Strong Readers Act; references; legislative findings; reading screenings; reading intervention plans; reading deficiencies; mandatory third grade retention; good cause exemptions; request process; intensive reading intervention; acceleration class; reporting requirements; summer academy programs; teacher training requirements; literacy instructional team; revolving fund; donations; emergency.

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ENGROSSED HOUSE
BILL NO. 4420 By: Hilbert, Archer, Lepak,
Kerbs, Hall, Lay, Caldwell
(Chad), Pae, Harris,
Wolfley, Hasenbeck,
Luttrell, Gise, Staires,
and Hill of the House

and

Pugh of the Senate

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 of the act; 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;
defining terms; 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; requiring the Office of Educational
Quality and Accountability to evaluate three
screening instruments; requiring the State Department
of Education to choose one screening instrument;
adding criteria to screening instrument; eliminating
duplicative language; removing reference to
additional reading assessments; eliminating reference
to programs of reading instruction; eliminating
reference to program of reading instruction
requirements; providing students who are not meeting
grade-level reading targets with Tier 2 or Tier 3
reading intervention programs; including certain
fourth-grade students in receiving reading
intervention plans; adding principal or designate to
reading intervention team; requiring monthly progress
updates to parents; requiring benchmarks for
screening instrument results; requiring annual

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analysis and reporting of screening instruments
tiers; prohibiting digital technology from solely
being used in reading intervention; requiring reading
specialist or interventionist input for a district's
strong reader plan; requiring annual updates only for
changes made to the plan; eliminating reference to
reporting exceptions for annual plan updates;
eliminating reference to students who are reading
proficient and parental notifications for proficient
students; eliminating duplicate language; requiring
retention review for certain kindergarten, first, and
second-grade students; allowing consideration of
student growth for certain retention determinations
for first, and second grade students; requiring
summer tutoring or summer reading academy option for
certain kindergarten, first, and second-grade
students; allowing re-screening of retained
kindergarten, first, and second-grade students;
exempting certain second-grade students from third-
grade retention requirements; requiring parental
notifications for Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions;
requiring Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions for certain
incoming third-grade students; requiring a review of
progress and additional services for certain incoming
third-grade students; requiring demonstration of
sufficient reading skills for promotion to fourth
grade beginning in the 2027-2028 school year;
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; allowing option for parents to retain
student when good-cause exemption applies;
implementing a good-cause exemption request process;
adding parental notification requirement of student
retention; clarifying certain students are subject to
screening and testing requirements when re-entering
public school system; requiring additional reading
intervention supports for retained students beginning
in the 2028-2029 school year; detailing additional
support and services to be provided to retained
students; requiring parental notification of a Read
at Home Plan; adding school district reporting and
publication requirements; adding State Department of
Education reporting requirements; amending 70 O.S.
2021, Section 1210.508D, as amended by Section 6,
Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section
1210.508D), which relates to funding; adding a base

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allocation of funds for schools to support the Strong
Readers Act on a per student basis; changing the
funding amount weights schools may receive for
students who need reading remediation; clarifying
that supplemental funding is for Tier 2 or Tier 3
reading interventions; requiring the Board of
Education to promulgate rules; providing incentive
funding to schools that demonstrate certain student
progress out of Tier 2 and Tier 3 reading
interventions; eliminating references to certain
provisional development allocations; eliminating
reference to certain professional development
stipend; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508E, as
amended by Section 7, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70
O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508E), which relates to
summer academy programs; clarifying that summer
reading academies shall include Tier 2 or Tier 3
intervention services to correct reading
deficiencies; requiring school districts to provide
summer reading academies or Tier 2 or Tier 3 reading
intervention programs to certain students; mandating
minimum hours of instructional time; requiring
certain reading intervention options to be provided
to third through eighth grades within certain
timeframe; requiring school districts to report on
Tier 2 or Tier 3 reading intervention options;
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; eliminating reference
to adjuncts; providing professional development
options; clarifying instruction to prospective
teachers; mandating that teacher candidates receive
certain instruction regarding balanced literacy and
whole language models; amending Section 2, Chapter
288, O.S.L. 2023, as amended by Section 9, Chapter
411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section
1210.508H), which relates to the literacy
instructional team; making the literacy instructional
team pilot program permanent; changing team language
to coaches; requiring literacy coaches to provide
certain job support for K-3 teachers, schools, and
administrators; requiring certain training; requiring
minimum regional literacy coaches; giving priority to
teachers with certain degrees and experience;
allowing districts to use currently employed literacy
coaches under certain circumstances; requiring the

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Department to develop academies for teachers to
obtain early literacy micro-credentials for certain
districts; providing literacy coach assignment
criteria; providing literacy coach duties;
withholding certain funding if schools decline help
from literacy coaches; requiring Department of
Education to provide stipends and program fees for
certain teacher training academies; creating the
Strong Readers Revolving Fund; designating source of
funds; designating Department to receive and expend
funds; requiring donors to designate specific places
to receive monies; requiring strict adherence to
donor designations; providing additional monetary
uses; providing for codification; 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
1210.508J 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

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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
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. To carry out the purpose of this act, it is the intent of
the Legislature that the identification, instruction, and
intervention required under the Strong Readers Act be implemented
within a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework that
emphasizes strong core literacy instruction for all students and
provides increasing levels of instructional intensity based on
student need and demonstrated response to instruction.
D. It is further the intent of the Legislature that strong core
literacy instruction consists of explicit, systematic instruction in
foundational reading and writing skills, including phonological

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awareness, decoding, encoding, spelling, sentence-level writing,
language development, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension,
recognizing the reciprocal relationship between reading and writing
proficiency.
E. 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. F. 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 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.

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SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1210.508B-1 of Title 70, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. As used in the Strong Readers Act:
1. "Grade-level targets" means the grade-specific benchmark
scores established for the screening instrument selected by the
State Board of Education in coordination with the Commission on
Educational Quality and Accountability;
2. "Highly qualified teacher" means a teacher or provider with
appropriate training and demonstrated competency in evidence-based
reading intervention;
3. "Literacy coach" means an educator with demonstrated
expertise in evidence-based literacy instruction who provides job-
embedded professional learning, modeling, observation, and feedback
to teachers to strengthen core instruction and intervention
practices within a multi-tiered system of supports framework. The
primary responsibility of a literacy coach is to support educators
and administrators in improving instructional practices and
schoolwide literacy systems. A literacy coach shall not serve in a
supervisory or evaluative capacity to maintain a non-evaluative role
that fosters professional trust and growth;
4. "Multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS)" means a framework
that provides strong core literacy instruction to all students and

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increasingly intensive levels of instructional support based on
student need and demonstrated response to instruction;
5. "Reading deficiency" means performance below grade-level
targets on a screening or diagnostic assessment indicating that a
student is not meeting grade-level expectations in one or more
reading skill areas;
6. "Reading interventionist" means an educator trained in
evidence-based reading instruction who provides supplemental or
intensive intervention to students identified with a reading
deficiency or significant reading deficiency, aligned to student
data and delivered in addition to core instruction;
7. "Reading specialist" means an educator who has completed
advanced preparation in literacy instruction and assessment and is
responsible for designing, delivering, and monitoring targeted and
intensive reading interventions, as well as supporting teachers in
addressing reading deficiencies across grade levels. A reading
specialist shall have completed a graduate-level specialist degree
in reading or literacy, passed the applicable certification
examination, and hold a valid teaching certificate with a reading
specialist endorsement;
8. "Science of reading" means the body of scientifically based
research conducted over several decades and across multiple
countries, drawing from multiple disciplines including cognitive
psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and education, that explains

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how individuals learn to read and write. The science of reading
informs instructional practices that are explicit, systematic, and
cumulative, and are aligned to the development of phonological
awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, written
expression, and oral language development;
9. "Significant reading deficiency" means a reading deficiency
that persists despite supplemental intervention and indicates a need
for intensive intervention based on student data and response to
instruction;
10. "Tier 1 – Core Instruction (Tier 1)":
a. means evidence-based reading instruction provided to
all students as part of the general education program.
Tier 1 instruction shall include high-quality,
standards-aligned literacy instruction grounded in the
science of reading and delivered during the regular
instructional day,
b. includes universal screening in kindergarten through
third grade and ongoing assessment used to identify
students who may require additional instructional
support. Tier 1 may also include targeted
instructional supports delivered within the core
instructional setting to address emerging reading
needs, and

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c. is intended to meet the needs of the majority of
students through strong classroom instruction and
prevention-focused supports;
11. "Tier 2 – Supplemental Intervention (Tier 2)" means:
a. targeted reading intervention provided in addition to
Tier 1 core instruction for students identified
through screening and progress-monitoring data as
requiring additional instructional support to meet
grade-level reading expectations. Tier 2 intervention
shall:
(1) provide additional instructional time beyond Tier
1 core instruction,
(2) be delivered in small-group settings, typically
consisting of three to five students, using
evidence-based instructional practices aligned
with the science of reading,
(3) target specific skill deficits identified through
assessment data, and
(4) include regular progress monitoring to determine
the effectiveness of the intervention and guide
instructional adjustments,
b. a student shall be designated as receiving Tier 2
supplemental intervention only when the student is

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actively participating in scheduled intervention
services beyond Tier 1 instruction; and
12. "Tier 3 – Intensive Intervention (Tier 3)" means:
a. individualized or highly targeted reading intervention
provided in addition to Tier 1 core instruction and
Tier 2 supplemental intervention for students
demonstrating a significant reading deficiency. Tier
3 intervention shall:
(1) provide substantially increased instructional
intensity and frequency beyond Tier 2 supports,
(2) be delivered in individualized or small group
settings, typically consisting of one to three
students,
(3) be guided by diagnostic assessment to address
specific reading skill deficits, and
(4) include frequent progress monitoring to evaluate
student response to intervention and guide
instructional decision-making,
b. a student shall be designated as receiving Tier 3
intensive intervention only when the student is
actively participating in scheduled intensive
intervention services beyond Tier 1 instruction.
B. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules
establishing implementation guidance for each tier defined in

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paragraphs 10 through 12 of subsection A of this section, including
expectations related to instructional time, group size,
documentation requirements, and progress-monitoring practices
necessary to ensure the effective delivery of intervention services.
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 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
monitoring of progress and for measurement of 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. The Office of Educational Quality
and Accountability shall evaluate and rank up to three screening
instruments, which shall be approved by the Commission for
Educational Quality and Accountability. The State Board of
Education shall select one screening instrument approved by the
Commission to be utilized for the purposes of this section.

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The selected screening instrument shall meet the following
criteria:
1. Can assess for phonological awareness, sound symbol
recognition, alphabet knowledge, rapid naming skills, decoding and
encoding skills, oral reading accuracy and fluency, vocabulary, and
comprehension, as developmentally appropriate;
2. Can document the validity and reliability of each
assessment;
3. Can identify students who are at risk for reading and math
deficiency and monitor student progress throughout the school year;
4. Can be linked to, and can accurately predict, performance on
the Oklahoma School Testing Program;
5. Is normed beyond elementary grades;
6. Can assess students with disabilities and English language
learners;
7. Is accompanied by a data management system that provides
profiles of each student, class, grade level, and school building.
The profiles shall identify the instructional point of need and
reading achievement level for each student; and
8. Is capable of reporting student-level data to the State
Department of Education and the Office of Educational Quality and
Accountability.
B. In determining which screening instrument to approve and
utilize, the State Board of Education, the Commission for

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Educational Quality and Accountability, and the Secretary 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 and legal guardians of
students; and
3. The integration of the screening instrument into reading and
math 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

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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
determine other comparable reading assessments for diagnostic
purposes to be used for students at risk of reading failure; and
4. The ability to report all reading screening results to both
the State Department of Education and the Office of Educational
Quality and Accountability.
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)

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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
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-

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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,
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 Tier 2 or Tier
3 interventions, as determined by their individual
reading intervention plan. Such reading interventions
shall not occur during math instruction.
2. A student enrolled in kindergarten or first, second, or
third grade who exhibits a deficiency in reading deficiency at any
time based on the screening instrument administered pursuant to
subsection A of this section and any fourth-grade student promoted
for good cause pursuant to subsection L of this section shall
receive an individual reading intervention plan no later than thirty

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(30) days after the identification of the deficiency in reading
deficiency. The reading intervention plan shall be provided in
addition to core Tier 1 reading instruction that is provided to all
students. The reading intervention plan shall:
a. describe the research-based Tier 2 or Tier 3 reading
intervention services the student will receive to
remedy the deficiency in reading deficiency,
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 deficiency shall be developed by a
Student Reading Proficiency Team and shall include supplemental
instructional services and supports. Each team shall be composed
of:

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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 and
e. principal, vice principal, or designate.
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. The State Board of
Education, in consultation with the Office of Educational Quality
and Accountability, shall annually define and set benchmarks for
screening instrument results that are predictive of future
performance on the state summative assessment to assist in
identifying intervention tiers within a reading intervention plan.
Annually, the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability shall
analyze and report to the State Department of Education the

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correlation of screening instrument tiers to state summative tiers
using predictive modeling and prior year formative and summative
testing results.
5. Reading intervention shall not be provided solely by digital
technology. Reading intervention shall include a majority of direct
instruction from a teacher or reading specialist trained in the
science of 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 or interventionist, and which shall be
submitted electronically to and approved by the State Board of
Education. The plan shall be updated annually if changes have been
made to the plan. 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

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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.
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

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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.
1. a. If a kindergarten, first, or second-grade student has
demonstrated the need for Tier 2 or Tier 3
intervention services by either the midyear or the
end-of-year screening, the Reading Proficiency Team of
the student shall meet prior to the end of the school
year to discuss voluntary retention of the student.
If a first or second-grade student previously met the
midyear screening basic benchmark and has shown growth
for the remainder of the year, the Reading Proficiency
Team may consider the growth of the student in its
retention determination. Retention under this
paragraph shall be optional and based upon the
recommendations of at least five members of the
Reading Proficiency Team of the student.
b. If the student is not retained in the kindergarten,
first, or second grade, the family of the student

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shall be provided with a summer tutoring program or
the ability to attend a summer reading academy. The
State Department of Education shall also approve one
or two online or workbook-based summer tutoring
programs for use by students under this paragraph.
School districts shall also provide the parents or
legal guardians of the student with a list of summer
literacy programs available if a summer academy, as
described in Section 1210.508E of this title, is not
offered by the school district.
c. If the Reading Proficiency Team of the student
determines that retention of the student in
kindergarten or in the first or second grade is
necessary, the student shall be permitted to re-screen
prior to the start of the subsequent school year on a
date determined by school personnel if the re-
screening is requested by the parent or legal guardian
of the student, at least five members of the Reading
Proficiency Team of the student agree to the re-
screening, and a reasonable time has been provided for
summer remediation. After reviewing the results of
the re-screening of the student, the Reading
Proficiency Team shall redetermine if voluntary
retention is appropriate.

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2. The State Department of Education may voluntarily administer
the Oklahoma State Testing Program (OSTP) to second-grade students
beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. Students who take the OSTP
in second grade and score a basic or above achievement level are
exempt from third-grade retention requirements provided in
subsection K 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 Tier 2 or
Tier 3 intervention services pursuant to paragraph 2 of subsection F
D 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 Tier 2 or
Tier 3 intervention services, and the number of students per grade
level who are still in need of intensive Tier 2 or Tier 3
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

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House of Representatives, and to the respective chairs of the
committees with responsibility for common education policy in each
legislative chamber.
H. The parent or legal guardian 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 Tier 2 or Tier 3 reading
instruction interventions as provided for in paragraph 1 of
subsection D of this section shall be notified in writing of no
later than thirty (30) days after the identification of the reading
deficiency and be accompanied by the individual reading intervention
plan developed in paragraph 2 of subsection D of this section. The
notification shall include the following:
1. That the student has been identified as having a substantial
deficiency in reading deficiency;
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 Tier 2 or Tier 3
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 D
of this section;
4. That the parent or legal guardian shall be informed in
writing of the progress of the student toward grade-level reading at

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least every thirty (30) days and provided with strategies to assist
at home;
5. That if the child's reading deficiency is not remediated by
the end of third grade, the child shall not be promoted to fourth
grade unless a good-cause exemption is met;
6. That a student who is promoted to the fourth grade for good
cause shall receive supplemental intensive Tier 2 or Tier 3
intervention services unless he or she is a student who meets the
definition of a student with the most significant cognitive
disabilities;
5. Strategies 7. A description of the specific skill deficits
of the child and strategies for parents or legal guardians to use in
helping their child succeed in reading proficiency; and
6. 8. The grade-level performance scores of the student; and
9. That while the statewide English Language Arts assessment is
the initial determinate for promotion, students may be provided with
an alternative reading assessment option that is recommended by the
Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability and approved
by the State Department of Education to demonstrate sufficient
reading skills 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. 1. Any incoming third-grade student identified with a
reading deficiency shall be provided Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions

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to remedy his or her specific reading deficiency. Intervention
services shall include effective instructional strategies to
accelerate student progress and be delivered by a highly qualified
teacher.
2. Public school districts shall review individual reading
intervention plans for all incoming third-grade students identified
with a reading deficiency. The review shall address additional
supports and services the student will receive. The supports and
services shall include reading instruction and Tier 2 or Tier 3
intervention services and supports to correct any identified area of
reading deficiency.
K. 1. Beginning with the 2027-2028 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 below basic level on the third-grade
statewide English Language Arts assessment, or
b. earning an acceptable score on an alternative
standardized reading assessment as recommended by the
Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability
and approved by the State Board of Education.
2. If the third-grade student cannot demonstrate sufficient
reading skills on one of the two options described in paragraph 1 of

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this subsection and does not qualify for a good-cause exemption, the
student shall be retained in the third grade for the next school
year. Screening instruments described in this section shall not be
used for promotion purposes.
L. 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, except for students who meet the
definition of a student with the most significant cognitive
disabilities, shall continue to receive Tier 2 or Tier 3 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:
1. Students with disabilities whose Individualized Education
Program (IEP) indicates that participation in the statewide
assessment program is not appropriate, consistent with state law;
2. Students identified as English language learners who have
had less than two (2) years of instruction in an English-learner
program;

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3. 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 intervention for more than two (2) years but still
demonstrates a reading deficiency, or who was previously retained
for one (1) year in kindergarten, first, second, or third grade; and
4. Students who have received Tier 2 or Tier 3 reading
intervention for two (2) or more years but still demonstrate a
reading deficiency, and who were previously retained in
kindergarten, first, second, or third grade for a total of two (2)
years. No student shall be retained twice in third grade.
M. Requests to exempt students from the mandatory third-grade
retention requirement, as provided in subsection K of this section,
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 the existing reading
intervention plan or IEP;
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

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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; and
3. The parents or legal guardians of a third-grade student
eligible for a good-cause exemption may choose that the student be
retained for one (1) year even if the school district superintendent
accepts a recommendation for a good-cause exemption pursuant to this
subsection.
N. The school district shall provide written notification to
the parent or legal guardian 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
notification shall include a description of the proposed Tier 2 or
Tier 3 interventions that will be provided to the child to remedy
the identified areas of reading deficiency in the retained year.
O. Students that are withdrawn from public school to bypass
third-grade retention requirements, as outlined in subsection K of
this section, shall be subject to screening and OSTP testing upon
return to the public school system to determine appropriate grade
level upon re-entry.

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P. Beginning with the 2028-2029 school year, students retained
under the provisions of subsection K of this section shall be
provided Tier 2 or Tier 3 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 teacher with appropriate training and demonstrated
competency in evidence-based reading intervention. School districts
with only one third-grade teacher are exempt from the requirements
of this paragraph;
2. Tier 2 or Tier 3 reading intervention services and supports
to correct the identified areas of reading deficiency;
3. One of the following intervention supports:
a. a transitional instructional setting designed to
produce learning gains sufficient to meet fourth-grade
performance standards in all other core academic areas
while continuing to correct the areas of reading
deficiency,

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b. before- or after-school supplemental research-based
reading intervention delivered by a teacher or tutor
with specialized reading training, or
c. summer academy programs designed to ensure that
participating students successfully complete grade-
level competencies in reading to enhance next-grade
readiness; and
4. A "Read at Home" plan as created by the Office of
Educational Quality and Accountability shall be outlined in a
parental or legal guardian notification, including participation in
parent or legal guardian training workshops or regular parent-guided
or legal guardian-guided home reading activities which are aligned
to scientifically based reading research.
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:
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

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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 demonstrated a reading deficiency
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.
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

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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 on the
statewide English Language Arts assessment who were
promoted with a good-cause exemption in the previous
school year.
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 and shall post such information on its website.

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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
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

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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;
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

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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 5. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508D,
as amended by Section 6, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
2025, Section 1210.508D), is amended to read as follows:
Section 1210.508D. A. Contingent on the provision of
appropriated funds designated for the Strong Readers Act, school
districts may be allocated monies for each enrolled kindergarten
student or first-, second-, and third-grade student of the current
school year who is found to be in need of remediation or intensive
intervention services in reading. The allocation shall be
distributed to each school district upon approval of the strong
readers plan for the school district by the State Board of Education
and the submittal of a child-count report to the State Department of
Education that details the number of students identified as needing
remediation or intensive intervention services in reading. To
determine a per-student allocation amount, the total amount of funds
available for allocation each year shall be divided by the total

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number of students in the state identified as in need of remediation
or intensive intervention services in reading as provided for in
Section 1210.508C of this title. Each school district shall be
allocated an amount equal to the per-student allocation amount
multiplied by the number of identified students enrolled in the
school district.
B. Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, districts
receiving more than Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00)
pursuant to subsection A of this section shall spend no less than
ten percent (10%) to provide professional development for teachers
teaching prekindergarten through grade five. The professional
development shall include training in the science of reading
including how students learn to read; training in providing explicit
and systematic instruction in phonological awareness, decoding,
fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension; implementing reading
strategies that research has shown to be successful in improving
reading among students with reading difficulties; and instructional
materials required for implementation.
C. By June 30, 2022, the Department shall approve and publish a
list of professional development programs that are evidence-based
and directly address the cognitive science of how students learn to
read for which districts are permitted to use the funds received
under this section. each school district shall receive a base
literacy allocation calculated on a per-student basis for each

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student enrolled in kindergarten and grades one through three, as
reported in the October 1 enrollment counts of the current school
year.
The base literacy allocation shall support the prevention of
reading deficiencies and the implementation of strong core literacy
instruction within Tier 1 of a multi-tiered system of supports
(MTSS) framework, including but not limited to:
1. Evidence-based core literacy instruction and instructional
materials aligned with the science of reading;
2. Universal screening and diagnostic assessment necessary to
identify students at risk for reading deficiencies;
3. Progress monitoring and data use to inform instructional
decisions;
4. Family literacy resources and engagement activities aligned
with classroom instruction; and
5. Professional development and instructional coaching
necessary to implement the district Strong Readers plan.
The State Board of Education shall allocate not less than sixty
percent (60%) of funds appropriated for purposes of this section to
support the base literacy allocation described in this subsection.
B. 1. In addition to the base literacy allocation provided
pursuant to subsection A of this section, school districts shall
receive supplemental weighted funding for students identified
through screening and progress-monitoring data as requiring

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additional reading intervention services within a multi-tiered
system of supports (MTSS) framework.
2. Supplemental weighted funding shall support intervention
services beyond Tier 1 core instruction and shall be distributed
according to the following categories:
a. Tier 2 – Supplemental Intervention Weight.
Students identified as requiring targeted reading
intervention beyond core instruction shall generate
supplemental funding to support additional
instructional time, reduced group size, and evidence-
based intervention.
b. Tier 3 – Intensive Intervention Weight.
Students identified as demonstrating a significant
reading deficiency requiring intensive,
individualized, or highly targeted intervention shall
generate supplemental funding reflecting the increased
instructional intensity required at this level.
3. Supplemental funding received pursuant to this subsection
shall be used exclusively for intervention services beyond Tier 1
core instruction, including:
a. additional instructional time devoted to reading
intervention,
b. reduced instructional group sizes necessary to deliver
intensive instruction,

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c. specialized instructional materials and intervention
programs aligned with the science of reading,
d. compensation for educators delivering intervention
services, and
e. professional development necessary to ensure educators
providing intervention services have extensive
training in the science of reading.
4. The State Board of Education shall allocate not less than
thirty percent (30%) of funds appropriated for purposes of this
section to support supplemental weighted intervention funding
described in this subsection and shall promulgate rules establishing
the methodology for calculating weights, documentation requirements,
and procedures for verifying intervention participation.
5. Students shall be counted for purposes of supplemental
weighted funding pursuant to this subsection only when the school
district has documented that the student is receiving intervention
services consistent with the level of instructional intensity
required at the applicable tier.
6. School districts shall maintain documentation demonstrating:
a. identification of the student through an approved
universal screening assessment and supporting
diagnostic or progress-monitoring data,

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b. implementation of an intervention plan specifying the
instructional approach, frequency, duration, and group
size of intervention services, and
c. ongoing progress monitoring used to determine the
effectiveness of the intervention and inform
instructional adjustments.
7. Students shall not generate supplemental weighted funding
unless intervention services are provided beyond Tier 1 core
instruction. The State Department of Education may review
intervention documentation and program implementation to verify
eligibility for supplemental weighted funding distributed pursuant
to this section.
8. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules
establishing reasonable expectations for the proportion of students
receiving supplemental and intensive intervention services within a
multi-tiered system of supports framework.
9. When the reported percentage of students receiving Tier 2 or
Tier 3 intervention services significantly exceeds expected ranges,
the State Department of Education may require additional
documentation or provide technical assistance to ensure intervention
services are implemented with the instructional intensity required
at each tier.
C. 1. In order to encourage continuous improvement in student
reading outcomes and to support the sustainability of effective

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intervention services, a portion of funds appropriated pursuant to
this section shall be used to provide incentives to school districts
demonstrating measurable improvement in student reading performance.
2. Incentive funding may include recognition of:
a. students who demonstrate sufficient progress to exit
Tier 3 intensive intervention,
b. students who demonstrate sufficient progress to exit
Tier 2 supplemental intervention, and
c. schools or districts demonstrating measurable
reductions in the number or percentage of students
requiring supplemental or intensive intervention.
3. The State Board of Education shall allocate up to ten
percent (10%) of funds appropriated for purposes of this section for
literacy improvement incentives and shall promulgate rules
establishing criteria for determining eligibility for such
incentives.
D. If a teacher attends and completes a professional
development institute in elementary reading approved by the
Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability during the
summer or when school is not in session, the teacher may receive a
stipend equal to the amount of the cost for a substitute teacher,
based on the amount of funds allocated.

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SECTION 6. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508E,
as amended by Section 7, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
2025, Section 1210.508E), is amended to read as follows:
Section 1210.508E. A. If a teacher determines that a student
in kindergarten or first through third grade is not reading at grade
level by the end of the second quarter of the school year, the
parent or legal guardian of the student shall be notified of:
1. The reading level of the student;
2. The program of reading instruction for the student as
required pursuant to the Strong Readers Act; and
3. The potential need for the student to participate in a
summer academy or other program designed to assist the student in
attaining grade-level reading skills.
B. A teacher who determines a student in kindergarten or first
through third grade is not meeting grade-level targets for reading
may, after consultation with the parent or legal guardian of the
student, recommend that the student participate in and complete a
transitional instructional setting, before- or after-school
supplemental tutoring, a summer academy program, or other program.
C. Summer academy programs shall be designed to ensure that
participating students successfully complete grade-level
competencies in reading to enhance next-grade readiness. A summer
academy reading program shall be a program that incorporates the
content of a scientifically research-based professional development

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program administered by the Commission for Educational Quality and
Accountability or a scientifically research-based reading program
administered by the State Board of Education Tier 2 or Tier 3
reading interventions and is taught by teachers who have
successfully completed professional development in the reading
program a highly qualified teacher or who are a certified as reading
specialists specialist. The program shall provide explicit,
systematic, sequential, and cumulative reading intervention services
and supports to correct students' identified areas of reading
deficiency.
D. School districts may approve an option for students who are
unable to attend a summer academy. The optional program may
include, but is not limited to, an approved private provider of
instruction, approved computer- or Internet-based instruction, or an
approved program of reading instruction monitored by the parent or
legal guardian. School districts shall not be required to pay for
the optional program but shall clearly communicate to the parent or
legal guardian the expectations of the program and any costs that
may be involved.
E. Subject to the availability of funds, beginning 1. School
districts shall provide at least one of the following Tier 2 or Tier
3 reading intervention options to all third-grade students scoring
at the below basic achievement level on the third-grade statewide
English Language Arts assessment, as well as students who have

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completed kindergarten through second grade and are at risk of
reading deficiency as determined by a screening instrument
administered pursuant to subsection A of Section 1210.508C of this
title.
a. a transitional instructional setting, which is
designed to produce learning gains sufficient to meet
fourth-grade performance standards in all other core
academic areas while continuing to correct the areas
of reading deficiency,
b. before- or after-school supplemental research-based
reading intervention delivered by a teacher or tutor
with specialized reading training, or
c. summer academy programs designed to ensure that
participating students successfully complete grade-
level competencies in reading to enhance next-grade
readiness.
2. Summer reading academies shall include, at a minimum,
seventy (70) hours of instructional time in reading and shall not
use balanced literacy and whole language models, such as three-
cueing as defined in subsection D of Section 1210.508B of this
title.
F. Beginning one (1) year after implementation of this section,
the requirements of subsection B E of this section may shall be
expanded to apply to students in fourth grade. Each year

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thereafter, the requirements may shall be expanded by one grade
level until the requirements apply to third-grade students through
eighth-grade students. Summer academy programs The Tier 2 or Tier 3
reading intervention options outlined in subsection E of this
section shall be designed for each grade level. Nothing in this
section shall prevent the State Board of Education or a school
district board of education from utilizing private, local, or
federal funds to implement this section.
F. G. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
implement the provisions of this section which shall include
requirements for instructional time for summer academy programs,
teacher qualifications, and evaluation of student achievement as a
result of summer academy programs or other optional programs and
shall require school districts to report on the availability of Tier
2 or Tier 3 reading intervention options, the number of students
participating in each option, and evaluation of student achievement
as a result of each provided option.
SECTION 7. 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.

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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
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. Professional development may
include effective use of data, progress monitoring, and intervention
planning as it fits into a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS)
framework. 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 language learners,
students at risk for reading deficiencies, and learners students
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

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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
programs the requirement that teacher candidates study the five
elements of reading instruction which are phonological awareness,
decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension and the study
methods based on the science of reading. 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 the negative impacts of balanced literacy and
whole language models, including three-cueing practices. They shall
further study how to identify balanced literacy and whole language
models including three-cueing practices in curriculum, and
subsequently, learn how to implement reading instruction using high-
quality instructional materials grounded in the science of reading
which do not include balanced literacy and whole language models
such as three-cueing, and the negative impacts of three-cueing.

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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 be aligned to scientifically based reading research and
evaluate the certification applicant's knowledge and understanding
of the five elements of reading instruction which are 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 8. AMENDATORY Section 2, Chapter 288, O.S.L.
2023, as amended by Section 9, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S.
Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508H), is amended to read as follows:
Section 1210.508H. A. Beginning with the 2023-2024 2026-2027
school year, the State Department of Education shall establish and
maintain a three-year pilot program to employ a literacy
instructional team coaches to support school districts in
implementation of the requirements of Section 1210.508C of this
title. The Department shall provide technical assistance for

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literacy instruction, dyslexia, and related disorders, and serve as
a primary source of information and support for schools,
administrators, and teachers in addressing the needs of students
struggling with literacy, reading deficiencies, dyslexia, and
related disorders or identified with the risk characteristics
associated with dyslexia.
B. The Department shall employ a literacy instructional team
with team members coaches who are placed regionally in six major
geographic regions across the state. The literacy instructional
teams coaches shall assist schools, administrators, educators, and
general education and special education teachers in recognizing
educational needs to improve literacy outcomes for all students
including those with reading deficiencies, dyslexia, or identified
with the risk characteristics associated with dyslexia. Priority
shall be given to lowest performing schools on the end-of-year
English Language Arts assessment or the statewide reading screener
as approved by the State Department of Education. The role of the
literacy instructional team coaches shall also include increasing
professional awareness and instructional competencies to meet the
educational needs of all students including those with reading
deficiencies, dyslexia, or identified with risk characteristics
associated with dyslexia. The Department shall prioritize supports
and interventions including enrollment in reading trainings and
professional development for schools which have the highest

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percentage of students who do not demonstrate sufficient reading
skills as established by the State Board of Education.
C. Literacy coaches shall provide systems and instructional
support to schools to strengthen the implementation of evidence-
based literacy instruction and intervention and to build the
capacity of educators and school leaders to sustain effective
literacy practices. Literacy coaches shall serve in a supportive,
non-evaluative capacity and shall not conduct personnel evaluations
or impose personnel actions.
D. Literacy instructional team members coaches employed by the
Department shall be required to pass Oklahoma's "Foundations of
Reading" test and shall have training in:
1. The science of how students learn to read including
phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension,
writing, and language;
2. Foundation of multisensory, explicit, systematic, and
structured reading instruction;
3. Identification of and the use of appropriate interventions,
accommodations, assistive technology, and teaching techniques for
struggling students with dysgraphia, dyslexia, a related reading
disorder, or reading deficiency;
4. The requirements of the Strong Readers Act;
5. Special education laws and procedures; and

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6. Appropriate interventions, accommodations, and assistive
technology supports for students with dyslexia or a related
disorder.
D. E. The literacy instructional team members coaches employed
by the Department shall report to the Program Director for Literacy
at the Department and have:
1. A a minimum of five twenty regional literacy leads coaches,
at least one who shall be designated by the Department as a dyslexia
specialist to provide school districts with support and resources
that are necessary to assist students with dyslexia. The Department
shall give preference to educators applying for regional literacy
lead coaches who:
1. a. hold a master's degree in education with three (3)
years of documented successful experience teaching
reading as evidenced by reading assessment scores, or
b. hold a bachelor's degree with five (5) years of
documented successful experience teaching reading as
evidenced by reading assessment scores with a minimum
of three (3) years of literacy experience at the
state, district, or school level;
2. Have a valid certificate to teach issued by the State Board
of Education;
3. Have experience delivering professional development specific
to literacy instruction, mentoring and coaching classroom teachers,

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leading others in a collaborative process, and analyzing and using
student performance data for instructional purposes;
have 4. Have an endorsement or certification as a certified
structured literacy dyslexia specialist or certified academic
language therapist,;
b. are
5. Are knowledgeable of multitiered systems of support,; and
c. have
6. Have been trained in the identification of and intervention
for dyslexia and related disorders including best practice the use
of appropriate interventions and treatment models for,
accommodations, and teaching techniques for students with
dysgraphia, dyslexia; and
2. A minimum of ten literacy specialists, a related reading
disorder, or reading deficiency.
F. 1. The State Department of Education shall assign literacy
coaches to school districts that are identified by the Department
based on the number and percentage of students scoring in the below
basic performance level on the standards of reading foundations and
processes and the vocabulary portions of the statewide third-grade
assessment administered pursuant to Section 1210.508C of this title
or the statewide reading screener in kindergarten through second
grade.

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2. If a district already employs instructional coaches, that
district shall not be required to utilize Department-assigned
literacy coaches so long as the local instructional coaches
participate in a Department-led Coaching Improvement Community
aligned to the Science of Reading and national coaching best
practices.
G. Literacy coaches assigned to school districts pursuant to
the provisions of this section shall:
a. provide technical support to teachers responsible for
reading instruction and reading specialists,
b. assist administrators, educators, and reading
specialists in implementing evidence-based literacy
practices,
c. design and conduct professional development to meet
the needs of teachers and administrators in the area
of literacy,
d. provide clear, practical, timely, and candid written
and oral feedback to teachers and administrators based
on coaching cycles, and
e. meet regularly with teachers, reading specialists, and
administrators to review literacy data and make
recommendations for adjustments in instructional
practices.

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H. The Department shall give preference to educators applying
for literacy specialist to become a literacy coach who:
a. have training in the science of reading,
b. are knowledgeable of multi-tiered systems of support,
and
c. have been trained in the identification of and
intervention for dyslexia and related disorders
including best practice the use of appropriate
interventions and treatment models for,
accommodations, and teaching techniques for students
with dysgraphia, dyslexia, a related reading disorder,
or reading deficiency, and
d. have previously retired and were a highly effective
elementary school teacher based on student reading
scores on the statewide English Language Arts
assessment or teacher evaluations.
I. If a school district that is prioritized for supports and
interventions pursuant to this section declines to accept assistance
from a literacy coach, the district shall not be eligible to receive
funds pursuant to Section 1210.508D of this title.
J. 1. School districts shall have a minimum of one reading
specialist, interventionist, or staff member with an early literacy
micro-credential, for each public elementary school.

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2. For school districts who do not currently employ or contract
with a reading specialist or interventionist, the Office of
Educational Quality and Accountability shall work with public or
private institutions of higher education within this state to
develop teacher training academies for teachers to obtain an early
literacy micro-credential. The academies shall provide a
competency-based professional learning micro-credential after
completing an intensive teacher training academy held at Oklahoma-
based universities.
3. The teacher training academies developed pursuant to
paragraph 2 of this subsection may include in-person instruction,
synchronous online, or hybrid options. The intensive academy shall
be focused on MTSS, the Science of Reading, and standards alignment
for early literacy instruction in kindergarten through third grade.
Districts shall select at least one staff member per school, with
priority given to districts without a current full- or part-time
reading specialist or interventionist, per year to attend the
teacher training academies. These individuals can be teachers and
full- or part-time interventionists who will work with students in
kindergarten through third grade.
4. The Office of Educational Quality and Accountability shall
set program criteria for the micro-credential course and vet higher
education programs seeking to issue the credential to Oklahoma
educators. The Commission for Educational Quality and

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Accountability shall approve higher education institutions allowed
to issue an early literacy micro-credential. Both public and
private higher education institutions may apply.
5. Instructors for teacher training academies shall possess
relevant field experience, including demonstrated recent practice in
the field.
6. The State Department of Education shall fund a stipend of
Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00) for up to one staff member per
school serving students in kindergarten through third grade to
attend and receive an early literacy micro-credential. The
Department shall fund any public or private higher education
institution approved by the Commission for Educational Quality and
Accountability with One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00)
per kindergarten through third grade staff member that attends and
receives an early literacy micro-credential.
E. K. The State Department of Education shall electronically
submit a report to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the
Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by December
31, 2026, that includes an evaluation of the pilot program by school
districts, data on whether the program had an impact on increasing
the number of students who demonstrate proficiency in reading, and
recommendations for changes to the Strong Readers Act.

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SECTION 9. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1210.508J of Title 70, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving
fund for the State Department of Education to be designated the
"Strong Readers Revolving Fund". The fund shall be a continuing
fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist of
all monies received by the State Department of Education from
private businesses, nonprofit organizations, and federally
recognized Indian tribes or nations. All monies accruing to the
credit of said fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted and
expended by the State Department of Education for the purpose of
improving reading outcomes in accordance with the Strong Readers
Act. Expenditures from said fund shall be made upon warrants issued
by the State Treasurer against claims filed as prescribed by law
with the Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise
Services for approval and payment.
B. Donors to the Strong Readers Revolving Fund shall designate
a specific school, school district, or region to receive their
donation. The State Department of Education shall distribute monies
from the Strong Readers Revolving Fund in strict compliance with
donor designations required by this subsection.
C. Monies in the Strong Readers Revolving Fund may be expended
for implementation support services, teacher training, data

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integration, evaluation, reporting, micro-credential stipends and
program fees, and professional learning, to support statewide MTSS
implementation goals.
SECTION 10. 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.
Passed the House of Representatives the 25th day of March, 2026.

Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives

Passed the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2026.

Presiding Officer of the Senate