HB 4262 provides financial and programmatic support for Oklahoma public school teachers seeking National Board certification. It covers up to $1,800 of certification costs annually for up to 100 teachers through the Education Leadership Oklahoma program, offers free mentoring for up to three years, and grants two additional professional leave days for portfolio development. The bill also establishes an annual $5,000 bonus for certified teachers - payable for five years for those certified after June 30, 2013, or ten years for those certified before - funded by lottery dollars and paid directly to eligible teachers. This bonus does not count toward minimum salary schedules or retirement calculations, and recipients are ineligible for the additional salary increment under the minimum salary schedule.
HB 3019 reduces maximum class sizes for Oklahoma public schools in kindergarten through fifth grade over a three-year phase-in. Starting in 2026-2027, classes in kindergarten through second grade may not exceed 22 students; this limit drops to 20 students in 2027-2028, and 18 students starting in 2028-2029. To comply, schools must employ a teacher’s assistant in classes exceeding these limits (with exceptions for special education and certain other classes), and teacher assistants cannot count toward the class size limit. School districts that fail to meet these requirements face reduced state funding calculated based on the number of students over the limit.
HB 3069 changes Oklahoma's charter school application process by removing the requirement that applicants must submit applications either to a sponsor or their school district. Instead, applicants for traditional charter schools (not virtual charters, which still submit to the Statewide Charter School Board) can choose where to submit their application. The bill also adds a 10-hour training requirement for applicants and sponsors on charter school processes, to be completed before submission. These changes apply to applications filed after July 1, 2024, and aim to streamline the application pathway for new charter schools.
HB 2963 removes the requirement for a minimum 22 ACT score (or equivalent SAT/CLT score) for Oklahoma students who graduated from a high school not accredited by the State Board of Education to qualify for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program. This change directly affects students who attended non-accredited high schools and previously needed to meet the standardized test threshold to receive tuition assistance. The bill amends Section 2603 of the Oklahoma Statutes to eliminate this specific test requirement while maintaining other eligibility criteria like residency, citizenship, GPA, and financial need.
SB 235 creates Oklahoma's "Grow Your Own Educator Program," which provides matching grants to eligible public school districts that help current employees pursue teaching degrees. School districts must have existing tuition or loan repayment programs for staff enrolled in accredited teacher preparation programs to qualify. The state establishes a dedicated "Grow Your Own Educator Revolving Fund" to cover the matching portion of these grants, awarded on a first-come basis with funds limited by available appropriations. Districts must report annually on employee progress and outcomes, while the state submits broader program reports to elected officials.
HB 1521 changes Oklahoma high school graduation requirements for math credits. It mandates four math units, including Algebra I and either Algebra II or Geometry, plus a third course at or above Algebra I rigor (such as Finance, Computer Science, or dual-credit math). Schools may also use locally developed, applied math courses that connect to real-world contexts. The bill directly affects Oklahoma public high school students and school districts setting graduation standards. It updates existing requirements but does not alter personal financial literacy or AP course policies.
HB 2766 is the Oklahoma state budget bill for fiscal year 2026, allocating over $1.65 billion from the General Revenue Fund to support public schools. It directs specific funding for teacher salaries, textbooks, health benefits for staff, school administration, and the School Consolidation Assistance Fund, drawing from multiple sources including the Education Lottery Trust Fund and Mineral Leasing Fund. The bill was enacted without the Governor's signature on May 29, 2025, and directly affects all Oklahoma public schools and their students through these state-funded resources.
SB 31 creates the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance Program, providing tuition coverage for eligible members enrolled in career and technology programs at Oklahoma technology centers that lead to certification or licensure. It directly affects current Oklahoma National Guard members in good standing with a high school diploma or GED who enroll in such programs, limiting assistance to three years and requiring a 24-month active service commitment after program completion. Key provisions include maintaining a 2.0 GPA, holding a military occupational specialty (MOS) after the first semester, and mandatory repayment if service or academic requirements are not met. The program is funded through a revolving fund supported by state appropriations and repayments, with applications processed through the Military Department.
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.
SB 840 creates two new micro-credentials for Oklahoma teachers: one for Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) and one for Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI). To earn either, teachers must hold a master’s degree, complete specialized training, pass a competency exam, and provide 28 days of instruction post-exam. Certified teachers with these micro-credentials gain authorization to screen students for and identify dyslexia characteristics. The micro-credential will be added to the teacher’s official certificate, effective July 1, 2025. This bill directly affects certified teachers seeking specialized training in dyslexia identification.
