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An Act
ENROLLED SENATE
BILL NO. 212 By: Seifried of the Senate
and
Caldwell (Chad) of the
House
An Act relating to teacher preparation; directing the
Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability
to establish and maintain TeachForwardOK for certain
time period; providing purpose; directing the
Commission to issue certain request for proposals
within certain time period; providing process for
program application; directing the Commission to
prescribe application form; directing the Commission
to establish criteria for applicant approval;
directing the Commission to award grants to approved
applicants, subject to availability of funding;
allowing the Commission to use certain funds for
implementation; providing for use of grants;
directing certain provider to evaluate certain
minimum factors; requiring evaluation reports to be
electronically submitted to approved applicants and
the Commission; directing teacher education program
to electronically submit a report response to the
Commission within certain time period; directing
report responses to prioritize certain approaches;
directing the Commission to review report responses
and select certain program to receive certain funding
for certain purpose, subject to availability of
funding; directing the Commission to electronically
submit certain report by certain date; providing for
promulgation of rules; and providing for
codification.
SUBJECT: Teacher preparation
ENR. S. B. NO. 212 Page 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 6-186.1 of Title 70, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. The Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability
shall establish and maintain a two-year pilot program to be known as
TeachForwardOK to provide new, high-quality pathways to enter the
teaching profession and increase the number of teachers in this
state’s workforce.
B. Within thirty (30) days of the effective date of this act,
the Commission shall issue a request for proposals to select
technical assistance providers to evaluate teacher education
programs in institutions of higher education within The Oklahoma
State System of Higher Education that are accredited by the
Commission pursuant to Section 6-186 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma
Statutes.
C. To participate in TeachForwardOK, a teacher education
program shall submit an application to the Commission in the manner
and on a form prescribed by the Commission. The Commission shall
establish criteria to approve applicants. Subject to the
availability of funds, the Commission shall award grants to approved
applicant teacher education programs. The Commission may use any
gifts, grants, devises, and donations from any public or private
source and monies appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose of
implementing the provisions of this section. Grants shall be used
as incentives to participate and to contract with a technical
assistance provider selected by the Commission pursuant to
subsection B of this section. The provider shall evaluate, at a
minimum, the following:
1. Teacher candidate recruitment and completion;
2. Whether the teacher education program prepares teacher
candidates effectively;
3. Whether the teacher education program meets workforce needs
in this state; and
ENR. S. B. NO. 212 Page 3
4. Innovative ways to recruit nontraditional teacher candidates
unique to the teacher education program.
D. 1. Evaluation reports prepared by a technical assistance
provider shall be electronically submitted to the approved applicant
teacher education program and the Commission.
2. Within ninety (90) days of receiving the report, the teacher
education program shall electronically submit a report response to
the Commission detailing how the teacher education program plans to
address the evaluation report’s findings. The report response shall
prioritize innovative approaches to provide new, high-quality
pathways to enter the teaching profession and increase the number of
teachers in this state’s workforce including, but not limited to:
a. developing a system for recruiting eligible teacher
candidates, such as:
(1) a pathway for high school students to become
paraprofessionals,
(2) a pathway for paraprofessionals to become
teachers, and
(3) a pathway for individuals with bachelor’s degrees
to become teachers,
b. developing a curriculum that includes intensive on-
the-job training for teacher candidates,
c. identifying a mastery-based evaluation system to
determine when eligible teacher candidates have
mastered the skills and competencies necessary for
graduation from an apprenticeship program and
outlining benchmarks that teacher candidates must meet
as they progress through on-the-job training,
d. offering a schedule that enables teacher candidates to
work full time in a public school district while
participating in an apprenticeship program and
allowing paraprofessionals to continue in their
positions, or
ENR. S. B. NO. 212 Page 4
e. providing a flexible schedule for paraprofessionals
participating in an apprenticeship program to support
their success in the program that will facilitate
course completion and on-the-job training.
E. Subject to the availability of funding, the Commission shall
review the report responses submitted pursuant to subsection D of
this section and select one approved applicant teacher education
program to receive Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) to
enact the initiatives outlined in the program’s report response.
F. By December 31, 2027, the Commission shall electronically
submit a report of TeachForwardOK’s findings and recommendations to
the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
G. The Commission shall promulgate rules to implement the
provisions of this section.
ENR. S. B. NO. 212 Page 5
Passed the Senate the 22nd day of May, 2025.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
Passed the House of Representatives the 22nd day of May, 2025.
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: _________________________________