Bill > SB1778

Introduced Session

An Act ENROLLED SENATE BILL NO. 1778 By: Pugh of the Senate and Hilbert, Staires, Hasenbeck, Caldwell (Chad), Wolfley, Roberts, Hill, and Williams of the House An Act relating to the Strong Readers Act; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508A, as amended by Section 3, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508A), which relates to the Strong Readers Act; updating statutory reference; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508B, as amended by Section 4, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508B), which relates to legislative intent; stating legislative intent regarding a multi-tiered system of supports framework and core literacy instruction; requiring schools to integrate other core subjects into reading, writing, and math; defining term; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508C, as last amended by Section 2, Chapter 297, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508C), which relates to assessments for reading skills; modifying purpose of screening; directing the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability to evaluate and rank certain number of screening instruments; directing the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to approve certain instruments; directing the State Board of Education to select one screening instrument; requiring the instrument to meet certain criteria; removing language providing for the approval of three screening instruments; removing language regarding requirements for a program of reading instruction; directing a reading intervention plan to identify intensity of instruction; prohibiting certain services from occurring during math instruction; expanding students who will be provided certain reading intervention plan; adding member to Student Reading Proficiency Teams; removing language regarding certain notification of parents and legal guardians; directing the State Board of Education, in certain consultation, to annually define and set certain benchmarks for screening instrument results; directing the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability to analyze and report certain tiers; prohibiting reading intervention from being provided solely by digital technology; requiring reading intervention to include certain amount of direct instruction; removing certain exemption for students who demonstrate proficiency on certain screening instrument from programs of reading instruction; modifying language regarding intensive intervention services for certain third-grade students; requiring certain first- and second-grade students to be placed in certain transitional classroom or provided certain targeted intervention instruction; allowing certain first- and second-grade students to be voluntarily retained with certain written consent; requiring families of certain first- and second-grade students to be provided certain tutoring or summer reading options; directing the State Department of Education to approve certain tutoring programs; directing the Department to make certain assessment available to school districts beginning in certain school year; requiring school districts to administer certain assessment to students in certain grade; providing for certain prior written notification; allowing written notice to opt out of certain assessment; exempting certain students who score at certain level from certain retention requirements; prohibiting performance on certain assessment from being counted against certain grading; directing school districts to use performance data for certain purpose; modifying type of intervention services to be provided to certain students; modifying information to be included in certain notification for parents and legal guardians; providing for certain ENR. S. B. NO. 1778 intervention services for certain incoming third- grade students; requiring third-grade students to demonstrate sufficient reading skills beginning in certain school year; providing methods for demonstration; requiring retention of certain third- grade students; prohibiting screening instruments from being used for promotion purposes; providing good-cause exemptions to retention; providing good- cause exemption request process; requiring written notification of parents and legal guardians of retained students; subjecting certain students to certain screening and testing upon return to a public school; prohibiting certain receiving school from altering certain third-grade retention requirements for a student who transfers; directing retained students to be provided certain interventions beginning in certain school year; requiring school districts to review certain intervention plans; requiring school districts and the State Department of Education to report certain information; updating statutory language; updating statutory references; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508D, as amended by Section 6, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508D), which relates to appropriated funds designated for the Strong Readers Act; modifying language regarding calculation of certain allocation; providing for calculation of base literacy allocations; providing purpose of base literacy allocation; providing for calculation of supplemental weighted funding; providing purpose of supplemental weighted funding; requiring school districts to maintain certain documentation; providing for promulgation of certain rules; allowing the State Department of Education to require certain documentation or provide certain assistance under certain circumstances; directing a portion of certain funds to be provided as incentives for school districts demonstrating certain improvement; removing certain stipend; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508E, as amended by Section 7, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508E), which relates to summer academy programs; allowing a ENR. S. B. NO. 1778 teacher to recommend certain tutoring; directing academy programs to incorporate certain reading intervention services and be taught by certain individuals; requiring school districts to provide certain intervention options to certain students; requiring summer academies to consist of certain amount of instructional time; prohibiting summer academies from including certain instruction models; requiring, rather than allowing, certain intervention to be expanded to certain grade; requiring school districts to report certain information to the State Board of Education; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508F, as last amended by Section 3, Chapter 297, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508F), which relates to reading competencies for teacher education programs; allowing professional development to include certain components; requiring teacher candidates to study certain negative impacts, identification of certain models, and how to implement certain instruction; requiring certain teacher education programs to be audited for certain compliance; directing noncompliant programs to be placed on certain status and given certain guidance; amending Section 2, Chapter 288, O.S.L. 2023, as amended by Section 9, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 1210.508H), which relates to literacy instructional teams; removing pilot program language; directing the State Department of Education to employ literacy coaches who are placed in certain number of regions; providing duties of coaches; providing for priority placement of coaches; requiring coaches to pass certain test; increasing number of coaches; providing additional criteria for coaches; providing for assignment of coaches; exempting a school district that employs certain coaches from using certain literacy coaches if they participate in certain coaching improvement community; modifying criteria for individuals to be given certain preference; prohibiting certain school districts that decline certain assistance from being eligible to receive certain funding; requiring school districts to have certain staff member at each public ENR. S. B. NO. 1778 elementary school; directing the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability, in certain collaboration, to develop certain teacher training academies for certified personnel to provide certain micro-credential; requiring certain teacher training academies to be held prior to the 2026-2027 school year; providing certain stipend for receiving an early literacy micro-credential; providing certain funding amount for certain public and private institutions of higher education; creating the Strong Readers Revolving Fund; specifying sources of fund; providing for expenditures; providing purpose of fund; allowing donors to the fund to designate certain recipient; providing for codification; and declaring an emergency. SUBJECT: Reading instruction in schools

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Kyle Hilbert (R)*,  Adam Pugh (R)*,  Chad Caldwell (R),  Toni Hasenbeck (R),  Brian Hill (R),  Eric Roberts (R),  Clay Staires (R),  Danny Williams (R),  Max Wolfley (R), 

Approved by Governor 04/21/2026 (on 04/21/2026)

Taxonomy

Official Document