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An Act
ENROLLED SENATE
BILL NO. 1632 By: Alvord of the Senate
and
Hasenbeck of the House
An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 14-135, which relates to career-readiness
assessments; directing the State Department of
Education, rather than the Oklahoma Department of
Commerce, in certain cooperation to approve certain
assessments and credentials; removing language making
such approval subject to funding; directing the
assessments to be made available to students in
certain grades beginning in certain school year;
directing the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education in certain consultation to promulgate
certain rules; providing an effective date; and
declaring an emergency.
SUBJECT: Career readiness
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 14-135, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 14-135. Subject to the availability of funds, beginning
with the 2019-2020 school year, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce,
in cooperation with the
A. The State Department of Education and, in cooperation with
the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability, shall
review and approve career-readiness assessments and assessment-based
credentials that measure and document foundational workplace skills.
Beginning with the 2019-2020 2026-2027 school year, the assessments
shall be made available to all public school districts to be
ENR. S. B. NO. 1632 Page 2
administered to students at the discretion of each school district’s
administration to students in grades ten through twelve at least
once prior to their graduation from high school. The assessment-
based credential shall be available to any student who achieves the
prescribed level on the required assessments assessment. If the
public school district chooses to administer the assessments, the
assessments shall be administered at least once to each student who
chooses to take the assessment at no cost to the student. The
assessments shall:
1. Be a standardized, criterion-referenced measure of broadly
relevant foundational workplace skills;
2. Assess and document student readiness for a wide range of
jobs;
3. Measure skills in the following areas, including, but not
limited to:
a. applied mathematics,
b. workplace documents,
c. graphic literacy, or
d. critical thinking and leadership collaboration;
4. Align with research-based skill requirement profiles for
specific industries and occupations;
5. Lead to nationally recognized work-readiness certificates or
credentials for students who meet the minimum proficiency
requirements on the component assessments; and
6. Be available in paper- and computer-based formats.
B. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, in
consultation with the American Council on Education National Guide,
may promulgate rules to allow institutions of higher education
within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education to grant
college credit based on assessment-based credentials and scores
earned on career-readiness assessments.
ENR. S. B. NO. 1632 Page 3
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.
ENR. S. B. NO. 1632 Page 4
Passed the Senate the 14th day of May, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
Passed the House of Representatives the 6th day of May, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Received by the Office of the Governor this ____________________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________
Approved by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
_________________________________
Governor of the State of Oklahoma
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
Received by the Office of the Secretary of State this __________
day of __________________, 20 _______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________