Oklahoma’s 2024 Education Policies: Early Literacy, School Choice and Career Pathways

In his 2024 State of the State address, Gov. Kevin Stitt set a bold vision for the future of education in Oklahoma, emphasizing the need for measures that ensure every student is prepared for college or a career.

State lawmakers made significant strides this year, passing several impactful policies aimed at strengthening early literacy, streamlining education choice for families and improving students’ career readiness.

Here’s a closer look at these significant changes.

Oklahoma Lawmakers Strengthened Early Literacy, Banned Three-Cueing 

Gov. Stitt signed Sen. Adam Pugh’s and Rep. Rhonda Baker’s SB 362 into law on June 14, 2024.  The new early literacy law includes:

• A ban on the harmful three-cueing instructional method in schools. The three-cueing model is a flawed literacy instructional practice that teaches students to read based on visual cues. Reading experts consider the approach ineffective because it encourages students to guess, not sound out, words they do not know by using pictures or what they think might make sense given the context of the sentence.

• Screening assessments for K-3 students three times per year to evaluate proficiency in reading skills, including phonological awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and rapid automatic naming (how quickly students can recall known items on a page).

• Intervention plans and parental notification for students in grades K-3 who exhibit reading deficiencies. The plan must be developed within 30 days of identifying a deficiency.

• An opportunity for struggling readers in fourth grade to participate in a summer reading camp, subject to funding. 

• Requirements for students in teacher preparation programs for early childhood and elementary education programs to pass a reading instruction competency exam.

The signing of this legislation represents Oklahoma leaders’ commitment to ensuring every child can read at grade level and gains the foundational literacy skills needed for academic success.

Oklahoma Improved the Parental Choice Tax Credit to Better Empower Families

Oklahoma’s Parental Choice Tax Credit program provides a refundable income tax credit of up to $7,500 for eligible families who pay, or expect to pay, for qualified expenses, such as K-12 private school tuition and fees.

House Speaker Charles McCall’s HB 3388, which was signed into law this year, streamlines the application process for the tax credit and clarifies that students who are expected to enroll in a private school are eligible for the tax credit along with those who currently attend. The law also aligns the application process for the tax credit with the school year, opening the application period on Jan. 15 before the school year for which the application is made.

Other program enhancements ensure that the tax credit will not be considered taxable income. In addition, applicants with a combined adjusted gross income below $75,000 will no longer be required to reapply for the credit. Taxpayers using TANF or SoonerCare also may bypass some income verification requirements to take advantage of this education choice program.

In other words, Oklahoma legislators recognized the needs of many low- and middle-income families to access parental choice funds up front. These new measures streamline the process and empower parents to secure their children’s spots in the learning environments that best meet their needs.

Oklahoma Leaders Expanded Flexibility for Students to Gain Skills for Future Careers

The Oklahoma legislature made a few changes to expand and individualize career pathways for students toward higher-wage, in-demand jobs.

Rep. Rhonda Baker’s HB 3278, which was signed into law this year, adjusts high school graduation requirements to provide more flexibility for students’ individual career pathways.

• The modified requirements include four units of math—with one being Algebra I and another being either Algebra II or Geometry—and six pathway units that align with each student’s Individual Career and Academic Plan.  

• District boards of education also must approve three additional elective units of any subject. A postsecondary-approved, full-time CareerTech program or locally approved course may satisfy the required physical science or remaining math units.   

• The measure also requires the State Board of Career and Technology Education and State Regents for Higher Education to collaborate with State Department of Education, adopt a joint plan for ensuring academic expectations and submit the plan to the legislature. Additionally, CareerTech programs and certain AP computer science courses are no longer required to be approved by the State Board of Education for high school credit.

With this law, Oklahoma policymakers have taken steps to provide students with the flexibility and opportunity to gain work experience and relevant skills in high school that can lead to high-demand, high-skill jobs in the Sooner State. We look forward to working with state leaders as they implement this approach.

Although not every proposal Gov. Stitt championed reached his desk during the 2024 legislative session, lawmakers laid a solid foundation for future progress by prioritizing literacy, empowering parents with choice and providing students with the flexibility to pursue career paths. These measures reflect a commitment to building a dynamic education system that equips all Oklahoma students with the skills and opportunities they need to succeed.