Jordan Zakery is a Legislative Director for ExcelinEd in Action.
Oklahoma made headlines in 2023 as lawmakers worked hard for students in several policy areas. Led by Gov. Kevin Stitt, the Sooner State set out to reshape the K-12 education landscape and successfully passed policies ranging from early literacy to school choice to college and career pathways.
Notably, Oklahoma joined the national wave of states expanding school choice to all families with the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Act.
The new legislation provides a refundable tax credit of up to $7,500 per student who attends a private school to use on education-related expenses, including tutoring, tuition, instructional materials and more. Families who homeschool may receive $1,000 per student.
More than 60,000 Oklahoma students may benefit from the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit, applications for which open on December 6.
Gov. Stitt made education one of his top priorities heading into legislative session. Signing the bill, Stitt called the legislation a “huge win for students and parents all across the state. I am so proud that we were able to empower parents and deliver education freedom; so that every student has the opportunity to attend a school that best fits their needs, regardless of their background, economic status or zip code.”
The legislation was part of Gov. Stitt’s ASPIRE Oklahoma plan, which he signed into law earlier this year. It includes record K-12 funding in the state along with teacher pay raises as well.
Speaker Charles McCall, President Pro Tem Greg Treat, Sen. Adam Pugh and Reps. Mark McBride and Rhonda Baker and many others played an important part in making sure students were at the center of all policy discussions.
Also included in the ASPIRE plan is an investment in early literacy. The $10 million increase in literacy funding will create a three-year program to help local districts access training and best practices related to the science of reading.
House Education Committee Chair Rep. Rhonda Baker was a leader of the literacy effort in Oklahoma. She emphasized the importance of fostering partnership between teachers and parents to ensure students are getting the reading support they need at school and at home.
ExcelinEd appeared before the Senate Education Committee to present expert testimony about the student-centered literacy policies up for discussion and legislative consideration.
The committee’s chairperson, Sen. Pugh, said that “improving Oklahoma’s student literacy outcomes is the greatest challenge facing our state. Literacy is a far-reaching issue that impacts everything from a child’s self-esteem to their ability to learn and expand their imaginations.”
With this year’s policy improvements, Oklahoma has now embraced several critical principles for successful early literacy programs.
Sen. Pugh was also the sponsor of SB 621, which created the Oklahoma Workforce Transformation Act and the Oklahoma Workforce Commission. Both are aimed at aligning in-demand employer needs with increased training that will prepare high school students for relevant jobs and successful careers.
This state-level coordination is a great step to ensure schools, educators, employers and students are working together to keep the state’s economy growing.
The transformation of Oklahoma’s learning system is gaining momentum with ongoing discussions on student-centered policies to be considered by next year’s legislature. These are anticipated to include A-F report cards for public schools and strategies to attract and retain teachers. Please follow along with the ExcelinEd in Action team to stay up on the latest.
