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SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB1594 SFLR Page 1
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SENATE FLOOR VERSION
February 24, 2026
SENATE BILL NO. 1594 By: Stanley
An Act relating to teachers; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 6-189, as amended by Section 1, Chapter 92,
O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 6-189),
which relates to certification requirements for
superintendent and principal; adding requirement for
principal certification to include certain
professional education; updating statutory
references; updating statutory language; providing an
effective date; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-189, as
amended by Section 1, Chapter 92, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025,
Section 6-189), is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-189. A. The certification system required by the
Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act as part of the new teacher
preparation system shall be competency-based. The competencies for
certification shall be integrated with competencies specified in
Section 6-185 of this title. By July 1, 1996, the State Board of
Education shall adopt general competencies for certification, and by
January 1, 1997, the Board shall have adopted full competencies and
implemented the certification system as required in this act the
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Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act. No higher education courses or
credit hours may be specified by the State Board of Education in
rules for certification. Nothing in the certification rules adopted
by the Board shall prohibit the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education from adopting policies and procedures it deems appropriate
for coursework, grade point average, or credit hours for teacher
preparation at institutions in The Oklahoma State System of Higher
Education.
B. The certification requirements for a school principal not
alternatively certified under subsection D of this section shall
include not less than:
1. Completion of a standard master’s degree;
2. Completion of a program in education administration approved
by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation Educational
Quality and Accountability with an emphasis on curriculum,
instruction, and building-level leadership skills. The requirement
in this paragraph shall not apply to any person who has completed a
master’s degree program in education that included competencies that
are substantially equal to those listed in this paragraph and if the
degree was completed prior to July 1, 2005;
3. a. Any other professional education and requirements as
may be fixed by the State Board of Education.
b. The requirements of this paragraph shall include
professional education specific to the Individuals
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with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and applicable
state laws related to the provision of special
education services which shall include at a minimum:
(1) federal and state laws and regulations related to
the provision of special education services,
(2) procedural safeguards and parental rights,
(3) child find obligations and evaluation
requirements,
(4) development, implementation, and monitoring of
individualized education programs (IEPs),
(5) discipline of students with disabilities, and
(6) due process hearings, complaint procedures, and
compliance obligations of public school districts
and administrators.
c. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules
providing for approval of professional education
providers and courses, documentation and reporting
requirements, and procedures for verifying completion
of the required professional education.
d. Professional education completed pursuant to this
paragraph may be used to satisfy professional
development or continuing education requirements for
certification renewal;
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4. A passing score on the subject area competency examination
required in Section 6-187 of this title; and
5. A minimum of two (2) years of successful teaching experience
in public or private schools accredited by the State Board of
Education or by the proper accrediting authority of another state of
the United States.
C. The certification requirements for a superintendent of
schools not alternatively certified under subsection D of this
section shall include not less than:
1. Certification as a school principal or completion of the
certification requirements for a school principal as set forth in
subsection B of this section;
2. Completion of a program in education administration approved
by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation Educational
Quality and Accountability with an emphasis on district-level
leadership skills, and which shall include the following
competencies:
a. instructional leadership,
b. organizational leadership, including education
finance, education law, and risk management,
c. collaborative and community leadership, and
d. ethical leadership.
The requirement in this paragraph shall not apply to any person
who has completed an Oklahoma a Commission for Teacher Preparation
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Educational Quality and Accountability approved Master’s Degree in
Education Administration master’s degree in education administration
or has completed a program in education that included competencies
that are substantially equal to those listed in this paragraph, and
if the degree or program was completed between the effective date of
this act and July 1, 2005;
3. Any other professional education and requirements as may be
fixed by the State Board of Education;
4. A passing score on the subject area competency examination
required in Section 6-187 of this title; and
5. A minimum of two (2) years of administrative experience in
public or private schools accredited by the State Board of Education
or by the proper accrediting authority of another state of the
United States.
D. 1. The standards for alternative certification for
superintendents of schools and principals shall include:
a. the completion of a standard master’s degree,
b. two (2) years of relevant work experience in a
supervisory or administrative capacity,
c. a passing score on the subject area competency
examination required in Section 6-187 of this title,
and
d. filing with the director of teacher education at an
Oklahoma accredited institution of higher education a
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plan for completing an alternative administrative
preparation program within three (3) years. Relevant
work experience and coursework may be considered and
applied to complete the plan.
2. An alternative certificate for superintendent of schools and
principals shall not exceed three (3) years and shall not be
renewable.
3. Upon successful completion of an alternative administrative
preparation program by a participant, the State Board of Education
shall issue a standard certificate for superintendent or principal,
as applicable, to the applicant.
4. Any person participating in an alternative certification
program for superintendent of schools and principals on the
effective date of this act July 1, 2005, shall be subject to the
program requirements in effect prior to the effective date of this
act July 1, 2005.
E. The certification requirements for a superintendent of a
technology center school district shall include not less than a
standard master’s degree, any other professional education
requirements as may be fixed by the State Board of Education, and a
minimum of four (4) years teaching, supervisory, or administrative
experience, which may include teaching of full-time adult students,
in a technology center school district. A person meeting the
requirements set forth in subsection C of this section shall be
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eligible for a certificate for superintendent of a technology center
school district.
F. The State Board of Career and Technology Education shall
promulgate rules for a certification system specifically for
teachers and instructors in the technology center school districts.
The system shall be competency-based. The competencies for
certification shall include industry-based skills, standards, and
certifications.
G. Certificates issued by the State Board of Education may be
revoked by the State Board of Education for willful violation of any
rule of the Board or of any federal or state law or other proper
cause but only after sufficient hearing has been given before the
Board.
H. Teaching in a Head Start program or programs shall be used
for renewal of a standard teaching certificate.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
February 24, 2026 - DO PASS