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 1718 By: Pugh
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to schools; directing the State
7 Department of Education, in certain collaboration, to
8 establish the Oklahoma Principal Leadership
8 Development Program; providing purpose of program;
9 directing the Department to implement the program in
9 certain phases; directing the Department to provide
10 certain stipends to certain principals beginning in
10 certain school years, subject to available funding;
11 providing for promulgation of rules; providing for
11 codification; 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. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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17 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 6-250 of Title 70, unless there
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18 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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19 A. The State Department of Education, in collaboration with the
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20 Office of Educational Quality and Accountability and the Oklahoma
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21 State Regents for Higher Education, shall establish the Oklahoma
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22 Principal Leadership Development Program to increase the
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23 effectiveness of school principals. The program shall provide a
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24 principal leadership framework to reflect best practices and a
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1 statewide infrastructure that provides consistent access to
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2 sustained, high-quality professional development and mentoring for
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3 school principals.
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4 B. The State Department of Education shall implement the
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5 Oklahoma Principal Leadership Development Program in the following
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6 three phases:
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7 1. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, the Department shall
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8 publish a professional development plan for principals that provides
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9 learning guidelines and goals. The plan shall include at least one
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10 goal related to student academic growth or achievement, or both, and
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11 at least one goal for school climate. The plan shall include five
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12 (5) days of high-quality professional development targeted on
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13 building skills for school leadership. The plan for elementary
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14 school principals shall include professional development in early
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15 literacy and numeracy. The Department may identify and publish a
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16 list of professional development providers or programs that meet the
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17 requirements of this paragraph;
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18 2. Beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, each new principal
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19 shall work with a principal mentor for two (2) consecutive years.
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20 For the purposes of this section, a new principal is an individual
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21 who has completed the certification requirements for a school
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22 principal pursuant to Section 6-189 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma
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23 Statutes and is serving in his or her first or second year as a
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24 principal of a public school in this state. A principal mentor is
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Req. No. 2258 Page 2
1 an individual who has completed the certification requirements for a
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2 school principal and has been employed as a public school principal
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3 for at least five (5) years. A principal mentor shall complete a
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4 training program developed or selected by the Department; and
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5 3. Beginning in the 2028-2029 school year, the State Department
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6 of Education, in collaboration with the Office of Educational
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7 Quality and Accountability and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
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8 Education, shall use information gained from implementation of
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9 paragraphs 1 and 2 of this subsection to develop a year-long
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10 principal leadership academy. The Department may establish an
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11 implementation timeline for the academy with the goal of providing
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12 an opportunity to all certified principals in this state to complete
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13 the academy.
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14 C. Subject to the availability of funding, beginning with the
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15 2029-2030 school year, the State Department of Education shall
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16 provide a stipend of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) to new
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17 principals, as defined in paragraph 2 of subsection B of this
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18 section, who:
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19 1. Complete five (5) days of high-quality professional
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20 development required by paragraph 1 of subsection B of this section;
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21 2. Complete the two-year mentorship required by paragraph 2 of
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22 subsection B of this section; and
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23 3. Are employed by a public school district in this state.
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1 D. Upon implementation of the year-long principal leadership
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2 academy as provided for in paragraph 3 of subsection B of this
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3 section and subject to the availability of funding, the State
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4 Department of Education shall provide a stipend of Five Thousand
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5 Dollars ($5,000.00) to certified principals who:
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6 1. Complete the principal leadership academy as provided for in
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7 paragraph 3 of subsection B of this section; and
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8 2. Are employed by a public school district in this state.
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9 E. The State Board of Education may promulgate rules to
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10 implement the provisions of this section.
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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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17 60-2-2258 EB 1/14/2026 11:43:35 AM
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Req. No. 2258 Page 4Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.