
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receiving instruction by other means pursuant to Section 4 of
Article XIII of the Oklahoma Constitution.
2. Any person who falsifies the information required in such
documentation, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
C. 1. A person under eighteen (18) years of age, who does not
meet the requirements of subparagraphs a through c of paragraph 1 of
subsection A of this section or the requirements of subsection B of
this section, may retain or be issued a driver license if:
a. the person is employed at least twenty-four (24) hours
per week, and
b. the employer of the person verifies the employment on
a form prescribed by the Department of Public Safety.
2. Any person who has retained or been issued a driver license
pursuant to this subsection who leaves such employment shall have
fifteen (15) days from the date of termination of employment to
provide verification of employment from a new employer.
3. Any employer who falsifies a verification of employment
shall be subject to an administrative fine of not more than Fifty
Dollars ($50.00), to be assessed by the Department of Public Safety.
D. 1. School district attendance officers, upon request, shall
provide a documentation of enrollment status form, established and
approved by the Department of Public Safety, to any person under
eighteen (18) years of age who is properly enrolled in a school for
which the attendance officer is responsible, for presentation to the
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Department of Public Safety upon application for or reinstatement of
an instruction permit, restricted license, or license to operate a
motor vehicle.
2. Except as provided in subsection E of this section, whenever
a person over fourteen (14) years of age and under eighteen (18)
years of age, who has a driver license or permit issued by the
Department of Public Safety, withdraws from school, the attendance
officer shall notify the Department of Public Safety of such
withdrawal through a documentation of enrollment status form.
3. Within fifteen (15) working days of the receipt of such
notice, the Department of Public Safety shall provide written notice
to the person, by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, that the
license of the person will be canceled thirty (30) days following
the date the notice to the person was sent, unless documentation of
compliance with the provisions of this section is received by the
Department of Public Safety before such time. After the thirty-day
period, the Department of Public Safety shall cancel the driving
privileges of the person.
E. When the withdrawal from school of a person under eighteen
(18) years of age is:
1. Due to circumstances beyond the control of the person;
2. Pursuant to any lawful excuse; or
3. For the purpose of transfer to another school, including
education at home pursuant to Section 4 of Article XIII of the
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Oklahoma Constitution, as confirmed in writing by the legal
custodial parent or legal guardian of the person, no notice as
required by subsection D of this section shall be sent to the
Department of Public Safety, or, if sent, such notice shall be
disregarded by the Department of Public Safety. If the person is
applying for a driver license, restricted driver license, or
instruction permit, the attendance officer shall provide the person
with documentation to present to the Department of Public Safety to
excuse the person from the requirements of this section.
F. Every school district shall, upon request, provide
documentation of reading proficiency for any person under eighteen
(18) years of age enrolled in such school district by certifying
passage of a reading examination pursuant to the provisions of
Section 5 of this act.
G. As used in this section:
1. "Withdrawal" means more than ten (10) consecutive days, or
parts of days, of unexcused absences or fifteen (15) days, or parts
of days, total unexcused absences during a single semester;
2. "Lawful excuse" means absence from school pursuant to any
valid physical or mental illness or pursuant to any legal excuse as
provided in Section 10-105 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
provided, however, the meaning of such term shall not include
marriage;
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3. "Circumstances beyond the control of the person" shall not
include marriage, suspension or expulsion from school, or
imprisonment in a jail, penitentiary or other correctional
institution;
4. "Documentation of enrollment status form" means the document
established and approved by the Department of Public Safety to
substantiate information concerning the eligibility of a person
under eighteen (18) years of age to apply for or to retain a license
or permit to drive. Such documentation shall not include any
information which is considered an education record pursuant to the
Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C., Sections 1232g
through 1232i, unless compliance is made with the restrictions
regarding disclosure of the information; and
5. "Documentation of reading proficiency" means information
provided by a school authorized by subsection B of Section 5 of this
act to certify the eligibility of a person under eighteen (18) years
of age to apply for a license or permit based on passage of a
reading proficiency test approved by the State Department of
Education, or pursuant to the alternative documentation criteria
provided in subsection C of Section 5 of this act. Such
documentation shall not include any information which is considered
an education record pursuant to the Family Education Rights and
Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C., Sections 1232g through 1232i, unless
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compliance is made with the restrictions regarding disclosure of the
information.
H. The provisions of this section shall be inapplicable with
respect to any person under eighteen (18) years of age upon whom
rights of majority have been conferred pursuant to Sections 91
through 94 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
I. The Department of Public Safety shall establish and approve
documentation forms and certificates required by this section for
use by school districts to comply with the provisions of this
section. Upon establishment and approval of such forms and
certificates, the Department of Public Safety shall notify each
school district and the State Board of Education of the content
thereof.
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.
60-2-13957 SW 12/11/25