1. A. To identify students who have a reading deficiency or characteristics of dyslexia that lead to or cause reading difficulty, each student enrolled in kindergarten and first, second, and third grade in a public school in this state shall be screened at the beginning, middle, and end of each school year for monitoring of progress and for measurement of reading skills. The Office of Educational Quality and Accountability shall evaluate and rank up to three screening instruments, which shall be approved by the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability. The State Board of Education shall select one screening instrument approved by the Commission to be utilized for the purposes of this section.

   1. 1. Can assess for phonological awareness, sound-symbol recognition, alphabet knowledge, rapid naming skills, decoding and encoding skills, oral reading accuracy and fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, as developmentally appropriate;
   2. 2. Can document the validity and reliability of each assessment;
   3. 3. Can identify students who are at risk for reading and math deficiency and monitor student progress throughout the school year;
   4. 4. Can be linked to, and can accurately predict, performance on the Oklahoma School Testing Program;
   5. 5. Is normed beyond elementary grades;
   6. 6. Can assess students with disabilities and English language learners;
   7. 7. Is accompanied by a data management system that provides profiles of each student, class, grade level, and school building. The profiles shall identify the instructional point of need and reading achievement level for each student; and
   8. 8. Is capable of reporting student-level data to the State Department of Education and the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability.

   The selected screening instrument shall meet the following criteria:

2. B. In determining which screening instrument to approve and utilize, the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability and the State Board of Education shall take into consideration at a minimum the following factors:

   1. 1. The time required to conduct the screening instrument with the intention of minimizing the impact on instructional time;
   2. 2. The timeliness in reporting screening instrument results to teachers, administrators, and parents and legal guardians of students;
   3. 3. The integration of the screening instrument into reading and math curriculum; and
   4. 4. The ability to report all reading and math screening results to both the State Department of Education and the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability.

3. C.

   1. 1. Exemptions to the screening requirements of this section may be provided to students who have documented evidence that they meet at least one of the following criteria as related to the provision of classroom instruction:

      1. a. the student participates in the Oklahoma Alternate Assessment Program (OAAP) and is taught using alternate methods,
      2. b. the student's primary expressive or receptive communication is sign language,
      3. c. the student's primary form of written or read text is Braille, or
      4. d. the student's primary expressive or receptive language is not English, the student is identified as an English learner using a state-approved identification assessment, and the student has had less than one (1) school year of instruction in an English-learner program.
   2. 2. A public school that grants an exemption pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subsection shall provide ongoing evidence of student progression toward English language acquisition with the same frequency as administration of screening assessments. Evidence may include, but not be limited to, student progression toward OAAP reading essential elements, proficiency in sign language and reading comprehension, and proficiency in Braille and reading comprehension.

4. D.

   1. 1. Students who are administered a screening instrument pursuant to subsection A of this section and are found not to be meeting grade-level targets shall be provided a reading intervention plan, which shall identify the needed intensity of instruction to remedy the student's specific reading deficiency as quickly as possible.
   2. 2. The reading intervention services required by this subsection shall not occur during math instruction.

   3. 3. A student enrolled in kindergarten or first, second, or third grade who exhibits a reading deficiency at any time based on the screening instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of this section and any fourth-grade student promoted for good cause pursuant to subsection L of this section shall receive an individual reading intervention plan no later than thirty (30) days after the identification of the reading deficiency. The reading intervention plan shall be provided in addition to Tier 1 reading instruction that is provided to all students. The reading intervention plan shall:

      1. a. describe the reading intervention services and the needed intensity of instruction the student will receive to remedy the reading deficiency,
      2. b. provide explicit and systematic instruction in phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, as applicable,
      3. c. monitor the reading progress of each student's reading skills throughout the school year and adjust instruction according to the student's needs, and
      4. d. continue until the student is determined to be meeting grade-level targets in reading based on the screening instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of this section or assessments identified for diagnostic purposes and periodic monitoring by the State Board of Education.

   4. 4. The reading intervention plan for each student identified with a reading deficiency shall be developed by a Student Reading Proficiency Team and shall include supplemental instructional services and supports. Each team shall be composed of:

      1. a. the parent or legal guardian of the student,
      2. b. the teacher assigned to the student who had responsibility for reading instruction in that academic year,
      3. c. a teacher who is responsible for reading instruction and is assigned to teach in the next grade level of the student,
      4. d. a certified reading specialist or interventionist, certified personnel with an early literacy micro-credential, or an individual with advanced training or specialization in literacy instruction, and
      5. e. the principal, vice principal, or designate.
   5. 5. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability, shall annually define and set benchmarks for screening instrument results that are predictive of future performance on the state summative assessment to assist in identifying intervention tiers within a reading intervention plan. Annually, the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability shall analyze and report to the State Department of Education the correlation of screening instrument tiers to state summative tiers using predictive modeling and prior year formative and summative testing results.
   6. 6. Reading intervention shall not be provided solely by digital technology. Reading intervention shall include a majority of direct instruction from a teacher or reading specialist trained in the science of reading.

5. E.

   1. 1. Every school district shall adopt and implement a district strong readers plan which has had input from school administrators, teachers, and parents and legal guardians, and a reading specialist, interventionist or certified personnel with an early literacy micro-credential, and which shall be submitted electronically to and approved by the State Board of Education. The plan shall be updated annually if changes have been made to the plan. The district strong readers plan shall include a plan for each site which includes an analysis of the data provided by the Oklahoma School Testing Program and other reading assessments utilized as required in this section, and which outlines how each school site will comply with the provisions of the Strong Readers Act.
   2. 2. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the implementation and evaluation of the provisions of the Strong Readers Act. The evaluation shall include, but not be limited to, an analysis of the data required in subsection S of this section.

6. F.

   1. 1. Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year:

      1. a. if a first-grade student has demonstrated the need for reading intervention services and is not meeting grade-level targets by the end of the first grade:

         1. (1) the district shall place the student in a stand-alone transitional second-grade classroom or promote the student to second grade while providing targeted Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention instruction, or
         2. (2) the first-grade student may be subject to voluntary retention in first grade with the written consent of the student's parent or legal guardian, and

      2. b. if a second-grade student has demonstrated the need for reading intervention services and is not meeting grade-level targets by the end of the second grade:

         1. (1) the district shall place the student in a stand-alone transitional third-grade classroom or promote the student to third grade while providing targeted Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention instruction, or
         2. (2) the second-grade student may be subject to voluntary retention in second grade with the written consent of the student's parent or legal guardian.
   2. 2. If a student is subject to the provisions of paragraph 1 of this subsection, the family of the student shall be provided with the option for the student to attend a summer tutoring program or a summer reading academy. The State Department of Education shall also approve one or two online or workbook-based summer tutoring programs for use by students under this paragraph. School districts shall also provide the parents or legal guardians of the student with a list of summer literacy programs available if a summer academy, as described in Section 1210.508E of this title, is not offered by the school district.

   3. 3.

      1. a. Beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, the State Department of Education shall make available to school districts the statewide third-grade English Language Arts assessment required by Section 1210.508 of this title, and school districts shall administer the assessment to students in second grade. School districts shall provide prior written notification to parents and legal guardians of second-grade students who will be administered the English language arts assessment, and the notification shall include information on how a parent or legal guardian may provide written notice to opt his or her student out of the assessment administration. Second-grade students who score at the proficient level or above on the assessment shall be exempt from the third-grade retention requirements provided in subsection K of this section. A second-grade student's performance on the assessment shall not be counted against him or her in classroom grading.
      2. b. School districts shall use student performance data on the assessment administered pursuant to this paragraph to inform intervention decisions.
7. G. Each school district shall annually report in an electronic format to the State Department of Education, the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability, and the Secretary of Education the number of students in kindergarten through third grade per grade level who exhibit grade-level reading proficiency, the number of students per grade level who received Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention services pursuant to subsection D of this section, the number of students per grade level who attended a summer academy as provided for in Section 1210.508E of this title, the number of students per grade level who exhibited improved reading proficiency after completion of reading intervention services, and the number of students per grade level who are still in need of reading intervention services. The State Department of Education shall publicly report the aggregate and district-specific numbers submitted pursuant to this subsection on its website and shall provide electronic copies of the report to the Governor, Secretary of Education, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to the respective chairs of the committees with responsibility for common education policy in each legislative chamber.

8. H. The parent or legal guardian of any student who is found to have a reading deficiency and has been provided a reading intervention plan as provided for in paragraph 1 of subsection D of this section shall be notified in writing no later than thirty (30) days after the identification of the reading deficiency. The notification shall be accompanied by the individual reading intervention plan developed pursuant to paragraph 3 of subsection D of this section. The notification shall include the following:

   1. 1. That the student has been identified as having a reading deficiency;
   2. 2. A description of the current services that are provided to the student pursuant to subsection D of this section;
   3. 3. A description of the proposed reading intervention services and supports that will be provided to the student that are designed to remediate the identified area of reading deficiency as provided for in subsection D of this section;
   4. 4. That the parent or legal guardian shall be informed in writing of the progress of the student toward grade-level reading at least every thirty (30) days and provided with strategies to assist at home;
   5. 5. That if the child's reading deficiency is not remediated by the end of third grade, the child shall not be promoted to fourth grade unless a good-cause exemption is met;
   6. 6. That a student who is promoted to the fourth grade for good cause shall receive Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention services unless he or she is a student who meets the definition of a student with the most significant cognitive disabilities;
   7. 7. A description of the specific skill deficits of the child and strategies for parents or legal guardians to use in helping their child succeed in reading proficiency;
   8. 8. The grade-level performance scores of the student; and
   9. 9. That while the statewide English Language Arts assessment is the initial determinate for promotion, students may be provided with an alternative reading assessment option that is recommended by the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability and approved by the State Board of Education to demonstrate sufficient reading skills for promotion to fourth grade.
9. I. No student may be assigned to a grade level based solely on age or other factors that constitute social promotion.

10. J.

    1. 1. Any incoming third-grade student identified with a reading deficiency shall be provided Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention services to remedy his or her specific reading deficiency. Intervention services shall include effective instructional strategies to accelerate student progress and be delivered by a highly qualified teacher.
    2. 2. Public school districts shall review individual reading intervention plans for all incoming third-grade students identified with a reading deficiency. The review shall address additional supports and services the student will receive. The supports and services shall include reading instruction and reading intervention services and supports to correct any identified area of reading deficiency.

11. K.

    1. 1. Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, third-grade students shall demonstrate sufficient reading skills for promotion to fourth grade. Students shall be provided the following options to demonstrate sufficient reading skills for promotion to fourth grade:

       1. a. scoring above the below basic level on the third-grade statewide English Language Arts assessment, or
       2. b. earning an acceptable score on an alternative standardized reading assessment as recommended by the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability and approved by the State Board of Education.
    2. 2. If the third-grade student cannot demonstrate sufficient reading skills on one of the two options described in paragraph 1 of this subsection and does not qualify for a good-cause exemption, the student shall be retained in the third grade for the next school year. Screening instruments described in this section shall not be used for promotion purposes.

12. L. The school district board of education may only exempt students from mandatory third-grade retention, as provided in subsection K of this section, for good cause. A student who is promoted to fourth grade with a good-cause exemption, except for students who meet the definition of a student with the most significant cognitive disabilities, shall continue to receive reading intervention services that includes specific reading strategies prescribed in the student's individual reading intervention plan until the deficiency is remedied. The school district shall assist schools and teachers with the implementation of reading strategies that research has shown to be successful in improving reading among students with reading difficulties. Good-cause exemptions shall be limited to the following:

    1. 1. Students with disabilities whose individualized education program (IEP) indicates that participation in the statewide student assessment system is not appropriate, consistent with state law;
    2. 2. Students identified as English language learners who have had less than two (2) consecutive school years of instruction in an English-learner program;
    3. 3. Students with disabilities who participate in the statewide English Language Arts assessment and who have an IEP that reflects that the student has received reading intervention for more than two (2) school years but still demonstrates a reading deficiency, or who was previously retained for one (1) year in kindergarten, first, second, or third grade; and
    4. 4. Students who have received reading intervention services for two (2) or more years but still demonstrate a reading deficiency, and who were previously retained in kindergarten, first, second, or third grade for a total of two (2) years. No student shall be retained twice in third grade.

13. M. Requests to exempt students from the mandatory third-grade retention requirement, as provided in subsection K of this section, using one of the good-cause exemptions, as described in subsection L of this section, shall be made consistent with the following:

    1. 1. Documentation shall be submitted from the student's teacher to the school principal indicating that the promotion of the student is appropriate. Such documentation shall consist only of the good-cause exemption being requested and the existing reading intervention plan or IEP;
    2. 2. The school principal shall review and discuss the recommendation for exemption with the student's teacher. If the principal determines that the student meets one of the good-cause exemptions based on the discussion and documentation provided, the school principal shall make such recommendation in writing to the school district superintendent. The school district superintendent shall accept or reject the school principal's recommendation in writing; and
    3. 3. The parents or legal guardians of a third-grade student eligible for a good-cause exemption may choose that the student be retained for one (1) year even if the school district superintendent accepts a recommendation for a good-cause exemption pursuant to this subsection.
14. N. The school district shall provide written notification to the parent or legal guardian of any student who is retained. Such notification shall state that his or her child has not met the reading level required for promotion to the fourth grade, the reasons the child is not eligible for a good-cause exemption, and that his or her child will be retained in third grade. The notification shall include a description of the proposed reading intervention services and the intensity of instruction that will be provided to the child to remedy the identified areas of reading deficiency in the retained year.

15. O.

    1. 1. Students that are withdrawn from public school to bypass third-grade retention requirements, as outlined in subsection K of this section, shall be subject to screening upon return to the public school system to determine appropriate grade level upon re-entry.
    2. 2. If a third-grade student subject to retention as provided for in subsection K of this section transfers to a public school district, a charter school, or a virtual charter school, the requirements to retain the student in third grade shall not be altered by the receiving school.

16. P. Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, students retained under the provisions of subsection K of this section shall be provided Tier 2 or Tier 3 reading interventions to remedy the student's specific reading deficiency. The reading intervention services shall include effective instructional strategies to accelerate student progress. Each school district shall conduct a review of student reading intervention plans for all students retained in third grade. The review shall address additional supports and services needed to remedy the identified areas of reading deficiency and ensure the following are provided to retained students:

    1. 1. A teacher with appropriate training and demonstrated competency in evidence-based reading intervention. School districts with only one third-grade teacher are exempt from the requirements of this paragraph;
    2. 2. Tier 2 or Tier 3 reading intervention services and supports to correct the identified areas of reading deficiency;

    3. 3. One of the following intervention supports:

       1. a. before-, during-, or after-school supplemental research-based reading intervention delivered by a teacher or tutor with specialized reading training, or
       2. b. summer academy programs designed to ensure that participating students successfully complete grade-level competencies in reading to enhance next-grade readiness; and
    4. 4. A "Read at Home" plan as created by the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability shall be outlined in a parental or legal guardian notification, including participation in parent or legal guardian training workshops or regular parent-guided or legal guardian-guided home reading activities which are aligned to scientifically based reading research.

17. Q.

    1. 1. Each school district board of education shall annually publish on the school website and report electronically to the State Department of Education, the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability, and the Secretary of Education by September 1 of each year the following information on the prior school year:

       1. a. the policies and procedures adopted by the school district board of education to implement the provisions of this section. The information submitted shall include expenditures related to implementing the provisions of this section, the number of staff implementing the provisions of this section, and average daily classroom time devoted to implementing the provisions of this section,
       2. b. by grade, the number and percentage of all students in kindergarten through third grade who demonstrated a reading deficiency based on a screening instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of this section,
       3. c. by grade, the number and percentage of all students in kindergarten through third grade who have been enrolled in the district for fewer than two (2) years,
       4. d. by grade, the number and percentage of all students in kindergarten through third grade who were retained,
       5. e. by grade, the number and percentage of students in kindergarten through third grade who demonstrated grade-level proficiency based on a screening instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of this section,
       6. f. by grade, the number and percentage of students in kindergarten through third grade who are on an individualized education program (IEP) in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and who demonstrated grade-level proficiency based on a screening instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of this section or an alternative assessment prescribed by the student's IEP,
       7. g. the number and percentage of all students in third grade who demonstrated sufficient reading skills for promotion to the next grade on the alternative reading assessment,
       8. h. the number and percentage of students in third grade who were promoted to fourth grade for good cause and the applicable good-cause exemption specified in subsection L of this section, and
       9. i. the performance of fourth-grade students on the statewide English Language Arts assessment who were promoted with a good-cause exemption in the previous school year.
    2. 2. The State Department of Education shall establish a uniform format for school districts to report the information required in this subsection. The format shall be developed with input from school districts and shall be provided not later than ninety (90) days prior to the annual due date. The Department shall annually compile the information required, along with state-level summary information, and electronically report the information to the public, the Governor, the Secretary of Education, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and shall post such information on its website.
    3. 3. If a school district fails to report screening instrument data to the State Department of Education and the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability as required by this subsection, such district shall not be eligible to receive funds pursuant to Section 1210.508D of this title.
18. R. The State Department of Education shall provide technical assistance as needed to aid school districts in administering the provisions of the Strong Readers Act.

19. S. On or before January 31 of each year, the State Department of Education shall electronically submit to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and members of the committees with responsibility over common education in both houses of the Legislature a Strong Readers Report which shall include, but is not limited to, trend data detailing three (3) years of data, disaggregated by student subgroups to include economically disadvantaged, major racial or ethnic groups, students with disabilities, and English language learners, as appropriate for the following:

    1. 1. The statewide aggregate number and percentage of students in kindergarten through third grade determined to be at risk for reading difficulties compared to the total number of students enrolled in each grade;
    2. 2. The statewide aggregate number and percentage of students in kindergarten who continue to be at risk for reading difficulties as determined by the year-end administration of the screening instrument required in subsection A of this section;
    3. 3. The statewide aggregate number and percentage of students in kindergarten through third grade who have successfully completed their program of reading instruction and are reading on grade level as determined by the results of a screening instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of this section;
    4. 4. The statewide aggregate and district-specific number and percentage of students that meet or do not meet grade-level targets for reading based on a screening instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of this section;
    5. 5. The statewide aggregate and district-specific number and percentage of students that were retained in third grade;
    6. 6. The amount of funds received by each district for implementation of the Strong Readers Act;
    7. 7. An evaluation and narrative interpretation of the report data analyzing the impact of the Strong Readers Act on students' ability to read at grade level;
    8. 8. The type of reading instruction practices and methods currently being used by school districts in the state;
    9. 9. Socioeconomic information, access to reading resources outside of school, and screening for and identification of learning disabilities for students not reading at the appropriate grade level in kindergarten and first through third grade;
    10. 10. By grade level, the types of intensive intervention efforts being conducted by school districts for students who are not on an IEP and who are not reading at the appropriate grade level and for students who are on an IEP and who are not reading at the appropriate grade level; and

    11. 11. Any recommendations for improvements or amendments to the Strong Readers Act.

        The State Department of Education may contract with an independent entity for the reporting and analysis requirements of this subsection.

20. T. Copies of the results of the screening instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of this section shall be made a part of the permanent record of each student.

Laws 1997, HB 2017, c. 349, § 3, emerg. eff. July 1, 1997; Amended by Laws 1998, HB 2878, c. 332, § 1, emerg. eff. July 1, 1998 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 1999, HB 1252, c. 176, § 2, emerg. eff. July 1, 1999 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2001, SB 168, c. 421, § 2, emerg. eff. July 1, 2001 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2004, HB 1133, c. 175, § 1, emerg. eff. July 1, 2004 (repealed by Laws 2005, HB 2060, c. 1, § 125, emerg. eff. March 15, 2005); Amended by Laws 2004, HB 2477, c. 197, § 2, emerg. eff. July 1, 2004 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2005, HB 2060, c. 1, § 124, emerg. eff. March 15, 2005 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2005, SB 966, c. 431, § 3, eff. September 1, 2005 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2011, SB 346, c. 171, § 1 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2012, HB 2516, c. 171, § 1, emerg. eff. July 1, 2012 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2012, HB 2511, c. 250, § 1; Amended by Laws 2012, HB 2306, c. 354, § 9 (repealed by Laws 2013, SB 977, c. 15, § 97, emerg. eff. April 8, 2013) (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2013, SB 977, c. 15, § 96, emerg. eff. April 8, 2013 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2014, HB 2625, c. 323, § 1 emerg. eff. May 21, 2014 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2014, HB 2497, c. 344, § 2, emerg. eff. May 28, 2014 (repealed by Laws 2015, SB 831, c. 54, § 36, emerg. eff. April 10, 2015) (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2014, HB 3399, c. 430, § 10, emerg. eff. June 5, 2014 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2015, SB 831, c. 54, § 35, emerg. eff. April 10, 2015 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2015, SB 630, c. 364, § 1, emerg. eff. July 1, 2015 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2016, HB 3218, c. 360, § 7, emerg. eff. July 1, 2016 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2017, SB 84, c. 213, § 1, emerg. eff. May 5, 2017; Amended by Laws 2017, HB 1760, c. 210, § 1, emerg. eff. May 5, 2017 (superseded document available); Laws 2017, HB 1760, c. 210, § 1, emerg. eff. May 5, 2017 (repealed by Laws 2018, HB 3718, c. 304, § 21, emerg. eff. May 10, 2018) (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2019, SB 601, c. 289, § 2, emerg. eff. July 1, 2019 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2024, SB 362, c. 411, § 5, emerg. eff. July 1, 2024 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2025, SB 841, c. 297, § 2, emerg. eff. July 1, 2025 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2026, SB 1778, c. 34, § 4, emerg. eff. April 21, 2026 (superseded document available).