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1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
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3 SENATE BILL 1334 By: Hicks
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to the Strong Readers Act; amending
7 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508C, as last amended by
8 Section 2, Chapter 297, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp.
8 2025, Section 1210.508C), which relates to
9 assessments for reading skills; modifying number of
9 screening instruments to be approved by the State
10 Board of Education; modifying criteria for screening
10 instruments; updating statutory language; providing
11 an effective date; and declaring an emergency.
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14 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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15 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508C,
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16 as last amended by Section 2, Chapter 297, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S.
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17 Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508C), is amended to read as follows:
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18 Section 1210.508C. A. To identify students who have
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19 characteristics of dyslexia that lead to or cause reading
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20 difficulty, each student enrolled in kindergarten and first, second,
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21 and third grade in a public school in this state shall be screened
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22 at the beginning, middle, and end of each school year for reading
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23 skills including, but not limited to, phonological awareness,
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24 decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. A screening
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1 instrument approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation
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2 with the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability and
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3 the Secretary of Education, shall be utilized for the purposes of
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4 this section. In determining which screening instrument to approve,
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5 the State Board of Education, the Commission for Educational Quality
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6 and Accountability, and the Secretary of Education shall take into
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7 consideration at a minimum the following factors:
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8 1. The time required to conduct the screening instrument with
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9 the intention of minimizing the impact on instructional time;
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10 2. The timeliness in reporting screening instrument results to
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11 teachers, administrators, and parents and legal guardians of
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12 students; and
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13 3. The integration of the screening instrument into reading
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14 curriculum.
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15 B. Beginning in the 2025-2026 2026-2027 school year, the State
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16 Board of Education shall approve no fewer more than three screening
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17 instruments for use at the beginning, middle, and end of the school
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18 year for monitoring of progress and for measurement of reading
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19 skills as required in subsection A of this section. The screening
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20 instruments shall meet the following criteria:
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21 1. Assess Be aligned with the science of reading and assess for
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22 phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and
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23 comprehension;
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24 2. Document the validity and reliability of each assessment;
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1 3. Can be used for identifying students who are at risk for
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2 reading deficiency and progress monitoring throughout the school
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3 year;
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4 4. Can be used to assess students with disabilities and English
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5 language learners; and
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6 5. Accompanied by a data management system that provides
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7 profiles of each student, class, grade level, and school building.
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8 The profiles shall identify each student's instructional point of
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9 need and reading achievement level and shall identify evidence-based
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10 supports to address identified points of need. The State Board
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11 shall also determine other comparable reading assessments for
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12 diagnostic purposes to be used for students at risk of reading
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13 failure.
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14 C. 1. Exemptions to the screening requirements of this section
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15 may be provided to students who have documented evidence that they
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16 meet at least one of the following criteria as related to the
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17 provision of classroom instruction:
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18 a. the student participates in the Oklahoma Alternate
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19 Assessment Program (OAAP) and is taught using
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20 alternate methods,
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21 b. the student's primary expressive or receptive
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22 communication is sign language,
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23 c. the student's primary form of written or read text is
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24 Braille, or
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1 d. the student's primary expressive or receptive language
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2 is not English, the student is identified as an
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3 English learner using a state-approved identification
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4 assessment, and the student has had less than one (1)
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5 school year of instruction in an English-learner
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6 program.
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7 2. A public school that grants an exemption pursuant to
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8 paragraph 1 of this subsection shall provide ongoing evidence of
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9 student progression toward English language acquisition with the
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10 same frequency as administration of screening assessments. Evidence
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11 may include, but not be limited to, student progression toward OAAP
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12 reading essential elements, proficiency in sign language and reading
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13 comprehension, and proficiency in Braille and reading comprehension.
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14 D. 1. Students who are administered a screening instrument
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15 pursuant to subsection A of this section and are found not to be
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16 meeting grade-level targets shall be provided a program of reading
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17 instruction designed to enable students to acquire the appropriate
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18 grade-level reading skills. The program of reading instruction
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19 shall be based on scientific reading research and align with the
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20 subject matter standards adopted by the State Board of Education. A
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21 program of reading instruction shall include:
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22 a. sufficient additional in-school instructional time for
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23 the acquisition of phonological awareness, decoding,
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24 fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension,
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1 b. if necessary and if funding is available, tutorial
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2 instruction after regular school hours, on Saturdays,
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3 and during summer; however, such instruction may not
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4 be counted toward the one-hundred-eighty-day one-
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5 hundred-eighty-one-day or one-thousand-eighty-hour
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6 one-thousand-eighty-six-hour school year required in
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7 Section 1-109 of this title,
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8 c. assessments identified for diagnostic purposes and
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9 periodic monitoring to measure the acquisition of
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10 reading skills including, but not limited to,
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11 phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary,
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12 and comprehension, as identified in the student's
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13 program of reading instruction,
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14 d. high-quality instructional materials grounded in
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15 scientifically based reading research, and
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16 e. a means of providing every family of a student in
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17 prekindergarten, kindergarten, and first, second, and
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18 third grade access to free online evidence-based
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19 literacy instruction resources to support the
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20 student's literacy development at home.
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21 2. A student enrolled in kindergarten or first, second, or
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22 third grade who exhibits a deficiency in reading at any time based
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23 on the screening instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of
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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
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2 deficiency in reading. The reading intervention plan shall be
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3 provided in addition to core reading instruction that is provided to
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4 all students. The reading intervention plan shall:
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5 a. describe the research-based reading intervention
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6 services the student will receive to remedy the
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7 deficiency in reading,
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8 b. provide explicit and systematic instruction in
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9 phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary,
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10 and comprehension, as applicable,
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11 c. monitor the reading progress of each student's reading
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12 skills throughout the school year and adjust
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13 instruction according to the student's needs, and
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14 d. continue until the student is determined to be meeting
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15 grade-level targets in reading based on screening
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16 instruments administered pursuant to subsection A of
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17 this section or assessments identified for diagnostic
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18 purposes and periodic monitoring pursuant to
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19 subparagraph c of paragraph 1 of this subsection.
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20 3. The reading intervention plan for each student identified
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21 with a deficiency in reading shall be developed by a Student Reading
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22 Proficiency Team and shall include supplemental instructional
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23 services and supports. Each team shall be composed of:
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24 a. the parent or legal guardian of the student,
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1 b. the teacher assigned to the student who had
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2 responsibility for reading instruction in that
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3 academic year,
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4 c. a teacher who is responsible for reading instruction
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5 and is assigned to teach in the next grade level of
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6 the student, and
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7 d. a certified reading specialist or an individual with
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8 advanced training or specialization in literacy
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9 instruction, if one is available.
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10 4. A school district shall notify the parent or legal guardian
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11 of any student in kindergarten or first, second, or third grade who
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12 exhibits a deficiency in reading at any time based on the screening
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13 instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of this section.
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14 The notification shall occur no later than thirty (30) days after
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15 the identification of the deficiency in reading.
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16 E. 1. Every school district shall adopt and implement a
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17 district strong readers plan which has had input from school
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18 administrators, teachers, and parents and legal guardians and if
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19 possible a reading specialist, and which shall be submitted
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20 electronically to and approved by the State Board of Education. The
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21 plan shall be updated annually. School districts shall not be
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22 required to electronically submit the annual updates to the Board if
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23 the last plan submitted to the Board was approved and expenditures
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24 for the program include only expenses relating to individual and
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1 small group tutoring, purchase of and training in the use of
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2 screening and assessment measures, summer school programs, and
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3 Saturday school programs. If any expenditure for the program is
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4 deleted or changed or any other type of expenditure for the program
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5 is implemented, the school district shall be required to submit the
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6 latest annual update to the Board for approval. The district strong
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7 readers plan shall include a plan for each site which includes an
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8 analysis of the data provided by the Oklahoma School Testing Program
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9 and other reading assessments utilized as required in this section,
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10 and which outlines how each school site will comply with the
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11 provisions of the Strong Readers Act.
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12 2. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the
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13 implementation and evaluation of the provisions of the Strong
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14 Readers Act. The evaluation shall include, but not be limited to,
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15 an analysis of the data required in subsection L of this section.
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16 F. 1. Any first-grade, second-grade, or third-grade student
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17 who demonstrates proficiency in reading through a grade-level
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18 appropriate screening instrument approved pursuant to subsection B
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19 of this section shall not require a program of reading instruction
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20 or an individual reading intervention plan. After a student has
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21 demonstrated proficiency through a screening instrument, the
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22 district shall provide notification to the parent or legal guardian
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23 of the student that he or she has satisfied the requirements of the
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24 Strong Readers Act. The district shall continue to monitor the
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1 student in the next successive grade level to ensure he or she
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2 maintains proficiency.
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3 2. Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, if a third-grade
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4 student is identified at any point of the academic year as having a
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5 significant reading deficiency, which shall be defined as not
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6 meeting grade-level targets on a screening instrument administered
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7 pursuant to subsection A of this section, the district shall provide
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8 the student with intensive intervention services for the appropriate
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9 amount of the instructional day consistent with the individual
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10 reading intervention plan developed pursuant to paragraph 2 of
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11 subsection D of this section and as determined by the Student
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12 Reading Proficiency Team. Intensive intervention services shall
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13 continue until the student demonstrates proficiency at his or her
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14 grade level based on a screening instrument administered pursuant to
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15 subsection A of this section.
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16 G. Each school district shall annually report in an electronic
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17 format to the State Department of Education, the Office of
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18 Educational Quality and Accountability, and the Secretary of
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19 Education the number of students in kindergarten through third grade
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20 per grade level who exhibit grade-level reading proficiency, the
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21 number of students per grade level who received intensive
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22 intervention services pursuant to paragraph 2 of subsection F of
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23 this section, the number of students per grade level who attended a
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24 summer academy as provided for in Section 1210.508E of this title,
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1 the number of students per grade level who exhibited improved
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2 reading proficiency after completion of intensive intervention
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3 services, and the number of students per grade level who are still
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4 in need of intensive intervention services. The State Department of
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5 Education shall publicly report the aggregate and district-specific
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6 numbers submitted pursuant to this subsection on its website and
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7 shall provide electronic copies of the report to the Governor,
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8 Secretary of Education, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Speaker
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9 of the House of Representatives, and to the respective chairs of the
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10 committees with responsibility for common education policy in each
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11 legislative chamber.
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12 H. The parent of any student who is found to have a reading
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13 deficiency and is not meeting grade-level reading targets and has
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14 been provided a program of reading instruction as provided for in
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15 paragraph 1 of subsection D of this section shall be notified in
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16 writing of the following:
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17 1. That the student has been identified as having a substantial
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18 deficiency in reading;
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19 2. A description of the current services that are provided to
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20 the student pursuant to subsection D of this section;
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21 3. A description of the proposed intensive intervention
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22 services and supports that will be provided to the student that are
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23 designed to remediate the identified area of reading deficiency as
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24 provided for in paragraph 2 of subsection F of this section;
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1 4. That a student who is promoted to the fourth grade shall
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2 receive supplemental intensive intervention services;
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3 5. Strategies for parents to use in helping their child succeed
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4 in reading proficiency; and
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5 6. The grade-level performance scores of the student.
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6 I. No student may be assigned to a grade level based solely on
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7 age or other factors that constitute social promotion.
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8 J. 1. Each school district board of education shall annually
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9 publish on the school website and report electronically to the State
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10 Department of Education, the Office of Educational Quality and
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11 Accountability, and the Secretary of Education by September 1 of
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12 each year the following information on the prior school year:
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13 a. the policies and procedures adopted by the school
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14 district board of education to implement the
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15 provisions of this section. The information submitted
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16 shall include expenditures related to implementing the
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17 provisions of this section, the number of staff
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18 implementing the provisions of this section, and
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19 average daily classroom time devoted to implementing
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20 the provisions of this section,
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21 b. by grade, the number and percentage of all students in
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22 kindergarten through third grade who did not meet
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23 grade-level targets based on a screening instrument
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24 administered pursuant to subsection A of this section,
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1 c. by grade, the number and percentage of all students in
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2 kindergarten through third grade who have been
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3 enrolled in the district for fewer than two (2) years,
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4 d. by grade, the number and percentage of students in
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5 kindergarten through third grade who demonstrated
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6 grade-level proficiency based on a screening
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7 instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of
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8 this section, and
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9 e. by grade, the number and percentage of students in
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10 kindergarten through third grade who are on an
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11 individualized education program (IEP) in accordance
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12 with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
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13 (IDEA) and who demonstrated grade-level proficiency
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14 based on a screening instrument administered pursuant
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15 to subsection A of this section or an alternative
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16 assessment prescribed by the student's IEP.
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17 2. The State Department of Education shall establish a uniform
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18 format for school districts to report the information required in
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19 this subsection. The format shall be developed with input from
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20 school districts and shall be provided not later than ninety (90)
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21 days prior to the annual due date. The Department shall annually
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22 compile the information required, along with state-level summary
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23 information, and electronically report the information to the
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24 public, the Governor, the Secretary of Education, the President Pro
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1 Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
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2 Representatives.
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3 K. The State Department of Education shall provide technical
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4 assistance as needed to aid school districts in administering the
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5 provisions of the Strong Readers Act.
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6 L. On or before January 31 of each year, the State Department
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7 of Education shall electronically submit to the Governor, the
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8 President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
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9 Representatives, and members of the committees with responsibility
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10 over common education in both houses of the Legislature a Strong
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11 Readers Report which shall include, but is not limited to, trend
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12 data detailing three (3) years of data, disaggregated by student
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13 subgroups to include economically disadvantaged, major racial or
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14 ethnic groups, students with disabilities, and English language
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15 learners, as appropriate for the following:
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16 1. The statewide aggregate number and percentage of students in
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17 kindergarten through third grade determined to be at risk for
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18 reading difficulties compared to the total number of students
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19 enrolled in each grade;
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20 2. The statewide aggregate number and percentage of students in
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21 kindergarten who continue to be at risk for reading difficulties as
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22 determined by the year-end administration of the screening
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23 instrument required in subsection A of this section;
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1 3. The statewide aggregate number and percentage of students in
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2 kindergarten through third grade who have successfully completed
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3 their program of reading instruction and are reading on grade level
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4 as determined by the results of screening instruments administered
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5 pursuant to subsection A of this section;
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6 4. The statewide aggregate and district-specific number and
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7 percentage of students that meet or do not meet grade-level targets
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8 for reading based on screening instruments administered pursuant to
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9 subsection A of this section;
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10 5. The amount of funds received by each district for
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11 implementation of the Strong Readers Act;
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12 6. An evaluation and narrative interpretation of the report
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13 data analyzing the impact of the Strong Readers Act on students'
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14 ability to read at grade level;
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15 7. The type of reading instruction practices and methods
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16 currently being used by school districts in the state;
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17 8. Socioeconomic information, access to reading resources
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18 outside of school, and screening for and identification of learning
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19 disabilities for students not reading at the appropriate grade level
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20 in kindergarten and first through third grade;
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21 9. By grade level, the types of intensive intervention efforts
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22 being conducted by school districts for students who are not on an
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23 IEP and who are not reading at the appropriate grade level and for
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1 students who are on an IEP and who are not reading at the
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2 appropriate grade level; and
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3 10. Any recommendations for improvements or amendments to the
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4 Strong Readers Act.
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5 The State Department of Education may contract with an
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6 independent entity for the reporting and analysis requirements of
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7 this subsection.
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8 M. Copies of the results of the screening instruments
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9 administered pursuant to subsection A of this section shall be made
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10 a part of the permanent record of each student.
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11 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
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12 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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13 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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14 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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15 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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