Oklahoma’s largest business organization is calling for sweeping changes to help the state climb out of the bottom of national education and workforce rankings. The State Chamber of Oklahoma is promoting its Oklahoma Competes plan, a long term strategy modeled after Mississippi’s well known literacy turnaround.
Business leaders say Oklahoma’s future workforce depends on stronger early reading skills and more pathways to high demand careers. But lawmakers from both parties warn that any large scale reforms must come with sustained funding and classroom support.
Mississippi model drives new push for literacy reforms
The Chamber’s plan leans heavily on what is known as the Mississippi Miracle, a package of literacy policies and instructional support that helped Mississippi rise from last in reading to near the top over a 12 year span. Leaders say the same approach could work in Oklahoma if the state commits to it over time.
Chamber President Chad Warmington said students who fall behind in reading by third grade struggle throughout school and later in the workforce. He described low literacy as one of the state’s most urgent economic problems.
“If Oklahoma was dead last in football for more than a year, there would be panic in the streets,” Warmington said. “So reading scores in SEC states, we’d be dead last in the SEC and in Big 12 states we’d be dead last in the Big 12.”
Warmington said Oklahoma has seen similar improvement in the past but failed to maintain it.
“They put in place the system, but they didn’t stick with it,” he said. “The message to the legislature would be: stay the course, don’t back away from it and make sure you fund it consistently so we get the results we need.”
Lawmakers raise concerns about past attempts
Some Democratic lawmakers argue the proposal resembles older policies that did not deliver long term gains. Tulsa Representative John Waldron called previous third grade retention efforts a “horrible failure,” and Senator Julia Kirt said any statewide literacy plan must include enough resources for schools to implement it.
Warmington said retention does not have to be tied specifically to third grade and should be shaped with guidance from educators.
“There’s no magic about holding a student back at third grade,” he said. “Maybe first grade is the better way, but let’s talk with superintendents and educators and figure out the best system.”
Workforce leaders say literacy is tied to economic growth
Business and policy groups backing Oklahoma Competes say the state’s low reading and math performance directly affects earnings, graduation rates and long term economic stability. New data presented to state leaders shows Oklahoma ranked forty ninth in third grade reading scores, fiftieth in eighth grade math, and near the bottom nationally in health outcomes and advanced industry growth.
Warmington said the state has strong business advantages but has not matched the economic growth seen in neighboring states.
“If you solve that literacy issue, you solve those education issues,” he said. “You fix a hundred other things wrong with Oklahoma.”
More apprenticeships and career pathways included in plan
Beyond literacy, the initiative calls for doubling statewide apprenticeships and expanding manufacturing and career training to meet industry demand. The Chamber says Oklahoma needs a stronger workforce pipeline to stay competitive.
Representative Chad Caldwell, a Republican from Enid who helps oversee education funding, said past reforms showed promise but faded when the state shifted course.
“Around 2013 to 2015, Oklahoma had the third highest literacy gains of any state,” Caldwell said. “The difference between Mississippi and Oklahoma is they stayed the course and we veered away from it. I’m confident we can have similar gains. We just have to have the courage as a state to follow through.”
What comes next for Oklahoma Competes
The Chamber argues that improving early reading is essential to building a stronger workforce. Leaders say Oklahoma could improve faster than Mississippi did if the state adopts reforms and sticks with them across administrations.
Lawmakers from both parties agree that long term funding, teacher support and consistent implementation will shape whether the plan succeeds.
More information about the Oklahoma Competes plan is available here.
