{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-1210.508c","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-1210.508C","heading":"Reading screenings — Exemptions — Reading programs","body":"A. To identify students who have characteristics of dyslexia\n\nthat lead to or cause reading difficulty, each student enrolled in\n\nkindergarten and first, second, and third grade in a public school\n\nin this state shall be screened at the beginning, middle, and end of\n\neach school year for reading skills including, but not limited to,\n\nphonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and\n\ncomprehension. A screening instrument approved by the State Board\n\nof Education, in consultation with the Commission for Educational\n\nQuality and Accountability and the Secretary of Education, shall be\n\nutilized for the purposes of this section. In determining which\n\nscreening instrument to approve, the State Board of Education, the\n\nCommission for Educational Quality and Accountability, and the\n\nSecretary of Education shall take into consideration at a minimum\n\nthe following factors:\n\n1. The time required to conduct the screening instrument with\n\nthe intention of minimizing the impact on instructional time;\n\n2. The timeliness in reporting screening instrument results to\n\nteachers, administrators, and parents and legal guardians of\n\nstudents; and\n\n3. The integration of the screening instrument into reading\n\ncurriculum.\n\nB. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, the State Board of\n\nEducation shall approve no fewer than three screening instruments\n\nfor use at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year for\n\nmonitoring of progress and for measurement of reading skills as\n\nrequired in subsection A of this section. The screening instruments\n\nshall meet the following criteria:\n\n1. Assess for phonological awareness, decoding, fluency,\n\nvocabulary, and comprehension;\n\n2. Document the validity and reliability of each assessment;\n\n3. Can be used for identifying students who are at risk for\n\nreading deficiency and progress monitoring throughout the school\n\nyear;\n\n4. Can be used to assess students with disabilities and English\n\nlanguage learners; and\n\n5. Accompanied by a data management system that provides\n\nprofiles of each student, class, grade level, and school building.\n\nThe profiles shall identify each student’s instructional point of\n\nneed and reading achievement level. The State Board shall also\n\ndetermine other comparable reading assessments for diagnostic\n\npurposes to be used for students at risk of reading failure.\n\nC. 1. Exemptions to the screening requirements of this section\n\nmay be provided to students who have documented evidence that they\n\nmeet at least one of the following criteria as related to the\n\nprovision of classroom instruction:\n\na. the student participates in the Oklahoma Alternate\n\nAssessment Program (OAAP) and is taught using\n\nalternate methods,\n\nb. the student’s primary expressive or receptive\n\ncommunication is sign language,\n\nc. the student’s primary form of written or read text is\n\nBraille, or\n\nd. the student’s primary expressive or receptive language\n\nis not English, the student is identified as an\n\nEnglish learner using a state-approved identification\n\nassessment, and the student has had less than one (1)\n\nschool year of instruction in an English-learner\n\nprogram.\n\n2. A public school that grants an exemption pursuant to\n\nparagraph 1 of this subsection shall provide ongoing evidence of\n\nstudent progression toward English language acquisition with the\n\nsame frequency as administration of screening assessments. Evidence\n\nmay include, but not be limited to, student progression toward OAAP\n\nreading essential elements, proficiency in sign language and reading\n\ncomprehension, and proficiency in Braille and reading comprehension.\n\nD. 1. Students who are administered a screening instrument\n\npursuant to subsection A of this section and are found not to be\n\nmeeting grade-level targets shall be provided a program of reading\n\ninstruction designed to enable students to acquire the appropriate\nreading essential elements, proficiency in sign language and reading\n\ncomprehension, and proficiency in Braille and reading comprehension.\n\nD. 1. Students who are administered a screening instrument\n\npursuant to subsection A of this section and are found not to be\n\nmeeting grade-level targets shall be provided a program of reading\n\ninstruction designed to enable students to acquire the appropriate\n\ngrade-level reading skills. The program of reading instruction\n\nshall be based on scientific reading research and align with the\n\nsubject matter standards adopted by the State Board of Education. A\n\nprogram of reading instruction shall include:\n\na. sufficient additional in-school instructional time for\n\nthe acquisition of phonological awareness, decoding,\n\nfluency, vocabulary, and comprehension,\n\nb. if necessary and if funding is available, tutorial\n\ninstruction after regular school hours, on Saturdays,\n\nand during summer; however, such instruction may not\n\nbe counted toward the one-hundred-eighty-day or one-\n\nthousand-eighty-hour school year required in Section\n\n1-109 of this title,\n\nc. assessments identified for diagnostic purposes and\n\nperiodic monitoring to measure the acquisition of\n\nreading skills including, but not limited to,\n\nphonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary,\n\nand comprehension, as identified in the student’s\n\nprogram of reading instruction,\n\nd. high-quality instructional materials grounded in\n\nscientifically based reading research, and\n\ne. a means of providing every family of a student in\n\nprekindergarten, kindergarten, and first, second, and\n\nthird grade access to free online evidence-based\n\nliteracy instruction resources to support the\n\nstudent’s literacy development at home.\n\n2. A student enrolled in kindergarten or first, second, or\n\nthird grade who exhibits a deficiency in reading at any time based\n\non the screening instrument administered pursuant to subsection A of\n\nthis section shall receive an individual reading intervention plan\n\nno later than thirty (30) days after the identification of the\n\ndeficiency in reading. The reading intervention plan shall be\n\nprovided in addition to core reading instruction that is provided to\n\nall students. The reading intervention plan shall:\n\na. describe the research-based reading intervention\n\nservices the student will receive to remedy the\n\ndeficiency in reading,\n\nb. provide explicit and systematic instruction in\n\nphonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary,\n\nand comprehension, as applicable,\n\nc. monitor the reading progress of each student’s reading\n\nskills throughout the school year and adjust\n\ninstruction according to the student’s needs, and\n\nd. continue until the student is determined to be meeting\n\ngrade-level targets in reading based on screening\n\ninstruments administered pursuant to subsection A of\n\nthis section or assessments identified for diagnostic\n\npurposes and periodic monitoring pursuant to\n\nsubparagraph c of paragraph 1 of this subsection.\n\n3. The reading intervention plan for each student identified\n\nwith a deficiency in reading shall be developed by a Student Reading\n\nProficiency Team and shall include supplemental instructional\n\nservices and supports. Each team shall be composed of:\n\na. the parent or legal guardian of the student,\n\nb. the teacher assigned to the student who had\n\nresponsibility for reading instruction in that\n\nacademic year,\n\nc. a teacher who is responsible for reading instruction\n\nand is assigned to teach in the next grade level of\n\nthe student, and\n\nd. a certified reading specialist or an individual with\n\nadvanced training or specialization in literacy\n\ninstruction, if one is available.\n\n4. A school district shall notify the parent or legal guardian\n\nof any student in kindergarten or first, second, or third grade who\n\nexhibits a deficiency in reading at any time based on the screening\n\ninstrument administered pursuant to subsection A of this section.\ntified reading specialist or an individual with\n\nadvanced training or specialization in literacy\n\ninstruction, if one is available.\n\n4. A school district shall notify the parent or legal guardian\n\nof any student in kindergarten or first, second, or third grade who\n\nexhibits a deficiency in reading at any time based on the screening\n\ninstrument administered pursuant to subsection A of this section.\n\nThe notification shall occur no later than thirty (30) days after\n\nthe identification of the deficiency in reading.\n\nE. 1. Every school district shall adopt and implement a\n\ndistrict strong readers plan which has had input from school\n\nadministrators, teachers, and parents and legal guardians and if\n\npossible a reading specialist, and which shall be submitted\n\nelectronically to and approved by the State Board of Education. The\n\nplan shall be updated annually. School districts shall not be\n\nrequired to electronically submit the annual updates to the Board if\n\nthe last plan submitted to the Board was approved and expenditures\n\nfor the program include only expenses relating to individual and\n\nsmall group tutoring, purchase of and training in the use of\n\nscreening and assessment measures, summer school programs, and\n\nSaturday school programs. If any expenditure for the program is\n\ndeleted or changed or any other type of expenditure for the program\n\nis implemented, the school district shall be required to submit the\n\nlatest annual update to the Board for approval. The district strong\n\nreaders plan shall include a plan for each site which includes an\n\nanalysis of the data provided by the Oklahoma School Testing Program\n\nand other reading assessments utilized as required in this section,\n\nand which outlines how each school site will comply with the\n\nprovisions of the Strong Readers Act.\n\n2. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the\n\nimplementation and evaluation of the provisions of the Strong\n\nReaders Act. The evaluation shall include, but not be limited to,\n\nan analysis of the data required in subsection L of this section.\n\nF. 1. Any first-grade, second-grade, or third-grade student\n\nwho demonstrates proficiency in reading through a grade-level\n\nappropriate screening instrument approved pursuant to subsection B\n\nof this section shall not require a program of reading instruction\n\nor an individual reading intervention plan. After a student has\n\ndemonstrated proficiency through a screening instrument, the\n\ndistrict shall provide notification to the parent or legal guardian\n\nof the student that he or she has satisfied the requirements of the\n\nStrong Readers Act. The district shall continue to monitor the\n\nstudent in the next successive grade level to ensure he or she\n\nmaintains proficiency.\n\n2. Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, if a third-grade\n\nstudent is identified at any point of the academic year as having a\n\nsignificant reading deficiency, which shall be defined as not\n\nmeeting grade-level targets on a screening instrument administered\n\npursuant to subsection A of this section, the district shall provide\n\nthe student with intensive intervention services for the appropriate\n\namount of the instructional day consistent with the individual\n\nreading intervention plan developed pursuant to paragraph 2 of\n\nsubsection D of this section and as determined by the Student\n\nReading Proficiency Team. Intensive intervention services shall\n\ncontinue until the student demonstrates proficiency at his or her\n\ngrade level based on a screening instrument administered pursuant to\n\nsubsection A of this section.\n\nG. Each school district shall annually report in an electronic\n\nformat to the State Department of Education, the Office of\n\nEducational Quality and Accountability, and the Secretary of\n\nEducation the number of students in kindergarten through third grade\n\nper grade level who exhibit grade-level reading proficiency, the\n\nsubsection A of this section.\n\nG. Each school district shall annually report in an electronic\n\nformat to the State Department of Education, the Office of\n\nEducational Quality and Accountability, and the Secretary of\n\nEducation the number of students in kindergarten through third grade\n\nper grade level who exhibit grade-level reading proficiency, the\n\nnumber of students per grade level who received intensive\n\nintervention services pursuant to paragraph 2 of subsection F of\n\nthis section, the number of students per grade level who attended a\n\nsummer academy as provided for in Section 1210.508E of this title,\n\nthe number of students per grade level who exhibited improved\n\nreading proficiency after completion of intensive intervention\n\nservices, and the number of students per grade level who are still\n\nin need of intensive intervention services. The State Department of\n\nEducation shall publicly report the aggregate and district-specific\n\nnumbers submitted pursuant to this subsection on its website and\n\nshall provide electronic copies of the report to the Governor,\n\nSecretary of Education, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Speaker\n\nof the House of Representatives, and to the respective chairs of the\n\ncommittees with responsibility for common education policy in each\n\nlegislative chamber.\n\nH. The parent of any student who is found to have a reading\n\ndeficiency and is not meeting grade-level reading targets and has\n\nbeen provided a program of reading instruction as provided for in\n\nparagraph 1 of subsection D of this section shall be notified in\n\nwriting of the following:\n\n1. That the student has been identified as having a substantial\n\ndeficiency in reading;\n\n2. A description of the current services that are provided to\n\nthe student pursuant to subsection D of this section;\n\n3. A description of the proposed intensive intervention\n\nservices and supports that will be provided to the student that are\n\ndesigned to remediate the identified area of reading deficiency as\n\nprovided for in paragraph 2 of subsection F of this section;\n\n4. That a student who is promoted to the fourth grade shall\n\nreceive supplemental intensive intervention services;\n\n5. Strategies for parents to use in helping their child succeed\n\nin reading proficiency; and\n\n6. The grade-level performance scores of the student.\n\nI. No student may be assigned to a grade level based solely on\n\nage or other factors that constitute social promotion.\n\nJ. 1. Each school district board of education shall annually\n\npublish on the school website and report electronically to the State\n\nDepartment of Education, the Office of Educational Quality and\n\nAccountability, and the Secretary of Education by September 1 of\n\neach year the following information on the prior school year:\n\na. the policies and procedures adopted by the school\n\ndistrict board of education to implement the\n\nprovisions of this section. The information submitted\n\nshall include expenditures related to implementing the\n\nprovisions of this section, the number of staff\n\nimplementing the provisions of this section, and\n\naverage daily classroom time devoted to implementing\n\nthe provisions of this section,\n\nb. by grade, the number and percentage of all students in\n\nkindergarten through third grade who did not meet\n\ngrade-level targets based on a screening instrument\n\nadministered pursuant to subsection A of this section,\n\nc. by grade, the number and percentage of all students in\n\nkindergarten through third grade who have been\n\nenrolled in the district for fewer than two (2) years,\n\nd. by grade, the number and percentage of students in\n\nkindergarten through third grade who demonstrated\n\ngrade-level proficiency based on a screening\n\ninstrument administered pursuant to subsection A of\n\nthis section, and\n\ne. by grade, the number and percentage of students in\n\nkindergarten through third grade who are on an\nade who have been\n\nenrolled in the district for fewer than two (2) years,\n\nd. by grade, the number and percentage of students in\n\nkindergarten through third grade who demonstrated\n\ngrade-level proficiency based on a screening\n\ninstrument administered pursuant to subsection A of\n\nthis section, and\n\ne. by grade, the number and percentage of students in\n\nkindergarten through third grade who are on an\n\nindividualized education program (IEP) in accordance\n\nwith the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act\n\n(IDEA) and who demonstrated grade-level proficiency\n\nbased on a screening instrument administered pursuant\n\nto subsection A of this section or an alternative\n\nassessment prescribed by the student’s IEP.\n\n2. The State Department of Education shall establish a uniform\n\nformat for school districts to report the information required in\n\nthis subsection. The format shall be developed with input from\n\nschool districts and shall be provided not later than ninety (90)\n\ndays prior to the annual due date. The Department shall annually\n\ncompile the information required, along with state-level summary\n\ninformation, and electronically report the information to the\n\npublic, the Governor, the Secretary of Education, the President Pro\n\nTempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of\n\nRepresentatives.\n\nK. The State Department of Education shall provide technical\n\nassistance as needed to aid school districts in administering the\n\nprovisions of the Strong Readers Act.\n\nL. On or before January 31 of each year, the State Department\n\nof Education shall electronically submit to the Governor, the\n\nPresident Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of\n\nRepresentatives, and members of the committees with responsibility\n\nover common education in both houses of the Legislature a Strong\n\nReaders Report which shall include, but is not limited to, trend\n\ndata detailing three (3) years of data, disaggregated by student\n\nsubgroups to include economically disadvantaged, major racial or\n\nethnic groups, students with disabilities, and English language\n\nlearners, as appropriate for the following:\n\n1. The statewide aggregate number and percentage of students in\n\nkindergarten through third grade determined to be at risk for\n\nreading difficulties compared to the total number of students\n\nenrolled in each grade;\n\n2. The statewide aggregate number and percentage of students in\n\nkindergarten who continue to be at risk for reading difficulties as\n\ndetermined by the year-end administration of the screening\n\ninstrument required in subsection A of this section;\n\n3. The statewide aggregate number and percentage of students in\n\nkindergarten through third grade who have successfully completed\n\ntheir program of reading instruction and are reading on grade level\n\nas determined by the results of screening instruments administered\n\npursuant to subsection A of this section;\n\n4. The statewide aggregate and district-specific number and\n\npercentage of students that meet or do not meet grade-level targets\n\nfor reading based on screening instruments administered pursuant to\n\nsubsection A of this section;\n\n5. The amount of funds received by each district for\n\nimplementation of the Strong Readers Act;\n\n6. An evaluation and narrative interpretation of the report\n\ndata analyzing the impact of the Strong Readers Act on students’\n\nability to read at grade level;\n\n7. The type of reading instruction practices and methods\n\ncurrently being used by school districts in the state;\n\n8. Socioeconomic information, access to reading resources\n\noutside of school, and screening for and identification of learning\n\ndisabilities for students not reading at the appropriate grade level\n\nin kindergarten and first through third grade;\n\n9. By grade level, the types of intensive intervention efforts\n\nbeing conducted by school districts for students who are not on an\n\nIEP and who are not reading at the appropriate grade level and for\ning resources\n\noutside of school, and screening for and identification of learning\n\ndisabilities for students not reading at the appropriate grade level\n\nin kindergarten and first through third grade;\n\n9. By grade level, the types of intensive intervention efforts\n\nbeing conducted by school districts for students who are not on an\n\nIEP and who are not reading at the appropriate grade level and for\n\nstudents who are on an IEP and who are not reading at the\n\nappropriate grade level; and\n\n10. Any recommendations for improvements or amendments to the\n\nStrong Readers Act.\n\nThe State Department of Education may contract with an\n\nindependent entity for the reporting and analysis requirements of\n\nthis subsection.\n\nM. Copies of the results of the screening instruments\n\nadministered pursuant to subsection A of this section shall be made\n\na part of the permanent record of each student.","path":["OK Code","Title 70"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os70.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"b583ddd7fa00fcf0da31070fbd671e58a7f69cc880ff44234e2390924ec6ea11","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-1210.508b","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-1210.508d"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}