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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
SENATE BILL 1905 By: Pugh
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to teacher preparation; amending 70
O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508F, which relates to
reading competencies for certain teache rs; modifying
agency responsible for ensuring certain competencies
are included for special education teachers; removing
certain agency from certain collaboration; directing
certain training in the science of reading; modifying
five elements of reading; mo difying date by which
teacher candidates enrolled in certain programs must
pass certain assessment; requiring teacher candidates
in early childhood education and elementary education
programs to pass certain assessment; modif ying
institutions of higher edu cation responsible for
administering certain assessment; requiring certain
results to be electronically reported; updating
statutory reference; updating statutory language;
providing an effective date; and declaring an
emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Secti on 1210.508F,
is amended to read as follows:
Section 1210.508F. A. The State Board of Education Commission
for Educational Quality and Accountabili ty shall ensure that the
reading competencies for elementary teachers are included in the
competencies for special education teachers.
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B. The State Board of Education and the Commission for
Educational Quality and Accountability in collabo ration with the
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall ensure that all
teachers of early childhood education, el ementary education, and
special education are provided quality training in intervention,
instruction, and remediation strategies in order to meet the needs
of students in kindergarten through third grade who are determined
to be at risk of reading difficulties in the science of readi ng to
provide explicit and systematic instruction in phonological
awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabular y, and comprehension and
implement reading strategies that research has shown to be
successful in improving reading among s tudents with reading
difficulties. In addition, quality education for prospective
teachers shall be provided in research -based instructional
strategies for instruction, assessment , and intervention for
literacy development for all students , including advanced readers,
typically developing readers , and struggling readers who are coping
with a range of challenges , including, but not limi ted to, English
learners and learners with handicapping conditions and learning
disabilities (including dyslexia). Quality training shall include
guidance from profess ional resources such as the Report of the
National Reading Panel, Response to Intervention guidelines , and
professional organizations such as the Council for Exceptional
Children, International Dyslexia Association, International Literacy
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Association, National Council of Teachers of English , and National
Association for the Education of Young Children.
C. All institutions within The Oklahoma State System of Higher
Education that offer elementary, early childhood education , or
special education programs appr oved by the Commission for
Educational Quality and Accountability shall incorporate into those
programs the requirement that teacher candidates study the five
elements of reading instruction which are phonemic phonological
awareness, phonics decoding, reading fluency, vocabulary, and
comprehension. Teacher candidates shall study strategies including,
but not limited to, instruction that is explicitly taught,
sequenced, multimodal (re ading, writing, speaking, listening, hands -
on, etc.), multidisciplinary , and reflective to adapt for individual
learners.
D. Effective July 1, 2010 2025, teacher candidates enr olled in
an institution within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education
in a special education , early childhood education, or elementary
education program approved by the Commission for Educational Quality
and Accountability shall pass, prior to gra duation, a comprehensive
assessment to measure their teaching skills in the area of reading
instruction. The assessment shall be developed and administered by
the institutions that offer special educati on, early childhood
education, and elementary education programs that lead to
certification. The assessment shall measure the knowledge and
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understanding of the teacher candidate in the teaching of the five
elements of reading instruction which are phonemic phonological
awareness, phonics decoding, reading fluency, vocabulary, and
comprehension. The results of the assessment shall be
electronically reported annually by the institution to the
Commission for Educational Quality and Acc ountability as a part of
the required annual report for the institution. The Commission
shall include the data in the annual report to the Oklahoma
Legislature as required pursuant to Section 6 -186 of this title. It
is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that teachers graduating
from institutions within The Oklahoma State System of Higher
Education have the knowledge and skills to effectively teach read ing
to all children.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2024.
SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, healt h, 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 passage and approval.
59-2-2952 EB 1/18/2024 10:25:37 AM