OKLAHOMA –
Oklahoma students, parents, and teachers will see several new education laws take effect during the 2026-27 school year, with changes focused on literacy, school safety, recess, artificial intelligence, and teacher certification.
The legislation approved during the 2026 legislative session affects nearly every Oklahoma public school district and could change classroom instruction, testing schedules and communication between schools and parents.
Here’s what families should know before students return to Oklahoma classrooms this school year.
Key Takeaways
- Oklahoma’s updated Strong Readers Act expands literacy screenings, teacher training and funding to improve reading proficiency by third grade.
- Rain’s Law requires fentanyl prevention, mental health and suicide prevention education for students in grades 6-12.
- Oklahoma elementary students will receive at least 40 minutes of daily recess.
- Schools must establish policies governing artificial intelligence while parents gain new notification and opt-out rights.
In April, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed the Senate Bill 1778 into law, strengthening the Strong Readers Act. Stitt called it the “strongest literacy law in the entire country.”
State leaders say the updated Strong Readers Act is designed to improve reading proficiency by identifying struggling readers earlier, increasing teacher training, and tying additional funding to student growth.
What this means for your child:
- Consistent, statewide screening to catch reading issues early
- Teachers will focus on the science of reading and offer targeted intervention
- Parents should expect clear communication from teachers, with options for at-home support
- Accountability measures to ensure students demonstrate reading ability before advancing to the next grade
- Second graders have the option of taking the state test
- Teachers will receive more training and classroom support to improve instruction outcomes
- New requirements and accountability for colleges of education preparing our state’s future teachers
- A new funding formula that supports all students, while also giving additional funds to students who need more help and rewarding schools for seeing growth. It creates a revolving fund to encourage public-private partnerships
Literacy initiatives in Oklahoma’s state budget:
| Amount | Purpose |
| $43 million | Reading instruction and interventions in schools |
| $5 million | Supplemental funding for summer teacher training academies |
| $5 million | Ongoing annual funding for teacher training programs |
Additional funding will support reading-at-home initiatives and statewide math and reading screeners to help educators identify student learning needs earlier.
Gov. Stitt signed Rain’s Law into effect in March.
19-year-old Rain Reece died after taking a pill unknowingly laced with fentanyl. Her mom, Karla Carlock, has been fighting to make sure others don’t have to experience the same heartbreak.
“I don’t get to see Rain graduate from college and become a teacher. I don’t get to see her have a family, and if another mom gets to see those things, that’s all that matters to me,” Carlock shared.
What your 6-12 grade students will learn:
- The law requires schools to incorporate fentanyl abuse prevention education into the curriculum for grades six through 12
- It also requires mental health and suicide prevention education
- Rain’s Law directs the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) to develop curriculum standards and establish a statewide fentanyl poisoning awareness week
School district officials have said they are working with OSDE on incorporating the new standards.
In May, Gov. Stitt signed Senate Bill 1481 into law, requiring Oklahoma schools to double recess time to 40 minutes.
Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, authored the bill.
“Active students are better learners,” Seifried said. “Giving kids time to have fun and play with their classmates supports their mental health, improves their social development, and helps build life skills like leadership, creativity, and conflict resolution. Doubling recess time is a simple, practical way to give students’ brains a break so they come back to the classroom recharged and ready to focus.”
The new requirement has prompted some districts to adjust school schedules to fit the additional recess time.
Sen. Seifried also authored the Oklahoma Responsible Technology in Schools Act. The law creates a framework for how AI can be used, with teachers and parents playing a key role.
“It’s a framework to say how AI is going to be used in classrooms in the state of Oklahoma. We don’t want students to have access to anything AI without some sort of guidance or some sort of oversight in the classroom,” said Sen. Seifried. “We want to make sure that teachers always can know the output and making sure that parents are informed as well on what tools are being used.”
Seifried said the approach isn’t about limiting technology, but using it responsibly.
Here’s what the act, which Gov. Stitt signed into law in May, does:
- Requires that student-facing tools be age-appropriate and used under the guidance of a classroom educator
- School districts must also notify parents when AI is used in the classroom
- Gives parents the option to opt their child out of using AI
- Directs the State Department of Education to develop guidance on the responsible use of AI and emerging technology in schools
- Requires school boards to set district policies on AI use before the 2027-2028 school year
Students in Oklahoma will take statewide tests later in the school year
House Bill 4359 shifts statewide testing to the end of the school year, requiring that the testing be held within the last four weeks of the school year.
Moving testing later in the year is intended to maximize classroom instruction before assessments begin.
“We’ve heard for several years that basically after the statewide assessments are conducted, no additional learning happens,” said Sen. Seifried. “You kind of lose a couple of weeks of learning.”
House Bill 3076 expands the ways teachers can gain certification in the state. It allows teachers to be certified through alternative programs, including those offered by public schools, regional service agencies, and private or nonprofit entities.
The law is aimed at helping districts address persistent teacher shortages while maintaining certification standards.
The new law also puts the CEQA, not the State Board of Education, in charge of monitoring eligible pathways to certification.
One of the bill’s authors, State Rep. Mark Lepak, said in a news release about the bill’s signing, “Thousands of teaching positions have been filled through this process in other states, and I’m hopeful Oklahoma will see the number of emergency certifications decline when this pathway is fully developed.”
What parents should know
Most of the new laws do not require any action from parents, but families may notice new reading assessments, additional classroom communication, AI notification forms, and updated school schedules during the school year.
FAQ
When do these new Oklahoma education laws take effect?
Most of the laws apply during the 2026-27 school year, though some district policy requirements extend into the 2027-28 school year.
Will parents need to sign anything?
Parents may receive notices about classroom AI tools and, depending on district policy, may have the option to opt their child out.
Will all students receive fentanyl education?
Yes. Rain’s Law requires instruction for students in grades 6 through 12.
Why is Oklahoma changing reading instruction?
State leaders say the changes are intended to improve third-grade reading proficiency through earlier intervention, teacher training and increased funding.
Why are statewide tests moving later?
Supporters say the change preserves instructional time before students complete annual assessments.
