An Act
ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 1569 By: Rosecrants, Blancett,
Phillips, Walke, Talley,
Davis, Munson, Ranson,
Conley, Dobrinski, Waldron,
Provenzano, Pae, Miller,
Hilbert, Boles and Cruz of
the House
and
Pugh and Stephens of the
Senate
An Act relating to schools; creating the Oklahoma
Play to Learn Act; declaring legislative intent;
defining terms; allowing instruction in early
childhood education to foster certain development and
learning; providing certain learning environment;
authorizing educators to provide certain learning
opportunities; authorizing certain professional
development for teachers; disallowing school
districts from prohibiting teacher use of play -based
learning; requiring promulgation of rules; providing
for codification; and declar ing an emergency.
SUBJECT: Schools
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 11 -103.2a of Title 70, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma
Play to Learn Act".
ENR. H. B. NO. 1569 Page 2
B. It is the intention of the Oklahoma State Legislature
through this act to focus on the importance of child -centered, play-
based learning as the most rigorous and most developmentally
appropriate way for children in the early childhood grade levels to
learn literacy, science, technology, engineering, art and math
academic concepts.
C. As used in this section:
1. "Child-directed" means interaction in which the child is
helped to direct and lead the play in any way the child wishes,
unless there is harmful or destructive activity;
2. "Domain" means a specified sphere of activity or knowledge;
3. "Early childhood educatio n" means prekindergarten,
kindergarten, first grade, second grade and third grade;
4. "Play" means the spontaneous activity of children;
5. "Play-based learning" means any learning activities that are
performed by a child for self -amusement that have behavioral, social
and psychomotor rewards. Play -based learning shall also mean
activities that are child -directed, joyful and spontaneous whereby
the rewards come from within the individual child;
6. "Professional development" means any of a wide vari ety of
specialized training, formal education or advanced professional
learning intended to help administrators, teachers and other
educators improve their professional knowledge, competence, skill
and effectiveness;
7. "Reading for pleasure" means readi ng that is freely chosen
or that readers freely and enthusiastically continue after it is
assigned; and
8. "Socialization" means social interaction with others.
D. Instruction in support of early childhood education
standards may be engaging and may fo ster children's development and
learning in all domains, including physical, social, emotional,
cognitive and language. To the best of their ability, educators may
create a learning environment that facilitates child -directed
experiences based upon develo pmentally appropriate early childhood
practices and intentional, sustained, play -based learning ENR. H. B. NO. 1569 Page 3
opportunities, including, but not limited to, movement, creative
expression, exploration, socialization, reading for pleasure, art,
music and dramatic play. Th e art instruction may adhere to
prekindergarten standards for fine arts, which include dance, drama,
music and visual arts, as approved by the State Department of
Education. Educators may develop physical, social, emotional,
cognitive and academic learnin g opportunities in all curricular
domains, which may include unstructured time for the discovery of
each child's individual needs, abilities and talents.
E. In support of play -based learning in Oklahoma public
schools, school districts may provide ongoin g early childhood
professional development for early childhood educators and
administrators, which may include existing early childhood
professional development programs from the State Department of
Education.
F. A school district shall not prohibit a te acher from
utilizing play-based learning in early childhood education. The
State Board of Education shall promulgate rules, subject to approval
by the Legislature, establishing guidelines for professional
development programs for early childhood educators and
administrators.
SECTION 2. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its pass age and approval.
ENR. H. B. NO. 1569 Page 4
Passed the House of Representatives the 5th day of May, 2021.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
Passed the Senate the 21st day of April, 2021.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Received by the Office of the Governor this ____________________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________
Approved by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _________
day of _______________ ____, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
_________________________________
Governor of the State of Oklahoma
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
Received by the Office of the Secretary of State this __________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________