Education

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 29, 2025

SB 212: Teacher preparation; directing the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to establish TeachForwardOK.

SB 212 directs Oklahoma's Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to establish a two-year pilot program called TeachForwardOK for teacher education programs at accredited public colleges and universities. The bill requires the Commission to issue grants to approved programs to hire technical evaluators who must assess four specific areas: teacher candidate recruitment/completion, program effectiveness, alignment with state workforce needs, and strategies for recruiting nontraditional teachers. Programs must submit electronic responses to evaluation reports within 60 days, and the Commission will award $500,000 to one program to address findings after the pilot. The Commission must submit a final report to state leaders by December 2027 detailing results and recommendations.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes grant-funded pilot program to strengthen teacher education programs through evaluation and alignment with workforce needs.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

passed both · Oklahoma · Senate May 28, 2025

SB 245: State Department of Education; directing the Department to establish the Oklahoma High Dosage Tutoring Program. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 245 creates the Oklahoma High Dosage Tutoring Program for grades K-8, targeting students at least half a grade level behind in math or English language arts. The program requires in-person tutoring (3+ one-hour sessions weekly for 10-12 weeks per semester), with school districts prioritizing federally designated schools under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Tutors earn bonuses based on student progress (e.g., $1,600 per cohort per semester and $1,000 per grade-level improvement), and districts must track student growth using standardized assessments. Funding comes from a new revolving fund in the State Treasury, supported by state appropriations, federal grants, and other designated sources.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates funded tutoring program targeting student achievement gaps with tutor bonuses, directly advancing K-8 educational support through mandated in-person sessions and progress-based incentives.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

Track

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 28, 2025

SB 701: Higher education; authorizing the approval of functional exceptions; expanding classes and programs offered to the people of Muskogee. Effective date.

SB 701 temporarily lifts 11 existing legal restrictions that limit which Oklahoma public colleges can offer specific courses or degree programs in Muskogee and Tulsa areas. It prohibits institutions like Northern Oklahoma College, Connors State College, and Northeastern State University from being restricted to only lower-division courses or specific locations for five academic years. The bill authorizes Oklahoma's State Regents for Higher Education to approve "functional exceptions" allowing institutions to expand course offerings beyond their usual mission to address unmet workforce needs. This change takes effect July 1, 2025, directly affecting how community colleges and universities operate in these regions.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationLifts restrictions on higher education programs, expanding course offerings and access in Muskogee/Tulsa areas for public colleges.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 674: Charter schools; Charter Schools Incentive Fund; renaming; state funding; calculation; payments.

SB 674 creates the "Charter Schools Incentive and Closure Reimbursement Fund" to support charter schools with startup costs, building renovations, and closure expenses. It requires charter schools to pay $5 per student (based on average daily membership) into this fund, while modifying how state funding is calculated - allowing new schools a 1.333 multiplier for first-year enrollment to determine initial funding. The bill also clarifies that charter schools receive state aid based on their own enrollment (not their sponsor’s), prohibits sponsors from charging fees beyond a 3% administrative cap on state aid, and states charter schools are considered local education agencies for funding purposes. This affects all Oklahoma charter schools, virtual charter schools, and their sponsors, with the bill now law after governor approval on May 23, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates Charter Schools Incentive Fund for startup/closure costs and provides new charters 1.333 enrollment multiplier, directly increasing funding access and support for charter schools within K-12 education.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 841: Strong Readers Act; modifying use of Statewide Literacy Revolving Fund; modifying requirement for teacher preparation program students to complete certain training. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 841, the "Strong Readers Act," modifies how the Statewide Literacy Revolving Fund is used and changes training requirements for students in teacher preparation programs. It directs funds toward literacy programs supporting K-12 students and requires teacher candidates to complete specific literacy instruction training before certification. The bill affects school districts, literacy programs, and teacher education institutions by altering funding allocation and educator preparation standards. Signed into law on May 23, 2025, it takes effect immediately as an emergency measure.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationDirects Statewide Literacy Revolving Fund to K-12 literacy programs and mandates teacher preparation literacy training, advancing educational quality and teacher readiness.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 27, 2025

HB 1096: Schools; modifying goals of certain programs; modifying eligibility for certain higher education programs; adding references to Classic Learning Test; effective date; emergency.

HB 1096 modifies Oklahoma school district requirements for teacher professional development. It updates goals to prioritize increasing academic performance scores, closing achievement gaps, and reducing college remediation rates. The bill adds mandatory annual training on dyslexia and dysgraphia for teachers, expands autism awareness training for early childhood educators, and requires data-driven planning for professional development programs. School districts must annually report on these programs to the State Department of Education, including progress toward specific student achievement goals. The bill does not reference the Classic Learning Test in its substantive provisions as described in the provided text.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates dyslexia/dysgraphia teacher training, expands autism awareness, and requires data-driven planning to improve academic performance and close achievement gaps.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 684: Income tax credit; relating to the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Act; modifying tax years for which certain annual credit limit is enforced; prescribing procedure for enforcement of annual limit. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 684 modifies Oklahoma's Parental Choice Tax Credit Act by increasing the annual credit limit to $7,500 for eligible taxpayers claiming credits for private school tuition and related education expenses. It changes the tax years for which the credit limit applies and requires the Oklahoma Tax Commission to maintain a publicly accessible, searchable online list of all taxpayers claiming the credit, including their names, credit amounts, and the specific law authorizing the credit. This bill directly affects Oklahoma taxpayers claiming the education credit and participating private schools, which must provide information to the Tax Commission. The law also specifies that qualified expenses include tuition at accredited private schools or certain educational services like tutoring and materials. The changes take effect immediately upon the bill's approval.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases tax credit limit to $7,500 for private school tuition, providing tax relief under parental choice program.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases tax credits for private school tuition, expanding educational access through school choice programs.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 22, 2025

HB 1086: School funding; school district general funds; general fund carryover; State Aid; calculation of per pupil revenue; exceptions; effective date; emergency.

HB 1086 updates Oklahoma's school funding rules by redefining how school districts manage their general funds. It requires districts to place capital project funds (like those for building repairs) into a separate building fund instead of the general fund, and eliminates the practice of carrying over general fund money to future years. The bill restricts general fund use for capital projects to only cases where a building is destroyed by disaster (fire, flood, etc.) and other funding sources (insurance, state aid) are insufficient. This directly affects all Oklahoma public school districts in how they track and spend state and local education funds.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEnforces fiscal responsibility by requiring capital project funds to be separated from general funds, preventing diversion of resources and promoting proper budget management.90% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts school districts' use of general funds for capital projects (e.g., building repairs), limiting infrastructure funding flexibility and requiring separate dedicated funds.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 12, 2025

HB 1393: Special education; individual education program; parental consent; effective date; emergency.

HB 1393 amends Oklahoma's special education law to clarify how alternate achievement standards are applied in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities. It replaces the phrase "based on alternate academic achievement standards" with language requiring assessments "that promote access to and progress in the general education curriculum." This change directly affects students with disabilities in Oklahoma public schools who use alternate assessments, ensuring their IEPs focus on meaningful engagement with standard curriculum content. The bill specifies that alternate assessments must support students' ability to access and advance in regular classroom learning, not just measure them against different standards. The amendment became law after Governor approval on May 9, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAmends special education law to require assessments promoting access to general curriculum for students with disabilities, strengthening educational access and inclusion in K-12 schools.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 12, 2025

HB 1940: Charter schools; sponsorship; adding county to certain sponsor; effective date; emergency.

HB 1940 amends Oklahoma's charter school law to establish a new annual limit: the Statewide Charter School Board may sponsor no more than five new charter schools per year in counties with fewer than 500,000 residents. This directly affects the Statewide Charter School Board's authority and charter school expansion in smaller counties, while maintaining existing sponsorship rules for other areas. The rule applies to all new charter school applications approved after July 1, 2025, when the bill takes effect. The bill does not change sponsorship requirements for schools in larger counties or other sponsor types.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts new charter school expansion in smaller counties by capping annual sponsorships at five, limiting educational access options for K-12 students.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Education