An Act
ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 1773 By: Conley, Sterling, Moore,
Mize, Roe, Davis and Nollan
of the House
and
Garvin of the Senate
An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2011,
Section 6-185, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter
234, O.S.L. 2019 (70 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 6 -185),
which relates to the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation
Act; requiring study of multi -tiered systems of
support in preservice teacher preparation program;
providing for training using evidenced -based and
data-based procedures; including training for
structured literacy and mathematics; adding training
for applying behavioral sciences to classroom
management; providing for training related to impacts
of trauma and trauma -informed instruction; and
providing an effective date .
SUBJECT: Schools
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2011, Section 6 -185, as
last amended by Section 1, Chapter 234, O.S.L. 2019 (70 O.S. Supp.
2020, Section 6-185), is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-185. A. The following competencies and methods shall
be incorporated into the programs approved by the Commission for
Educational Quality and Accountability for the competency -based
teacher preparation system provided fo r in the Oklahoma Teacher
Preparation Act:
ENR. H. B. NO. 1773 Page 2
1. The teacher preparation system shall include, but not be
limited to, the following competencies:
a. excellence in the arts and sciences,
b. an in-depth knowledge of the subject matter to be
taught,
c. the ability to identify and cultivate talent and
potential in students,
d. an understanding of child and human development,
e. teaching skills developed through a variety of
learning experiences,
f. the ability to interact effectively with all students,
g. skills necessary for working with parents, guardians
and custodians of students in the education process,
h. skills necessary to involve the community in
education,
i. skills to foster teamwork within and among schools,
j. for administrators, skills ne cessary to be an
effective leader of a school or school district, and
k. skills in effective classroom management and student
discipline;
2. The preservice program shall include the following methods
to achieve the competencies listed in paragraph 1 of this
subsection:
a. require teacher candidates to study arts and sciences
at the undergraduate level,
b. require secondary and elementary/secondary teacher
candidates to have undergraduate majors, or their
equivalents, in a subject area, and require teac her
candidates in early childhood, elementary, and special
education to have subject area concentrations which
allow qualification as a generalist, ENR. H. B. NO. 1773 Page 3
c. require teacher candidates in early childhood,
elementary, secondary, and special education to study
the philosophy, overarching framework, components, and
implementation of multi -tiered systems of support
(MTSS) designed to address the core academic and
nonacademic needs of all students. The program shall
provide for training that utilizes evidence -based
assessment, intervention, and data -based decision-
making procedures within a tiered system of support to
identify students at risk for negative academic or
nonacademic outcomes. This training shall include,
but not be limited to , the following areas as
appropriate by grade band:
(1) a structured literacy approach that includes
phonological awareness, phonemic awareness,
decoding letters into sound and its relationship
to printed material, rapid -naming skills, oral
fluency, vocabulary and comprehension,
(2) an evidence-based approach to mathematics
instruction that includes understanding key
mathematical concepts, fluency of basic facts,
fluent and flexible use of standard and
nonstandard algorithms, and application of these
mathematical principles to solvi ng problems,
(3) the application of the behavioral sciences to
classroom management that includes instruction on
prevention of problematic behaviors, teaching
appropriate behaviors, reinforcing appropriate
behaviors, responding to problematic behaviors,
and evaluating the effect of classroom management
on student outcomes, and
(4) the identification and impact of trauma on
student learning and trauma -informed responsive
instruction,
d. require teacher candidates to study the individuality
of students, the capacity of students to learn and the
process of learning,
ENR. H. B. NO. 1773 Page 4
d. e. integrate curriculum from other disciplines with the
education curriculum,
e. f. require teacher candidates to have training
experiences and personal contact with parents,
guardians or custodians of school-age children,
f. g. require teacher candidates to have community
involvement experience,
g. h. structure courses so as to require teamwork
activities, and
h. i. require teacher candidates to study, in existing
coursework, substance ab use symptoms identification
and prevention, mental illness symptoms identification
and mental health issues, classroom management skills,
trauma-informed responsive instruction and classroom
safety and discipline techniques; and
3. The Commission for Edu cational Quality and Accountability
shall not require more than a four -year program of one hundred
twenty-four (124) semester hours to complete a teacher education
degree.
B. It is the intent of the Legislature that institutions of
higher education which offer teacher education programs hold such
programs accountable for meeting the certification competencies
approved by the State Board of Education. It is the intent of the
Legislature that the teacher education programs incorporate a
curriculum to achieve the competency-based system and include
integration of the teacher preparation curricula with the arts and
sciences departments curricula. Each institution of higher
education which seeks accreditation or approval for its teacher
education program shal l develop an institution plan which follows
the State Board of Education competencies for certification. In
developing such institution plans, the higher education institution
shall establish a process which seeks information and input from
teacher preparation faculty, faculty from arts and sciences and
other programs and disciplines which are appropriate, students
within the teacher education program, teachers, administrators,
parents, guardians or custodians of students and business and
community leaders. Each institution shall report annually to the
Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability the procedures
used to inform the public regarding the institution's teacher ENR. H. B. NO. 1773 Page 5
education program and the manner through which public input is
solicited and received. The institution's plan shall be accessible
to any interested party under the Oklahoma Open Records Act. No
institution of higher education's teacher education program shall be
approved by the Commission unless the institution plan has been
approved by that institution's governing board. The Oklahoma State
Regents for Higher Education may facilitate the development of
institution plans to assist institutions of higher education.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective Novem ber 1, 2021.
ENR. H. B. NO. 1773 Page 6
Passed the House of Representatives the 2nd day of March, 2021.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
Passed the Senate the 19th 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: _________________________________