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1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
3 HOUSE BILL 2944 By: Hall
4
5
6 AS INTRODUCED
7 An Act relating to the Strong Readers Act; creating
the Oklahoma Reading Excellence through
8 Accountability, Development, and Standards (READS)
Act; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508C, as
9 last amended by Section 2, Chapter 297, O.S.L. 2025
(70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508C), which
10 relates to reading assessments; requiring a Student
Reading Proficiency Team to include certain coach, if
11 assigned; removing language allowing certain students
to demonstrate proficiency on certain screening
12 instruments; requiring retention of certain third-
grade students who do not meet certain grade-level
13 targets on certain statewide assessment and do not
qualify for certain exemption; directing certain
14 performance levels to ensure students are meeting
certain criteria; requiring school districts to
15 include certain information in annual report;
providing good-cause exemptions for promotion of
16 certain students; providing process for evaluation of
good-cause exemption requests; directing certain
17 intervention services to be provided to certain
students subject to retention; allowing a school
18 district to provide an intensive acceleration class
for retained third-grade students; requiring the
19 State Department of Education to employ literacy
coaches; providing qualifications for literacy coach;
20 providing for assignment and duties of literacy
coaches; updating statutory language; updating
21 statutory references; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section
1210.508D, as amended by Section 6, Chapter 411,
22 O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508D),
which relates to Strong Readers Act funding;
23 directing allocation for certain retained students;
amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508E, as amended
24 by Section 7, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
Req. No. 14088 Page 1
1 2025, Section 1210.508E), which relates to summer
academies; updating statutory language; requiring,
2 rather than allowing, a teacher to recommend a summer
academy for students in certain grades; requiring
3 school districts beginning in certain summer to
provide a summer academy or other program to certain
4 students; requiring administration of certain
alternative assessment by certain date; providing for
5 promotion of students who attend certain academy or
other program; requiring school districts to notify
6 the State Department of Education by certain date
regarding offering of summer academy or other
7 program; providing for noncodification; providing an
effective date; and declaring an emergency.
8
9
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
10
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law not to be
11
codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
12
This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma
13
Reading Excellence through Accountability, Development, and
14
Standards (READS) Act".
15
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508C,
16
as last amended by Section 2, Chapter 297, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S.
17
Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508C), is amended to read as follows:
18
Section 1210.508C. A. To identify students who have a
19
deficiency in reading or who have characteristics of dyslexia that
20
lead to or cause reading difficulty, each student enrolled in
21
kindergarten and first, second, and third grade in a public school
22
in this state shall be screened at the beginning, middle, and end of
23
each school year for reading skills including, but not limited to,
24
Req. No. 14088 Page 2
1 phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and
2 comprehension. A screening instrument approved by the State Board
3 of Education, in consultation with the Commission for Educational
4 Quality and Accountability and the Secretary of Education, shall be
5 utilized for the purposes of this section. In determining which
6 screening instrument to approve, the State Board of Education, the
7 Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability, and the
8 Secretary of Education shall take into consideration at a minimum
9 the following factors:
10 1. The time required to conduct the screening instrument with
11 the intention of minimizing the impact on instructional time;
12 2. The timeliness in reporting screening instrument results to
13 teachers, administrators, and parents and legal guardians of
14 students; and
15 3. The integration of the screening instrument into reading
16 curriculum.
17 B. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, the State Board of
18 Education shall approve no fewer more than three screening
19 instruments for use at the beginning, middle, and end of the school
20 year for monitoring of progress and for measurement of reading
21 skills as required in subsection A of this section. The screening
22 instruments shall meet the following criteria:
23 1. Assess for phonological awareness, decoding, fluency,
24 vocabulary, and comprehension;
Req. No. 14088 Page 3
1 2. Document the validity and reliability of each assessment;
2 3. Can be used for identifying students who are at risk for
3 reading deficiency and progress monitoring throughout the school
4 year;
5 4. Can be used to assess students with disabilities and English
6 language learners; and
7 5. Accompanied by a data management system that provides
8 profiles of each student, class, grade level, and school building.
9 The profiles shall identify each student's instructional point of
10 need and reading achievement level. The State Board shall also
11 determine other comparable reading assessments for diagnostic
12 purposes to be used for students at risk of reading failure.
13 C. 1. Exemptions to the screening requirements of this section
14 may be provided to students who have documented evidence that they
15 meet at least one of the following criteria as related to the
16 provision of classroom instruction:
17 a. the student participates in the Oklahoma Alternate
18 Assessment Program (OAAP) and is taught using
19 alternate methods,
20 b. the student's primary expressive or receptive
21 communication is sign language,
22 c. the student's primary form of written or read text is
23 Braille, or
24
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1 d. the student's primary expressive or receptive language
2 is not English, the student is identified as an
3 English learner using a state-approved identification
4 assessment, and the student has had less than one (1)
5 school year of instruction in an English-learner
6 program.
7 2. A public school that grants an exemption pursuant to
8 paragraph 1 of this subsection shall provide ongoing evidence of
9 student progression toward English language acquisition with the
10 same frequency as administration of screening assessments. Evidence
11 may include, but not be limited to, student progression toward OAAP
12 reading essential elements, proficiency in sign language and reading
13 comprehension, and proficiency in Braille and reading comprehension.
14 D. 1. Students who are administered a screening instrument
15 pursuant to subsection A of this section and are found not to be
16 meeting grade-level targets shall be provided a program of reading
17 instruction designed to enable students to acquire the appropriate
18 grade-level reading skills. The program of reading instruction
19 shall be based on scientific reading research and align with the
20 subject matter standards adopted by the State Board of Education. A
21 program of reading instruction shall include:
22 a. sufficient additional in-school instructional time for
23 the acquisition of phonological awareness, decoding,
24 fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension,
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1 b. if necessary and if funding is available, tutorial
2 instruction after regular school hours, on Saturdays,
3 and during summer; however, such instruction may not
4 be counted toward the one-hundred-eighty-day one-
5 hundred-eighty-one-day or one-thousand-eighty-hour
6 one-thousand-eighty-six-hour school year required in
7 Section 1-109 of this title,
8 c. assessments identified for diagnostic purposes and
9 periodic monitoring to measure the acquisition of
10 reading skills including, but not limited to,
11 phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary,
12 and comprehension, as identified in the student's
13 program of reading instruction,
14 d. high-quality instructional materials grounded in
15 scientifically based reading research, and
16 e. a means of providing every family of a student in
17 prekindergarten, kindergarten, and first, second, and
18 third grade access to free online evidence-based
19 literacy instruction resources to support the
20 student's literacy development at home.
21 2. A student enrolled in kindergarten or first, second, or
22 third grade who exhibits a deficiency in reading at any time based
23 on the screening instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of
24 this section shall receive an individual reading intervention plan
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1 no later than thirty (30) days after the identification of the
2 deficiency in reading. The reading intervention plan shall be
3 provided in addition to core reading instruction that is provided to
4 all students. The reading intervention plan shall:
5 a. describe the research-based reading intervention
6 services the student will receive to remedy the
7 deficiency in reading,
8 b. provide explicit and systematic instruction in
9 phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary,
10 and comprehension, as applicable,
11 c. monitor the reading progress of each student's reading
12 skills throughout the school year and adjust
13 instruction according to the student's needs, and
14 d. continue until the student is determined to be meeting
15 grade-level targets in reading based on screening
16 instruments administered pursuant to subsection A of
17 this section or assessments identified for diagnostic
18 purposes and periodic monitoring pursuant to
19 subparagraph c of paragraph 1 of this subsection.
20 3. The reading intervention plan for each student identified
21 with a deficiency in reading shall be developed by a Student Reading
22 Proficiency Team and shall include supplemental instructional
23 services and supports. Each team shall be composed of:
24
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1 a. the parent parent(s) or legal guardian guardian(s) of
2 the student,
3 b. the teacher assigned to the student who had
4 responsibility for reading instruction in that
5 academic year,
6 c. a teacher who is responsible for reading instruction
7 and is assigned to teach in the next grade level of
8 the student, and
9 d. a certified reading specialist or an individual with
10 advanced training or specialization in literacy
11 instruction, if one is available, and
12 e. the literacy coach assigned to the school district in
13 accordance with the provisions of subsection O of this
14 section, if one is assigned.
15 4. A school district shall notify the parent parent(s) or legal
16 guardian guardian(s) of any student in kindergarten or first,
17 second, or third grade who exhibits a deficiency in reading at any
18 time based on the screening instrument administered pursuant to
19 subsection A of this section. The notification shall occur no later
20 than thirty (30) days after the identification of the deficiency in
21 reading.
22 E. 1. Every school district shall adopt and implement a
23 district strong readers plan which has had input from school
24 administrators, teachers, and parents and legal guardians and if
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1 possible a reading specialist, and which shall be submitted
2 electronically to and approved by the State Board of Education. The
3 plan shall be updated annually. School districts shall not be
4 required to electronically submit the annual updates to the Board if
5 the last plan submitted to the Board was approved and expenditures
6 for the program include only expenses relating to individual and
7 small group tutoring, purchase of and training in the use of
8 screening and assessment measures, summer school programs, and
9 Saturday school programs. If any expenditure for the program is
10 deleted or changed or any other type of expenditure for the program
11 is implemented, the school district shall be required to submit the
12 latest annual update to the Board for approval. The district strong
13 readers plan shall include a plan for each site which includes an
14 analysis of the data provided by the Oklahoma School Testing Program
15 and other reading assessments utilized as required in this section,
16 and which outlines how each school site will comply with the
17 provisions of the Strong Readers Act.
18 2. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the
19 implementation and evaluation of the provisions of the Strong
20 Readers Act. The evaluation shall include, but not be limited to,
21 an analysis of the data required in subsection L P of this section.
22 F. 1. Any first-grade, second-grade, or third-grade student
23 who demonstrates proficiency in reading through a grade-level
24 appropriate screening instrument approved pursuant to subsection B
Req. No. 14088 Page 9
1 of this section shall not require a program of reading instruction
2 or an individual reading intervention plan. After a student has
3 demonstrated proficiency through a screening instrument, the
4 district shall provide notification to the parent or legal guardian
5 of the student that he or she has satisfied the requirements of the
6 Strong Readers Act. The district shall continue to monitor the
7 student in the next successive grade level to ensure he or she
8 maintains proficiency.
9 2. Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, if a third-grade
10 student is identified at any point of the academic year as having a
11 significant reading deficiency, which shall be defined as not
12 meeting grade-level targets on a screening instrument administered
13 pursuant to subsection A of this section, the district shall provide
14 the student with intensive intervention services for the appropriate
15 amount of the instructional day consistent with the individual
16 reading intervention plan developed pursuant to paragraph 2 of
17 subsection D of this section and as determined by the Student
18 Reading Proficiency Team. Intensive intervention services shall
19 continue until the student demonstrates proficiency at his or her
20 grade level based on a screening instrument administered pursuant to
21 subsection A of this section.
22 G. Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, if a student has
23 not met grade-level performance based on scores for the standards
24 for reading foundations and processes and the vocabulary portions of
Req. No. 14088 Page 10
1 the statewide third-grade assessment administered pursuant to
2 Section 1210.508 of this title or is not subject to a good-cause
3 exemption as provided for in subsection K of this section, he or she
4 shall be retained in the third grade and provided intensive
5 intervention services and supports as provided for in subsection M
6 of this section. The performance levels established by the
7 Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability pursuant to
8 Section 1210.508 of this title shall ensure that students meeting
9 the performance level criteria are performing at grade level on the
10 reading foundations and processes and the vocabulary portions of the
11 statewide third-grade assessment.
12 H. Each school district shall annually report in an electronic
13 format to the State Department of Education, the Office of
14 Educational Quality and Accountability, and the Secretary of
15 Education the number of third-grade students retained pursuant to
16 this section, the number of third-grade students promoted to the
17 fourth grade due to a good-cause exemption as provided for in
18 subsection K of this section by each category of good cause, the
19 number of students in kindergarten through third grade per grade
20 level who exhibit grade-level reading proficiency, the number of
21 students per grade level who received intensive intervention
22 services pursuant to paragraph 2 of subsection F of this section,
23 the number of students per grade level who attended a summer academy
24 as provided for in Section 1210.508E of this title, the number of
Req. No. 14088 Page 11
1 students per grade level who exhibited improved reading proficiency
2 after completion of intensive intervention services, and the number
3 of students per grade level who are still in need of intensive
4 intervention services. The State Department of Education shall
5 publicly report the aggregate and district-specific numbers
6 submitted pursuant to this subsection on its website and shall
7 provide electronic copies of the report to the Governor, Secretary
8 of Education, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Speaker of the
9 House of Representatives, and to the respective chairs of the
10 committees with responsibility for common education policy in each
11 legislative chamber.
12 H. I. The parent parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of any student
13 who is found to have a reading deficiency and is not meeting grade-
14 level reading targets and has been provided a program of reading
15 instruction as provided for in paragraph 1 of subsection D of this
16 section shall be notified in writing of the following:
17 1. That the student has been identified as having a substantial
18 deficiency in reading;
19 2. A description of the current services that are provided to
20 the student pursuant to subsection D of this section;
21 3. A description of the proposed intensive intervention
22 services and supports that will be provided to the student that are
23 designed to remediate the identified area of reading deficiency as
24 provided for in paragraph 2 of subsection F of this section;
Req. No. 14088 Page 12
1 4. That a student who is shall not be promoted to the fourth
2 grade if he or she has not met grade-level performance based on
3 scores for the standards for reading foundations and processes and
4 the vocabulary portions of the statewide third-grade assessment
5 administered pursuant to Section 1210.508 of this title unless the
6 student qualifies for a good-cause exemption as provided for in
7 subsection K of this section. A student who is promoted due to a
8 good-cause exemption shall receive supplemental intensive
9 intervention services;
10 5. Strategies for parents to use in helping their child succeed
11 in reading proficiency; and
12 6. The grade-level performance scores of the student.
13 I. J. No student may be assigned to a grade level based solely
14 on age or other factors that constitute social promotion.
15 J. K. For those students who have not met grade-level
16 performance based on scores for the standards for reading
17 foundations and processes and the vocabulary portions of the
18 statewide third-grade assessment administered pursuant to Section
19 1210.508 of this title, a school district may promote the student
20 for good cause only. Good-cause exemptions for promotion shall be
21 limited to the following:
22 1. English language learners who have had fewer than two (2)
23 years of instruction in an English language learner program;
24
Req. No. 14088 Page 13
1 2. Students with disabilities whose individualized education
2 program (IEP), consistent with state law, indicates that the student
3 is to be assessed with alternate achievement standards through the
4 OAAP;
5 3. Students who demonstrate an acceptable level of performance
6 on an alternative standardized reading assessment approved by the
7 State Board of Education. A student shall be provided one
8 opportunity during the school year and one opportunity during the
9 summer pursuant to the provisions of Section 1210.508E of this title
10 to demonstrate an acceptable level of performance on an alternative
11 standardized reading assessment;
12 4. Students with disabilities who participate in the statewide
13 assessments administered pursuant to Section 1210.508 of this title
14 and who have an IEP that reflects that the students have received
15 intensive remediation in reading and have made adequate progress in
16 reading pursuant to the student's IEP; and
17 5. Students who have received intensive remediation in reading
18 through a program of reading instruction for two (2) or more years
19 but still demonstrate a deficiency in reading and who were
20 previously retained in third grade.
21 L. 1. To request a good-cause exemption as provided for in
22 subsection K of this section, a third-grade student's teacher shall
23 submit documentation to the school principal that indicates the
24 promotion of the student is appropriate and is based on the
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1 student's record. The documentation shall consist of the specific
2 good-cause exemption being requested and shall clearly prove that
3 the student is eligible for the exemption.
4 2. The principal shall review and discuss the recommendation
5 with the teacher and the third-grade student's parent(s) or legal
6 guardian(s) and shall make a recommendation in writing to the school
7 district superintendent as to whether the student shall be promoted.
8 3. After review, the school district superintendent shall
9 accept or reject the recommendation of the principal in writing.
10 4. The parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of a third-grade student
11 who is eligible for a good-cause exemption may choose that the
12 student be retained for one (1) year even if the school district
13 superintendent accepts a recommendation for a good-cause exemption
14 pursuant to this subsection.
15 M. Third-grade students who are subject to retention pursuant
16 to the provisions of this section shall receive a minimum of ninety
17 (90) minutes each school day of scientifically research-based
18 intensive intervention services that include instruction in
19 phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and
20 comprehension and other strategies prescribed by a school district
21 which may include, but are not limited to:
22 1. Small group instruction;
23 2. Reduced teacher-to-student ratios;
24
Req. No. 14088 Page 15
1 3. Tutoring in scientifically research-based reading services
2 in addition to the ninety (90) minutes required by this subsection;
3 4. The option of transition classes;
4 5. Extended school day, week, or year;
5 6. Summer reading academies, as provided for in Section
6 1210.508E of this title; and
7 7. Placement of the student in a classroom with a teacher rated
8 superior or highly effective in accordance with the Oklahoma Teacher
9 and Leader Effectiveness Evaluation System.
10 N. Each school district may provide an intensive acceleration
11 class for retained third-grade students. The focus of the intensive
12 acceleration class shall be to increase the reading level of a
13 student at least two grade levels in one school year. The intensive
14 acceleration class shall provide reading instruction and
15 intervention for the majority of student contact each school day and
16 incorporate opportunities to master fourth-grade subject matter
17 standards in core academic areas.
18 O. 1. The State Department of Education shall employ literacy
19 coaches to assist in implementing the provisions of this act. Each
20 literacy coach shall:
21 a. (1) hold a master's degree in education with three
22 (3) years of documented successful experience
23 teaching reading, or
24
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1 (2) hold a bachelor's degree with five (5) years of
2 documented successful experience teaching reading
3 with a minimum of three (3) years of literacy
4 experience at the state, district, or school
5 level,
6 b. have a valid certificate to teach issued by the State
7 Board of Education,
8 c. have experience delivering professional development
9 specific to literacy instruction, mentoring and
10 coaching classroom teachers, leading others in a
11 collaborative process, and analyzing and using student
12 performance data for instructional purposes, and
13 d. be trained and be competent to train others in
14 science-of-reading-based literary instruction
15 including, but not limited to, phonological awareness,
16 decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
17 2. The State Department of Education shall assign literacy
18 coaches to school districts that are identified by the Department
19 based on the number and percentage of students scoring in the lowest
20 two performance levels on the standards for reading foundations and
21 processes and the vocabulary portions of the statewide third-grade
22 assessment administered pursuant to Section 1210.508 of this title.
23 3. Literacy coaches assigned to school districts pursuant to
24 the provisions of this subsection shall:
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1 a. provide daily technical support to teachers
2 responsible for reading instruction and reading
3 specialists,
4 b. assist administrators, teachers responsible for
5 reading instruction, and reading specialists in
6 addressing grade-specific curriculum,
7 c. design and conduct professional development to meet
8 the needs of teachers responsible for reading
9 instruction and reading specialists,
10 d. provide clear, practical, timely, and candid written
11 and oral feedback to teachers responsible for reading
12 instruction and reading specialists, and
13 e. meet regularly with teachers responsible for reading
14 instruction, reading specialists, and principals to
15 review data and make recommendations for adjustments
16 in instructional practices.
17 P. 1. Each school district board of education shall annually
18 publish on the school website and report electronically to the State
19 Department of Education, the Office of Educational Quality and
20 Accountability, and the Secretary of Education by September 1 of
21 each year the following information on the prior school year:
22 a. the policies and procedures adopted by the school
23 district board of education to implement the
24 provisions of this section. The information submitted
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1 shall include expenditures related to implementing the
2 provisions of this section, the number of staff
3 implementing the provisions of this section, and
4 average daily classroom time devoted to implementing
5 the provisions of this section,
6 b. by grade, the number and percentage of all students in
7 kindergarten through third grade who did not meet
8 grade-level targets based on a screening instrument
9 administered pursuant to subsection A of this section,
10 c. by grade, the number and percentage of all students in
11 kindergarten through third grade who have been
12 enrolled in the district for fewer than two (2) years,
13 d. by grade, the number and percentage of students in
14 kindergarten through third grade who demonstrated
15 grade-level proficiency based on a screening
16 instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of
17 this section, and
18 e. by grade, the number and percentage of students in
19 kindergarten through third grade who are on an
20 individualized education program (IEP) in accordance
21 with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
22 (IDEA) and who demonstrated grade-level proficiency
23 based on a screening instrument administered pursuant
24
Req. No. 14088 Page 19
1 to subsection A of this section or an alternative
2 assessment prescribed by the student's IEP.
3 2. The State Department of Education shall establish a uniform
4 format for school districts to report the information required in
5 this subsection. The format shall be developed with input from
6 school districts and shall be provided not later than ninety (90)
7 days prior to the annual due date. The Department shall annually
8 compile the information required, along with state-level summary
9 information, and electronically report the information to the
10 public, the Governor, the Secretary of Education, the President Pro
11 Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
12 Representatives.
13 K. Q. The State Department of Education shall provide technical
14 assistance as needed to aid school districts in administering the
15 provisions of the Strong Readers Act.
16 L. R. On or before January 31 of each year, the State
17 Department of Education shall electronically submit to the Governor,
18 the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
19 Representatives, and members of the committees with responsibility
20 over common education in both houses of the Legislature a Strong
21 Readers Report which shall include, but is not limited to, trend
22 data detailing three (3) years of data, disaggregated by student
23 subgroups to include economically disadvantaged, major racial or
24
Req. No. 14088 Page 20
1 ethnic groups, students with disabilities, and English language
2 learners, as appropriate for the following:
3 1. The statewide aggregate number and percentage of students in
4 kindergarten through third grade determined to be at risk for
5 reading difficulties compared to the total number of students
6 enrolled in each grade;
7 2. The statewide aggregate number and percentage of students in
8 kindergarten who continue to be at risk for reading difficulties as
9 determined by the year-end administration of the screening
10 instrument required in subsection A of this section;
11 3. The statewide aggregate number and percentage of students in
12 kindergarten through third grade who have successfully completed
13 their program of reading instruction and are reading on grade level
14 as determined by the results of screening instruments administered
15 pursuant to subsection A of this section;
16 4. The statewide aggregate and district-specific number and
17 percentage of students that meet or do not meet grade-level targets
18 for reading based on screening instruments administered pursuant to
19 subsection A of this section;
20 5. The amount of funds received by each district for
21 implementation of the Strong Readers Act;
22 6. An evaluation and narrative interpretation of the report
23 data analyzing the impact of the Strong Readers Act on students'
24 ability to read at grade level;
Req. No. 14088 Page 21
1 7. The type of reading instruction practices and methods
2 currently being used by school districts in the state;
3 8. Socioeconomic information, access to reading resources
4 outside of school, and screening for and identification of learning
5 disabilities for students not reading at the appropriate grade level
6 in kindergarten and first through third grade;
7 9. By grade level, the types of intensive intervention efforts
8 being conducted by school districts for students who are not on an
9 IEP and who are not reading at the appropriate grade level and for
10 students who are on an IEP and who are not reading at the
11 appropriate grade level; and
12 10. Any recommendations for improvements or amendments to the
13 Strong Readers Act.
14 The State Department of Education may contract with an
15 independent entity for the reporting and analysis requirements of
16 this subsection.
17 M. S. Copies of the results of the screening instruments
18 administered pursuant to subsection A of this section shall be made
19 a part of the permanent record of each student.
20 SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508D,
21 as amended by Section 6, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
22 2025, Section 1210.508D), is amended to read as follows:
23 Section 1210.508D. A. Contingent on the provision of
24 appropriated funds designated for the Strong Readers Act, school
Req. No. 14088 Page 22
1 districts may be allocated monies for each enrolled kindergarten
2 student or first-, second-, and third-grade student of the current
3 school year, including any student who has been retained in the
4 third grade pursuant to Section 1210.508C of this title, who is
5 found to be in need of remediation or intensive intervention
6 services in reading. The allocation shall be distributed to each
7 school district upon approval of the strong readers plan for the
8 school district by the State Board of Education and the submittal of
9 a child-count report to the State Department of Education that
10 details the number of students identified as needing remediation or
11 intensive intervention services in reading. To determine a per-
12 student allocation amount, the total amount of funds available for
13 allocation each year shall be divided by the total number of
14 students in the state identified as in need of remediation or
15 intensive intervention services in reading as provided for in
16 Section 1210.508C of this title. Each school district shall be
17 allocated an amount equal to the per-student allocation amount
18 multiplied by the number of identified students enrolled in the
19 school district.
20 B. Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, districts
21 receiving more than Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00)
22 pursuant to subsection A of this section shall spend no less than
23 ten percent (10%) to provide professional development for teachers
24 teaching prekindergarten through grade five. The professional
Req. No. 14088 Page 23
1 development shall include training in the science of reading
2 including how students learn to read; training in providing explicit
3 and systematic instruction in phonological awareness, decoding,
4 fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension; implementing reading
5 strategies that research has shown to be successful in improving
6 reading among students with reading difficulties; and instructional
7 materials required for implementation.
8 C. By June 30, 2022, the Department shall approve and publish a
9 list of professional development programs that are evidence-based
10 and directly address the cognitive science of how students learn to
11 read for which districts are permitted to use the funds received
12 under this section.
13 D. If a teacher attends and completes a professional
14 development institute in elementary reading approved by the
15 Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability during the
16 summer or when school is not in session, the teacher may receive a
17 stipend equal to the amount of the cost for a substitute teacher,
18 based on the amount of funds allocated.
19 SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508E,
20 as amended by Section 7, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
21 2025, Section 1210.508E), is amended to read as follows:
22 Section 1210.508E. A. If a teacher determines that a student
23 in kindergarten or first through third grade is not reading at grade
24 level by the end of the second quarter of the school year, the
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1 parent parent(s) or legal guardian guardian(s) of the student shall
2 be notified of:
3 1. The reading level of the student;
4 2. The program of reading instruction for the student as
5 required pursuant to the Strong Readers Act; and
6 3. The potential need for the student to participate in a
7 summer academy or other program designed to assist the student in
8 attaining grade-level reading skills.
9 B. A teacher who determines a student in kindergarten or first
10 through third grade is not meeting grade-level targets for reading
11 may shall, after consultation with the parent parent(s) or legal
12 guardian guardian(s) of the student, recommend that the student
13 participate in and complete a summer academy or other program.
14 C. Summer academy programs shall be designed to ensure that
15 participating students successfully complete grade-level
16 competencies in reading to enhance next-grade readiness. A summer
17 academy reading program shall be a program that incorporates the
18 content of a scientifically research-based professional development
19 program administered by the Commission for Educational Quality and
20 Accountability or a scientifically research-based reading program
21 administered by the State Board of Education and is taught by
22 teachers who have successfully completed professional development in
23 the reading program or who are certified as reading specialists.
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1 D. School districts may approve an option for students who are
2 unable to attend a summer academy. The optional program may
3 include, but is not limited to, an approved private provider of
4 instruction, approved computer- or Internet-based instruction, or an
5 approved program of reading instruction monitored by the parent
6 parent(s) or legal guardian guardian(s). School districts shall not
7 be required to pay for the optional program but shall clearly
8 communicate to the parent parent(s) or legal guardian guardian(s)
9 the expectations of the program and any costs that may be involved.
10 E. 1. Beginning with the summer following completion of the
11 2027-2028 school year, each school district in this state shall
12 provide an in-person summer academy or other program to students
13 who:
14 a. do not meet grade-level performance based on scores
15 for the standards for reading foundations and
16 processes and the vocabulary portions of the statewide
17 third-grade assessment administered pursuant to
18 Section 1210.508 of this title, and
19 b. do not demonstrate an acceptable level of performance
20 on an alternative standardized reading assessment when
21 taken the first time during the student's third-grade
22 year in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 3
23 of subsection K of Section 1210.508C of this title.
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1 2. Students who participate in a summer academy or other
2 program pursuant to the provisions of this subsection shall be given
3 an alternative standardized reading assessment approved by the State
4 Board of Education pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 3 of
5 subsection K of Section 1210.508C of this title prior to July 1. A
6 student who demonstrates an acceptable level of performance on the
7 assessment shall be promoted to the fourth grade.
8 3. The summer academy or other program provided pursuant to
9 this subsection may be offered in cooperation with other school
10 districts or a public library or by contracting with a nonprofit
11 education organization. School districts shall notify the State
12 Department of Education by December 1, 2028, and each December 1
13 thereafter, of its plan to provide a summer academy or other
14 program.
15 F. Subject to the availability of funds, beginning one (1) year
16 after implementation of this section, the requirements of subsection
17 B of this section may be expanded to apply to students in fourth
18 grade. Each year thereafter, the requirements may be expanded by
19 one grade level until the requirements apply to third-grade students
20 through eighth-grade students. Summer academy programs shall be
21 designed for each grade level. Nothing in this section shall
22 prevent the State Board of Education or a school district board of
23 education from utilizing private, local, or federal funds to
24 implement this section.
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1 F. G. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
2 implement the provisions of this section which shall include
3 requirements for instructional time for summer academy programs,
4 teacher qualifications, and evaluation of student achievement as a
5 result of summer academy programs or other optional programs.
6 SECTION 5. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
7 SECTION 6. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
8 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
9 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
10 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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Req. No. 14088 Page 28Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.