Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-11-103.7: Early childhood education programs - Standards

A. Each school district may offer to four-year-old children the

opportunity to participate in an early childhood education program.

B. The State Board of Education shall promulgate standards for

early childhood education programs for children who are at least

four (4) years of age on or before September 1 of the ensuing school

year. The standards shall include both half-day programs consisting

of not less than two and one-half (2 1/2) hours per school day, and

full-day programs of six (6) hours. The standards for all early

childhood education programs shall require a certified teacher, as

specified in this section, to be present in the classroom for the

length of the school day. Such program shall:

1. Be directed toward developmentally appropriate objectives

for such children, rather than toward academic objectives suitable

for older children;

2. Accommodate the needs of all children and families

regardless of socioeconomic circumstances; and

3. Require that any teacher employed by a public school to

teach in such early childhood education program shall be certified

in early childhood education.

C. The superintendent of any school district providing

classroom space or other school facilities for a federally sponsored

Head Start program that is planning to make a material change in the

arrangement, shall give notice to the director of the Head Start

program at least seven (7) days prior to a school board hearing on

the matter.

D. A school district may offer such early childhood education

program within the district, in cooperation with other districts,

through the use of transfers as specified by law, or by contracting

with a private or public provider of early childhood education

programs, or by contracting for classroom space with a licensed

public or private child care provider based upon selection criteria

established by the district. If the program is provided through

contract with a private or public provider other than a school

district, the contract may only be continued if each teacher serving

the school on and after January 1, 1993, is certified in early

childhood education, except that all teachers, without such

certification, hired by such provider prior to January 1, 1993, and

serving in the school as an early childhood education teacher shall

be required to obtain certification on or before the beginning of

the 1996-97 school year. Any person who has been employed as an

early childhood educator with the Head Start Program, has a child

development associate degree (CDA) and has at least five (5) years

of experience in such employment shall be certified in early

childhood education for purposes of employment in the public schools

of this state to teach in early childhood education for children

four (4) years of age and younger; if such person is recertified in

child development by the Council for Early Childhood Professional

Recognition within five (5) years prior to the expiration of the

person's early childhood certificate that was issued by the State

Board of Education, such person shall be granted a renewal

certificate in early childhood education by the State Board of

Education upon expiration of the early childhood certificate.

Provided, private or public providers shall meet such other

standards required by law and by the State Board of Education.

E. If an early childhood program is provided by a private or

public provider pursuant to a contract as authorized in this

section, the contract shall address the requirements for

implementing the induction program as required in Section 6-195 of

this title. Teachers employed by a private or public provider in an

early childhood education program provided through contract with a

public school district shall receive in salary and/or fringe

benefits amounts not less than the amounts specified in the schedule

this

section, the contract shall address the requirements for

implementing the induction program as required in Section 6-195 of

this title. Teachers employed by a private or public provider in an

early childhood education program provided through contract with a

public school district shall receive in salary and/or fringe

benefits amounts not less than the amounts specified in the schedule

set forth in Section 18-114.14 of this title.

F. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules to

provide for the implementation of such program.

G. An early childhood education program may be offered jointly

by school districts that have formed interlocal cooperative

agreements pursuant to Section 5-117b of this title.

H. The term "prekindergarten" shall mean early childhood

education for purposes of this title.

I. The State Board of Education shall ensure that the standards

for early childhood education are aligned with any new subject

matter standards adopted pursuant to Section 11-103.6a of this

title.