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An Act
ENROLLED SENATE
BILL NO. 841 By: Pugh of the Senate
and
Hasenbeck of the House
An Act relating to the Strong Readers Act; amending
70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-187, as last amended by
Section 164, Chapter 452, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
2024, Section 6-187), which relates to teacher
certification; requiring individuals seeking
certification in early childhood, elementary, or
special education to successfully complete certain
assessment beginning on certain date; amending 70
O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508C, as amended by Section
5, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2024,
Section 1210.508C), which relates to reading
assessments; modifying purpose for administration of
certain screening instruments; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 1210.508F, as amended by Section 8, Chapter
411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section
1210.508F), which relates to reading competencies for
teachers; adding adjuncts; removing requirement that
certain teacher candidates pass certain assessment
prior to graduation; requiring persons seeking
certification in certain areas to successfully
complete certain assessment as a condition for
certification; removing certain reporting
requirements; adding adjuncts to required
instruction; amending Section 1, Chapter 411, O.S.L.
2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 1210.508I), which
relates to the Statewide Literacy Revolving Fund;
modifying use of the fund; modifying requirement for
teacher preparation program students to complete
certain training; providing an effective date; and
declaring an emergency.
ENR. S. B. NO. 841 Page 2
SUBJECT: Reading
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-187, as
last amended by Section 164, Chapter 452, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
2024, Section 6-187), is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-187. A. Prior to July 1, 2014, a competency
examination shall be adopted by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher
Preparation and beginning July 1, 2014, a competency examination
shall be adopted by the Commission for Educational Quality and
Accountability for the professional education and various subject
areas and grade levels for purposes of ensuring academic achievement
and competency of each teacher candidate or teacher in the subject
area the person is seeking certification to teach which shall also
include certification as an administrator, as prescribed by the
State Board of Education.
The Commission, consistent with the purposes of this section,
shall promulgate rules and procedures to guarantee the
confidentiality of examinations.
B. No teacher candidate shall be eligible for certification
until successfully completing the competency examination except
those candidates who make application to the State Board and meet
the criteria for the alternative placement program pursuant to
Section 6-122.3 of this title. Certification shall be limited to
areas of approval in which the certified teacher has successfully
completed the examination. Subject to the provisions of subsection
C of this section, testing for certification for subjects in which a
teacher candidate or teacher is seeking a minor teaching assignment
or an endorsement to teach shall be limited to the specific subject
area test.
A teacher candidate or teacher may take the professional
education or subject area portions of the examination subject to any
limit imposed by the Commission.
C. 1. Except as otherwise provided for in this subsection, a
teacher may be certified in as many areas as the teacher meets the
ENR. S. B. NO. 841 Page 3
necessary requirements provided by law and has successfully
completed the subject area portion of the examination.
2. Except as otherwise provided for in this paragraph,
certification in early childhood, elementary, or special education
shall require completion of an appropriate teacher education program
approved by the Commission and effective July 1, 2025, successful
completion of a comprehensive reading instruction assessment as
provided for in Section 1210.508F of this title.
Any teacher who is certified to teach elementary education may
be certified in early childhood education upon meeting the
requirements provided in law and successful completion of the
appropriate subject area portion of the examination. Any teacher
who is certified to teach early childhood education may be certified
in elementary education upon meeting the requirements provided in
law and successful completion of the appropriate subject area
portion of the examination. Any special education teacher who
becomes certified to teach through completion of an accredited
teacher preparation program may be certified in early childhood or
elementary education upon meeting the requirements provided in law
and successful completion of the appropriate subject portion of the
examination. Any teacher who becomes certified to teach through
completion of an accredited teacher preparation program or becomes
alternatively certified to teach through the Troops to Teachers
program may be certified in special education upon meeting the
requirements provided in law and successful completion of the
appropriate subject area portion of the examination. Any special
education teacher who has not completed a Commission-approved
teacher education program in elementary education or early childhood
education but who has successfully completed the subject area
portion of the examination may be certified in elementary education
or early childhood education for the purpose of providing direct
instruction and serving as the teacher of record for grading
purposes in special education settings only.
D. The Commission shall offer the competency examination at
least four times per calendar year on dates to be established by the
Commission.
E. If a teacher candidate or teacher is a non-native-English
speaker, the Commission shall offer the subject area competency
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examination in the native language of the teacher candidate or
teacher only if the teacher candidate or teacher is employed or has
been offered employment by a school district as a teacher in a
foreign language immersion program offered by the school district.
If a non-native-English speaker who has received certification in a
subject area after taking the subject area competency examination in
the native language of the speaker seeks to add a certification area
in the future and that person is no longer employed as a teacher in
a foreign language immersion program, the examination for the
additional certification area shall be taken in English. The State
Board of Education shall issue a restricted license or certificate
to any teacher who has completed a subject area competency
examination in the native language of the teacher as provided for in
this subsection restricting the teacher to teaching only in a
foreign language immersion program.
F. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability, may grant an
exception to the requirement to complete a subject area examination
for initial certification in a field which does not require an
advanced degree if the candidate has an advanced degree in a subject
that is substantially comparable to the content assessed on a
subject area examination. The advanced degree shall be from an
institution accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency
which is recognized by the Secretary of the United States Department
of Education. The Commission shall provide the Board with the
necessary information to determine comparability.
G. 1. Nothing in the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act shall
restrict the right of the State Board of Education to issue an
emergency or provisional certificate, as needed. Provided, however,
prior to the issuance of an emergency certificate, the district
shall document substantial efforts to employ a teacher who holds a
provisional or standard certificate. In the event a district is
unable to hire an individual meeting this criteria, the district
shall document efforts to employ an individual with a provisional or
standard certificate in another curricular area with academic
preparation in the field of need. Only after these alternatives
have been exhausted shall the district be allowed to employ an
individual meeting minimum standards as established by the State
Board of Education for the issuance of emergency certificates.
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2. The State Board of Education may renew the emergency or
provisional certificate of an individual who has been employed by a
school district board of education for at least two (2) years if the
following criteria are met:
a. the individual has been granted an emergency or
provisional certificate pursuant to paragraph 1 of
this subsection for two (2) years,
b. the individual has not successfully completed the
competency examinations required by this section,
c. the individual submits a portfolio of his or her work
to the State Board of Education, which shall include
evidence of progress toward standard certification,
d. the employing school district board of education
agrees to renew the individual’s contract to teach for
the ensuing fiscal year, and
e. the superintendent of the employing school district
submits to the State Board of Education the reason the
emergency or provisional certificate should be renewed
and provides evidence of the district’s inability to
hire a teacher who holds a standard certificate.
3. Individuals employed by a school district under an emergency
or provisional certificate shall not be considered career teachers
and therefore not entitled to the protections of the Teacher Due
Process Act of 1990.
H. The State Board of Education may grant an exception to the
requirements for all certification examinations for teacher
candidates who are “deaf”, which for the purposes of this section
shall mean having a hearing loss so severe that the person cannot
process auditory linguistic information with or without
accommodation and whose primary language and teaching environment is
American Sign Language. The Board may grant an exception upon:
1. Verification by a licensed audiologist of a hearing loss so
severe that the teacher candidate cannot process auditory linguistic
information with or without accommodation;
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2. Demonstration of fluency in American Sign Language;
3. Demonstration of competency in the subject area of
specialization as approved by the Board in lieu of certification
examinations; and
4. Sponsorship by a certified deaf education teacher for a
mentorship program.
The Board may promulgate rules and other requirements as
necessary to grant the exceptions described in this subsection.
Applicable teaching environments may include American Sign Language
immersion programs, the Oklahoma School for the Deaf, programs for
the deaf, or other classroom settings in which American Sign
Language is the language of instruction.
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508C,
as amended by Section 5, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
2024, Section 1210.508C), is amended to read as follows:
Section 1210.508C. A. To identify students who have a reading
deficiency including identifying students with characteristics of
dyslexia that lead to or cause reading difficulty, each student
enrolled in kindergarten and first, second, and third grade in a
public school in this state shall be screened at the beginning,
middle, and end of each school year for reading skills including,
but not limited to, phonological awareness, decoding, fluency,
vocabulary, and comprehension. A screening instrument approved by
the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Commission
for Educational Quality and Accountability and the Secretary of
Education, shall be utilized for the purposes of this section. In
determining which screening instrument to approve, the State Board
of Education, the Commission for Educational Quality and
Accountability, and the Secretary of Education shall take into
consideration at a minimum the following factors:
1. The time required to conduct the screening instrument with
the intention of minimizing the impact on instructional time;
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2. The timeliness in reporting screening instrument results to
teachers, administrators, and parents and legal guardians of
students; and
3. The integration of the screening instrument into reading
curriculum.
B. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, the State Board of
Education shall approve no fewer than three (3) screening
instruments for use at the beginning, middle, and end of the school
year for monitoring of progress and for measurement of reading
skills as required in subsection A of this section. The screening
instruments shall meet the following criteria:
1. Assess for phonological awareness, decoding, fluency,
vocabulary, and comprehension;
2. Document the validity and reliability of each assessment;
3. Can be used for identifying students who are at risk for
reading deficiency and progress monitoring throughout the school
year;
4. Can be used to assess students with disabilities and English
language learners; and
5. Accompanied by a data management system that provides
profiles of students 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.
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,
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b. the student’s primary expressive or receptive
communication is sign language,
c. the student’s primary form of written or read text is
Braille, or
d. the student’s primary expressive or receptive language
is not English, the student is identified as an
English learner using a state-approved identification
assessment, and the student has had less than one (1)
school year of instruction in an English-learner
program.
2. A public school that grants an exemption pursuant to
paragraph 1 of this subsection shall provide ongoing evidence of
student progression toward English language acquisition with the
same frequency as administration of screening assessments. Evidence
may include, but not be limited to, student progression toward OAAP
reading essential elements, proficiency in sign language and reading
comprehension, and proficiency in Braille and reading comprehension.
D. 1. Students who are administered a screening instrument
pursuant to subsection A of this section and are found not to be
meeting grade-level targets shall be provided a program of reading
instruction designed to enable students to acquire the appropriate
grade-level reading skills. The program of reading instruction
shall be based on scientific reading research and align with the
subject matter standards adopted by the State Board of Education. A
program of reading instruction shall include:
a. sufficient additional in-school instructional time for
the acquisition of phonological awareness, decoding,
fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension,
b. if necessary and if funding is available, tutorial
instruction after regular school hours, on Saturdays,
and during summer; however, such instruction may not
be counted toward the one-hundred-eighty-day or one-
thousand-eighty-hour school year required in Section
1-109 of this title,
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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.
2. A student enrolled in kindergarten or first, second, or
third grade who exhibits a deficiency in reading at any time based
on the screening instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of
this section shall receive an individual reading intervention plan
no later than thirty (30) days after the identification of the
deficiency in reading. The reading intervention plan shall be
provided in addition to core reading instruction that is provided to
all students. The reading intervention plan shall:
a. describe the research-based reading intervention
services the student will receive to remedy the
deficiency in reading,
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
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purposes and periodic monitoring pursuant to
subparagraph c of paragraph 1 of this subsection.
3. The reading intervention plan for each student identified
with a deficiency in reading shall be developed by a Student Reading
Proficiency Team and shall include supplemental instructional
services and supports. Each team shall be composed of:
a. the parent or legal guardian of the student,
b. the teacher assigned to the student who had
responsibility for reading instruction in that
academic year,
c. a teacher who is responsible for reading instruction
and is assigned to teach in the next grade level of
the student, and
d. a certified reading specialist or an individual with
advanced training or specialization in literacy
instruction, if one is available.
4. A school district shall notify the parent or legal guardian
of any student in kindergarten or first, second, or third grade who
exhibits a deficiency in reading at any time based on the screening
instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of this section.
The notification shall occur no later than thirty (30) days after
the identification of the deficiency in reading.
E. 1. Every school district shall adopt and implement a
district strong readers plan which has had input from school
administrators, teachers, and parents and legal guardians and if
possible a reading specialist, and which shall be submitted
electronically to and approved by the State Board of Education. The
plan shall be updated annually. School districts shall not be
required to electronically submit the annual updates to the Board if
the last plan submitted to the Board was approved and expenditures
for the program include only expenses relating to individual and
small group tutoring, purchase of and training in the use of
screening and assessment measures, summer school programs, and
Saturday school programs. If any expenditure for the program is
deleted or changed or any other type of expenditure for the program
ENR. S. B. NO. 841 Page 11
is implemented, the school district shall be required to submit the
latest annual update to the Board for approval. The district strong
readers plan shall include a plan for each site which includes an
analysis of the data provided by the Oklahoma School Testing Program
and other reading assessments utilized as required in this section,
and which outlines how each school site will comply with the
provisions of the Strong Readers Act.
2. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the
implementation and evaluation of the provisions of the Strong
Readers Act. The evaluation shall include, but not be limited to,
an analysis of the data required in subsection L 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
the student with intensive intervention services for the appropriate
amount of the instructional day consistent with the individual
reading intervention plan developed pursuant to paragraph 2 of
subsection D of this section and as determined by the Student
Reading Proficiency Team. Intensive intervention services shall
continue until the student demonstrates proficiency at his or her
grade level based on a screening instrument administered pursuant to
subsection A of this section.
G. Each school district shall annually report in an electronic
format to the State Department of Education, the Office of
Educational Quality and Accountability, and the Secretary of
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Education the number of students in kindergarten through third grade
per grade level who exhibit grade-level reading proficiency, the
number of students per grade level who received intensive
intervention services pursuant to paragraph 2 of subsection F of
this section, the number of students per grade level who attended a
summer academy as provided for in Section 1210.508E of this title,
the number of students per grade level who exhibited improved
reading proficiency after completion of intensive intervention
services, and the number of students per grade level who are still
in need of intensive intervention services. The State Department of
Education shall publicly report the aggregate and district-specific
numbers submitted pursuant to this subsection on its website and
shall provide electronic copies of the report to the Governor,
Secretary of Education, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Speaker
of the House of Representatives, and to the respective chairs of the
committees with responsibility for common education policy in each
legislative chamber.
H. The parent of any student who is found to have a reading
deficiency and is not meeting grade-level reading targets and has
been provided a program of reading instruction as provided for in
paragraph 1 of subsection D of this section shall be notified in
writing of the following:
1. That the student has been identified as having a substantial
deficiency in reading;
2. A description of the current services that are provided to
the student pursuant to subsection D of this section;
3. A description of the proposed intensive intervention
services and supports that will be provided to the student that are
designed to remediate the identified area of reading deficiency as
provided for in paragraph 2 of subsection F of this section;
4. That a student who is promoted to the fourth grade shall
receive supplemental intensive intervention services;
5. Strategies for parents to use in helping their child succeed
in reading proficiency; and
6. The grade-level performance scores of the student.
ENR. S. B. NO. 841 Page 13
I. No student may be assigned to a grade level based solely on
age or other factors that constitute social promotion.
J. 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
average daily classroom time devoted to implementing
the provisions of this section,
b. by grade, the number and percentage of all students in
kindergarten through third grade who did not meet
grade-level targets based on a screening instrument
administered pursuant to subsection A of this section,
c. by grade, the number and percentage of all students in
kindergarten through third grade who have been
enrolled in the district for fewer than two (2) years,
d. by grade, the number and percentage of 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. by grade, the number and percentage of students in
kindergarten through third grade who are on an
individualized education program (IEP) in accordance
with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) and who demonstrated grade-level proficiency
based on a screening instrument administered pursuant
to subsection A of this section or an alternative
assessment prescribed by the student’s IEP.
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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.
K. 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. 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
as determined by the results of screening instruments administered
pursuant to subsection A of this section;
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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 amount of funds received by each district for
implementation of the Strong Readers Act;
6. 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. The type of reading instruction practices and methods
currently being used by school districts in the state;
8. 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. By grade level, the types of intensive intervention efforts
being conducted by school districts for students who are not on an
IEP and who are not reading at the appropriate grade level and for
students who are on an IEP and who are not reading at the
appropriate grade level; and
10. 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. 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 3. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508F,
as amended by Section 8, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
2024, Section 1210.508F), is amended to read as follows:
ENR. S. B. NO. 841 Page 16
Section 1210.508F. A. The Commission for Educational Quality
and Accountability shall ensure that the reading competencies for
elementary teachers are included in the competencies for special
education teachers.
B. The Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability in
collaboration with the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
shall ensure that all teachers and adjuncts of early childhood
education, elementary education, and special education are provided
quality training in intervention, instruction, and remediation
strategies in the science of reading to provide explicit and
systematic instruction in phonological awareness, decoding, fluency,
vocabulary, and comprehension and implement reading strategies that
research has shown to be successful in improving reading among
students with reading difficulties. In addition, quality education
for prospective teachers shall be provided in research-based
instructional strategies for instruction, assessment, and
intervention for literacy development for all students including
advanced readers, typically developing readers, and struggling
readers who are coping with a range of challenges including, but not
limited to, English learners and learners with handicapping
conditions and learning disabilities, including dyslexia. Quality
training shall include guidance from professional resources such as
the Report of the National Reading Panel, Response to Intervention
guidelines, and professional organizations such as the Council for
Exceptional Children, International Dyslexia Association,
International Literacy Association, National Council of Teachers of
English, and National Association for the Education of Young
Children.
C. All institutions within The Oklahoma State System of Higher
Education that offer elementary, early childhood education, or
special education programs approved by the Commission for
Educational Quality and Accountability shall incorporate into those
programs the requirement that teacher candidates study the five
elements of reading instruction which are phonological awareness,
decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Teacher
candidates shall study strategies including, but not limited to,
instruction that is explicitly taught, sequenced, multimodal
(reading, writing, speaking, listening, hands-on, etc.),
multidisciplinary, and reflective to adapt for individual learners.
ENR. S. B. NO. 841 Page 17
D. Effective July 1, 2025, teacher candidates enrolled in an
institution within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education 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 shall pass, prior to graduation, a
comprehensive assessment to measure their teaching skills in the
area of reading instruction as a condition for certification. The
assessment shall be developed and administered by the Commission for
Educational Quality and Accountability. The assessment shall
measure evaluate the certification applicant’s knowledge and
understanding of the teacher candidate in the teaching of the five
elements of reading instruction which are phonological awareness,
decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The results of
the assessment shall be included in the Commission’s required annual
report for each institution. The Commission shall include the data
in the annual report to the Legislature as required pursuant to
Section 6-186 of this title. It is the intent of the Legislature to
ensure that teachers graduating from institutions within The
Oklahoma State System of Higher Education have the knowledge and
skills to effectively teach reading to all children.
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 4. AMENDATORY Section 1, Chapter 411, O.S.L.
2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 1210.508I), is amended to read as
follows:
Section 1210.508I. A. There is hereby created in the State
Treasury a revolving fund for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education to be designated the “Statewide Literacy 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
Regents from state appropriations provided for the purpose of
implementing the provisions of subsection B of this section. All
monies accruing to the credit of the fund are hereby appropriated
and may be budgeted and expended by the State Regents for the
ENR. S. B. NO. 841 Page 18
purpose provided for in this subsection. Expenditures from the 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. Subject to the availability of funding, the Oklahoma State
Regents for Higher Education shall utilize the Statewide Literacy
Revolving Fund created in subsection A of this section to:
1. Implement training in the science of reading in early
childhood education, elementary education, and special education
teacher preparation programs accredited by the Commission for
Educational Quality and Accountability. For the purposes of this
section, training in the science of reading includes providing
explicit and systematic instruction in phonological awareness,
decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension and implementing
reading strategies that research has shown to be successful in
improving reading among students with reading difficulties.
Beginning with students entering a an early childhood education,
elementary education, or special education teacher preparation
program accredited by the Commission for Educational Quality and
Accountability in the 2025-2026 academic year, completion of
training required by this paragraph shall lead to a micro-credential
in the science of reading which shall be reflected on teaching
certificates awarded to such individuals; and
2. Support teacher preparation programs accredited by the
Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability in developing
and implementing a micro-credential in the science of reading for
certified teachers employed by school districts and charter schools
in this state. A micro-credential awarded pursuant to this
paragraph shall be reflected on a teacher’s certificate to teach.
SECTION 5. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
SECTION 6. 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. 841 Page 19
Passed the Senate the 21st day of May, 2025.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
Passed the House of Representatives the 29th day of April, 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: _________________________________