Req. No. 1359 Page 1 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
SENATE BILL 246 By: Deevers
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to teachers; allowing public school
districts and charter schools to designate certified
classroom teachers with certain designations for
certain time period; establishing minimum criteria
for designations; directing the State Board of
Education to establish certain standards; providing
duties of the Board and the State Department of
Education; allowing the Board to adopt c ertain fees
and promulgate rules; directing the Board to provide
Distinguished Educator Allotments for classroom
teachers granted certain designations; providing for
calculation of allotments; directing certain point
values to be linked to certain student academic
growth; providing for assignment of certain point
values; directing a public school district or charter
school to be entitled to certain increased allotments
for certain reimbursement; directing the State
Department of Education to make certain in formation
available on its website; directing public school
districts and charter schools that receive certain
funds to annually certify use of such funds;
providing for use of certain portion of allotments;
providing for allotments for certain public scho ol
districts and charter schools; creating the
Distinguished Educator Allotments Revolving Fund;
specifying sources of fund; providing for
expenditures; providing purpose of fund; making an
appropriation; providing for codification; providing
an effective date; and declaring an emergency .
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
Req. No. 1359 Page 2 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 18 -126 of Title 70, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. In accordance with the provisions of subsection B of this
section, a public school district or charter school may designate a
certified classroom teacher with a master, exemplary, or recognized
designation for a five-year period. Public school districts and
charter schools shall use the following criteria, at a minimum, to
designate a certified classroom teacher:
1. A recognized designation shall be awarded when generally a
minimum of fifty-five percent (55%) of the teacher ’s students are
meeting or exceeding expected growth targets;
2. An exemplary designation shall be awarded when generally a
minimum of sixty percent (60%) of the teacher ’s students are meeting
or exceeding expected growth targets; an d
3. A master designation shall be awarded when generally a
minimum of seventy percent (70%) of the teacher ’s students are
meeting or exceeding expected growth targets.
B. The State Board of Education shall establish performance and
validity standards fo r local optional teacher designation systems.
The performance standards shall:
1. Provide a mathematical possibility that all teachers
eligible for a designation may earn the designation;
Req. No. 1359 Page 3 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
2. Provide a process to weight designations to incentivize
individual student academic growth in English language arts,
mathematics, and writin g; and
3. Require a quantitative metric for teacher designation
assessment and evaluation.
C. The State Board of Education shall:
1. Ensure that local optional teacher designa tion systems meet
the requirements of subsection B of this section; and
2. Collaborate with the Office of Educational Quality and
Accountability to monitor the quality and fairness of local optional
teacher designation systems in accordance with the provi sions of
this section.
D. The State Department of Education shall:
1. Develop and provide technical assistance for public school
districts and charter schools that request assistance in
implementing a local optional teacher designation system;
2. Periodically conduct evaluations of the effectiveness of the
local optional teacher designation systems implemented pursuant to
this section and the Distinguished Educator Allotments implemented
pursuant to Section 2 of this act and electronically report the
results of the evaluations to the Governor, the President Pro
Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives. A public school district or charter school that
has implemented a local optional teacher designation system or
Req. No. 1359 Page 4 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
received Distinguished Educator Allotment funds pursuant to Section
2 of this act shall participate in the evaluations; and
3. Collect information necessary to implement the provisions of
this section.
E. The State Board of Education may adopt fees to implement the
provisions of this section and may promulgate rules to implement the
provisions of this section.
SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 18 -126.1 of Title 70, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. The State Board of Education shall provide Distinguished
Educator Allotments for each classroom teacher granted a master,
exemplary, or recognized teacher designation pursuant to the
provisions of Section 1 of this act who is employed by a public
school district or charter school. The employing public school
district or charter school shall receive an amount equal to the
following base amounts increased by the pupil category factor
provided for in subsecti on B of this section:
1. Twelve Thousand Dollars ( $12,000.00), or an increased amount
not to exceed Thirty-two Thousand Dollars ( $32,000.00) as determined
pursuant to subsection B of this section, for each teacher with a
master designation;
2. Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00), or an increased amount not
to exceed Eighteen Thousand Dollars ($18,000.00) as determined
Req. No. 1359 Page 5 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
pursuant to subsection B of this section, for each teacher with an
exemplary designation ; and
3. Three Thousand Dollars ( $3,000.00), or an increased amount
not to exceed Nine Thousand Dollars ( $9,000.00) as determined
pursuant to subsection B of this section, for each teacher with a
recognized designation .
B. The pupil category factor shall be determined by multiplying
the following applicable amounts by the point value assigned to each
student at a public school district or charter school campus
pursuant to subsection D of this section:
1. Two Thousand Dollars ( $2,000.00) for each teacher with a
master designation;
2. One Thousand Five Hundr ed Dollars ($1,500.00) for each
teacher with an exemplary designation ; and
3. One Thousand Dollars ( $1,000.00) for each teacher with a
recognized designation .
C. Point values determined by the public school district or
charter school for each student sha ll be linked to student academic
growth in reading or mathematics recorded by statewide student
assessments administered pursuant to Section 1210.508 of Title 70 of
the Oklahoma Statutes through calculation of individual student
performance levels and corresponding cut scores determined by the
Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability pursuant to
Section 1210.541 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes . Below basic
Req. No. 1359 Page 6 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
low, below basic high, basic low, basic high, proficient low,
proficient high, advanced low, and advanced high shall have the same
meaning as the the academic growth indicator adopted by the State
Board of Education for the accountability system adopted pursuant to
Section 1210.545 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes .
D. Point values for each student at a public school district or
charter school shall be assigned as follows:
1. Zero (0) points for a student who experienced no change in
performance level from the previous year to the current year;
2. One-quarter (0.25) point for performance level increases of:
a. below basic low in the previous year to below basic
high in the current year ,
b. basic low in the previous year to basic high in the
current year,
c. proficient low in the previous year to proficient high
in the current year, and
d. advanced low in the previous year to advanced high in
the current year;
3. One-half (0.5) point for a performance level increase from
proficient low or proficient high in the previous year to advanced
low or advanced high in the current year;
4. Two (2.0) points for a performance level increase from below
basic low or below basic high in the previous year to basic low or
basic high in the current year;
Req. No. 1359 Page 7 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
5. Three (3.0) points for a performance level increase from
basic low or basic high in the previous year to proficient low or
proficient high in the current year;
6. Four (4.0) points for a performance level increase from
basic low or basic high in the previous year to advanced low or
advanced high in the current year;
7. Five points (5.0) for a performance level increase from
below basic low or below basic high in the previous year to
proficient low or proficient high in the current year;
8. Six points (6.0) for a performance level increase from below
basic low or below basic high in the previous y ear to advanced low
or advanced high in the current year; and
9. For any student whose performance level decreased or moved
inversely to the changes described in paragraphs 2 through 8 of this
subsection, the assigned point value shall be the negative
equivalent of the corresponding positive point value.
Performance levels for the current year shall mean mathematics or
reading performance levels calculated based on a student ’s
performance on statewide student assessments completed the year the
student was taught by a teacher with a designation.
E. A public school district or charter school shall be entitled
to receive increased Distinguished Educator Allotments pursuant to
this section in the amount necessary for reimbursement for any fees
paid pursuant to Section 1 of this act.
Req. No. 1359 Page 8 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
F. The State Department of Education shall annually m ake
available to the public on its website a list of public school
districts and charter schools with the projected Distinguished
Educator Allotments per teacher designation at e ach public school
district or charter school campus.
G. A public school district or charter school shall annually
certify that funds received pursuant to this section were used in
the following manner :
1. At least ninety percent (90%) of each allotment r eceived
pursuant to subsection B of this section was used for increased
compensation of a teacher with a master, exemplary, or recognized
designation; and
2. Any other funds received pursuant to this section were used
for costs associated with implementin g Section 1 of this act
including efforts to support teachers in obtaining master,
exemplary, or recognized designations.
H. The portion of the Distinguished Educator Allotments used
for increased compensation of the teacher shall:
1. Be awarded for as long as the teacher maintains his or her
designation according to the local opt ional teacher designation
system adopted pursuant to Section 1 of this act ;
2. Not be a part of a continuing contract of a teacher;
3. Not be considered as salary and/or fringe benefits pursuant
to Section 18-114.15 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes ;
Req. No. 1359 Page 9 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
4. Be excluded from the compensation of a teacher for the
purposes of calculating retirement pursuant to the Teachers ’
Retirement System of Oklahoma; and
5. Not be subject to taxes levied by the Federal Insurance
Contributions Act (FICA), to the extent such an exemption is
provided by federal law.
I. A public school district or charter school responsible for
instruction of students during their first year participating in
statewide student assessments administered pursuant to Section
1210.508 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes shall receive
Distinguished Educator Allotments per teacher . Point values for
each student at a public school district or charter school subject
to the provisions of this subsection shall be assigned as follows:
1. Zero (0.0) points for a student who performs at or below the
state average in academic performance in math ematics or reading;
2. Two (2.0) points for a student who performs above the state
average in academic performance in math ematics or reading;
3. Negative one (-1.0) point for a student who performs below
basic low or below basic high in academic performance in math ematics
or reading; and
4. Negative one-half (-0.5) point for a students who performs
basic low in academic performance in mathematics or reading.
Req. No. 1359 Page 10 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 18 -126.2 of Title 70, unless
there is created a duplication in numb ering, reads as follows:
There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund
for the State Board of Education to be designated the “Distinguished
Educator Allotments Revolving Fund ”. The fund shall be a continuing
fund, not subject to fiscal ye ar limitations, and shall consist of
all monies received by the State Board of Education from state
appropriations provided for the purpose of implementing the
provisions of Sections 1 and 2 of this act. All monies accruing to
the credit of the fund are h ereby appropriated and may be budgeted
and expended by the State Board of Education for the purpose
provided for in this section. Expenditures from the fund shall be
made upon warrants issued by the State Treasurer against claims
filed as prescribed by la w with the Director of the Office of
Management and Enterprise Services for ap proval and payment.
SECTION 4. There is hereby appropriated to the Distinguished
Educator Allotments Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 3 of
this act from any monies not otherwise appropriated from the General
Revenue Fund of the State Treasury for the fiscal year ending June
30, 2023, the sum of Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000.00) or so
much thereof as may be necessary to implement the provisions of
Sections 1 and 2 of this act .
SECTION 5. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
Req. No. 1359 Page 11 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
SECTION 6. 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 passage and approval.
60-1-1359 EB 12/30/2024 5:41:24 PM