Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
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3 SENATE BILL 1291 By: Hicks
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to the Strong Readers Act; amending
7 Section 2, Chapter 288, O.S.L. 2023, as amended by
8 Section 9, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
8 2025, Section 1210.508H), which relates to literacy
9 instructional team; removing language establishing
9 three-year pilot program; increasing number of
10 literacy specialists required as certain team
10 members; requiring biennial submission of certain
11 report; updating contents of report; updating
11 statutory language; providing an effective date; and
12 declaring an emergency.
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15 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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16 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY Section 2, Chapter 288, O.S.L.
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17 2023, as amended by Section 9, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S.
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18 Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508H), is amended to read as follows:
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19 Section 1210.508H. A. Beginning with the 2023-2024 school
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20 year, the State Department of Education shall establish a three-year
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21 pilot program to employ a literacy instructional team to support
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22 school districts in implementation of the requirements of Section
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23 1210.508C of this title. The Department shall provide technical
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24 assistance for literacy instruction, dyslexia, and related
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1 disorders, and serve as a primary source of information and support
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2 for schools in addressing the needs of students struggling with
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3 literacy, dyslexia, and related disorders.
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4 B. The Department shall employ a literacy instructional team
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5 with team members who are placed regionally across the state. The
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6 literacy instructional teams team members shall assist general
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7 education and special education teachers in recognizing educational
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8 needs to improve literacy outcomes for all students including those
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9 with dyslexia or identified with the risk characteristics associated
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10 with dyslexia. The role of the literacy instructional team shall
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11 also include increasing professional awareness and instructional
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12 competencies to meet the educational needs of all students including
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13 those with dyslexia or identified with risk characteristics
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14 associated with dyslexia. The Department shall prioritize supports
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15 and interventions including enrollment in reading trainings and
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16 professional development for schools which have the highest
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17 percentage of students who do not demonstrate sufficient reading
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18 skills as established by the State Board of Education.
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19 C. Literacy instructional team members employed by the
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20 Department shall have training in:
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21 1. The science of how students learn to read including
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22 phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension,
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23 writing, and language;
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1 2. Foundation of multisensory, explicit, systematic, and
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2 structured reading instruction;
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3 3. Identification of and the appropriate interventions,
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4 accommodations, and teaching techniques for struggling students;
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5 4. The requirements of the Strong Readers Act;
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6 5. Special education laws and procedures; and
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7 6. Appropriate interventions, accommodations, and assistive
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8 technology supports for students with dyslexia or a related
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9 disorder.
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10 D. The literacy instructional team members employed by the
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11 Department shall report to the Program Director for Literacy at the
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12 Department and have:
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13 1. A minimum of five regional literacy leads, including at
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14 least one who shall be designated by the Department as a dyslexia
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15 specialist to provide school districts with support and resources
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16 that are necessary to assist students with dyslexia. The Department
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17 shall give preference to educators applying for regional literacy
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18 lead who:
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19 a. have an endorsement or certification as a certified
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20 structured literacy dyslexia specialist or certified
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21 academic language therapist,
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22 b. are knowledgeable of multitiered systems of support,
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23 and
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1 c. have been trained in the identification of and
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2 intervention for dyslexia and related disorders
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3 including best practice interventions and treatment
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4 models for dyslexia; and
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5 2. A minimum of ten one hundred literacy specialists. The
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6 Department shall give preference to educators applying for literacy
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7 specialist who:
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8 a. have training in the science of reading,
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9 b. are knowledgeable of multitiered systems of support,
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10 and
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11 c. have been trained in the identification of and
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12 intervention for dyslexia and related disorders
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13 including best practice interventions and treatment
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14 models for dyslexia.
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15 E. The State Department of Education shall electronically
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16 submit a report to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the
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17 Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by December
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18 31, 2026, and by December 31 biennially thereafter, that includes an
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19 evaluation of the pilot program literacy instructional team members
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20 by school districts to which they were assigned, data on whether the
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21 program literacy instructional team members had an impact on
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22 increasing the number of students who demonstrate proficiency in
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23 reading, and recommendations for changes to the Strong Readers Act.
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24 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
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1 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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2 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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3 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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4 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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6 60-2-2608 EB 12/22/2025 10:57:49 AM
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Req. No. 2608 Page 5Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.