Education (K-12 Education)

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 1298: Student assessments; directing the State Board of Education to issue a request for proposals to select certain alternative assessments. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 1298 requires Oklahoma's State Board of Education to issue requests for proposals seeking at least three alternative assessments for high school students (grades 9-12) that measure college and career readiness. These assessments must be adopted by the Board and made available to school districts starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The bill allows parents to opt their child out of standard assessments with written consent, but requires students to take an alternative assessment instead. It directly affects high school students and school districts by expanding assessment options beyond current requirements.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationReplaces standard assessments with college/career readiness alternatives, requiring continued assessment without standard tests per parent opt-out90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education K-12 Education Testing & Assessment

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signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 5, 2025

SB 139: Schools; requiring school district boards of education to adopt certain cell phone policy.

SB 139 requires Oklahoma public school district boards of education to adopt cell phone policies by the 2025-2026 school year. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, boards may choose to implement policies prohibiting students from using cell phones or personal electronic devices on school campuses "from bell to bell" during school hours. The bill directly affects school districts by setting a timeline for policy adoption and defining the scope of device restrictions during instructional time. This legislation, approved by the governor on May 3, 2025, provides a framework for district-level decisions without mandating specific enforcement.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires school districts to implement cell phone restrictions during instructional time to minimize distractions, supporting classroom focus and learning environment.85% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyRestricts student cell phone use during school hours, limiting technology access in educational settings per bill's 'from bell to bell' device prohibition requirement.85% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 24, 2025

HB 1088: Schools; transfer students; allowing certain students to transfer to adjacent school district; effective date.

HB 1088 allows students in school districts that do not offer their required grade level to automatically transfer to an adjacent district without facing capacity limits. This applies only to one transfer per student, bypassing standard capacity rules that normally restrict transfers. Subsequent transfers would follow existing rules under the Education Open Transfer Act. The bill directly affects students whose home districts lack their grade level, particularly those seeking adjacent district enrollment.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEnables student transfers to adjacent districts without capacity limits for grade-level access, directly expanding educational access for students in districts lacking required grade levels.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Choice

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 233: Higher education; providing certain concurrent enrollment tuition waiver to juniors and seniors who declare intention to teach. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 233, the "Teacher Shortage Reduction Act," provides tuition waivers for Oklahoma high school juniors and seniors who commit to becoming public school teachers. It allows eligible students to receive a waiver covering up to 60 college credit hours (instead of the standard 9-18 credits) if they declare an intention to pursue teacher education and teach in Oklahoma public schools for three years within ten years of earning their degree. Students who fail to fulfill this teaching commitment must repay the waived tuition, though hardship exceptions may apply. The program is funded through state appropriations and requires students to submit a formal declaration to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides state-funded tuition waiver for future teachers, increasing education spending as part of budget allocation.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides tuition waivers for future teachers to reduce shortages, directly funding teacher recruitment in public schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education K-12 Education Teachers

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 1334: Strong Readers Act; modifying number of screening instruments to be approved; modifying criteria for approval. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 1334, the Strong Readers Act, requires Oklahoma public schools to screen all kindergarten through third-grade students for reading skills at the start, middle, and end of each school year. The bill mandates that the State Board of Education approve at least three screening tools meeting specific criteria, including alignment with reading science, validity, and ability to support students with disabilities or English learners. Schools must provide individualized reading intervention plans within 30 days for students not meeting grade-level targets, including evidence-based instruction and progress monitoring. The law takes effect for the 2026-2027 school year.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates K-3 reading screenings and evidence-based interventions to improve literacy outcomes, directly advancing educational quality and student support in K-12 schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

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signed · Oklahoma · House May 7, 2025

HB 1995: Crimes and punishments; definitions of sex crimes; designating school resource officers as employees of a school system; emergency.

HB 1995 expands Oklahoma's definition of rape to include sexual acts between students aged 16-19 (while under school custody) and school employees (including resource officers) who are 18 or older. It explicitly designates school resource officers as school employees for these provisions and adds similar protections for foster children under 19 and secondary school students concurrently enrolled in higher education with staff. The law specifies that such acts are rape under Section 1111, with penalties including minimum 3-year prison terms (25 years for victims under 12). It also updates related provisions in Section 1123 regarding lewd acts with children under 16.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands rape definition to protect minors from school staff, strengthening legal accountability and victim protections in criminal justice context.92% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill enhances student safety by defining staff-student sexual acts as rape and designating resource officers as school employees, protecting educational environments.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections K-12 Education

passed both · Oklahoma · Senate May 14, 2026

SB 514: Schools; student eligibility; virtual charter school students; Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) activities; policies. Effective date.

SB 514 expands Oklahoma's statewide alternative education system to explicitly include charter schools and virtual charter schools that are designated by the State Department of Education as offering alternative education programs. It requires school districts serving grades 7-12 to provide alternative education programs meeting specific standards (like smaller class sizes, certified teachers, and individualized plans) and allows districts to use full-time virtual or blended instruction. Designated charter and virtual charter schools must follow the same performance standards and attendance policies as district programs, while funding is based on student enrollment with 15% reserved for cooperative agreements between districts. The bill directly affects school districts, designated charter/virtual schools, and students at risk of not completing high school.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands alternative education access by mandating inclusion of charter/virtual schools and requiring quality standards like certified teachers and individualized plans.90% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Choice

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in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 25, 2025

HB 1304: Schools; subject matter standards; computer science courses; curriculum; rules; effective date; emergency.

HB 1304 requires Oklahoma public high schools to offer a dedicated one-year computer science curriculum as part of graduation requirements for students in grades 8-12. It mandates that schools include computer science courses (covering programming, hardware, and business applications) as an approved option to fulfill the "two units of world language or computer technology" requirement for graduation. The bill specifies these courses must be approved for college admission and exclude basic keyboarding or typing courses. This directly affects all Oklahoma public high school students meeting graduation standards under the 2024-2025 school year curriculum rules. The policy change updates existing graduation requirements to explicitly include computer science as a valid pathway.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates computer science curriculum as graduation requirement, expanding K-12 curriculum standards and enhancing student program offerings per bill's explicit language.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill mandates computer science education in public high schools, directly advancing technology literacy and workforce development through required curriculum, aligning with support indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Higher Education K-12 Education

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 1308: Higher education; providing eligibility for resident tuition. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 1308 allows students who graduated from an Oklahoma high school and lived in Oklahoma with a parent or guardian for at least two years prior to graduation to qualify for resident tuition at Oklahoma public colleges, regardless of their current immigration status. To qualify, students must meet admission standards and either provide proof of an immigration status application or file an affidavit promising to apply within one year of enrollment. The bill also ensures these students cannot be denied state scholarships or financial aid due to their immigration status. This applies to new students enrolling on or after July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands higher education access by removing immigration status barriers for qualifying students to pay resident tuition at Oklahoma public colleges.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationBill removes immigration status barrier for resident tuition eligibility, supporting immigrant access to higher education services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education K-12 Education Student Financial Aid DACA & Dreamers

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in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 1761: Schools; screening for dyslexia; requiring certain students to rescreen every three years; effective date; emergency.

HB 1761 requires Oklahoma public schools to screen all kindergarten through third-grade students for characteristics of dyslexia if they are not meeting grade-level reading targets after the initial assessment. Students identified with dyslexia characteristics must be rescreened every three years until age 18 or until a rescreening shows no characteristics. School districts must report detailed data on screenings, rescreenings, and interventions to the state Department of Education annually, including student progress and screening tools used. The bill also mandates the State Board of Education to develop policies for screening, including approved tools and parent notification processes. This affects all Oklahoma public schools serving K-3 students and requires ongoing monitoring of dyslexia identification.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates dyslexia screening for K-3 students not meeting reading targets, requiring interventions and annual reporting to improve early identification and support, advancing educational access and student outcomes.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Testing & Assessment

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