OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) — The Oklahoma Senate on Monday approved SB 1338 on a 39-6 vote, advancing a measure to end the Strong Readers Act pilot and make the State Department of Education’s literacy instructional team a permanent, statewide support.
The bill also conditions eligibility for certain Strong Readers Act funds on districts accepting prioritized instructional support and moves literacy reporting to a biennial schedule, with an effective date of July 1, 2026, and an emergency clause.
Presenting the bill, Sen. Adam Pugh, R‑Edmond, said the initiative began three years ago to place literacy coaches at the department and deploy them to districts across Oklahoma. “It also requires now that if districts are receiving Strong Readers Act dollars, they allow those instructional coaches and [literacy] coaches to come into their districts in order to be eligible to receive those dollars.”
Pugh clarified that state literacy coaches “are not coming into the classroom” but work directly with educators training district reading specialists. He told colleagues the department currently has coaches in 132 districts prioritized by a rubric that targets low performance on third‑grade assessments and NAEP, and he noted the pilot launched as a three‑year, $10 million program.
Sen. Carri Hicks, D‑Oklahoma City, spoke in support.
“You can ask any of the teachers who have benefited from the hands‑on coaching of our literacy coaches from the State Department of Education. It fundamentally shifts the way that literacy instruction is delivered to our students — the focus on the science of reading, meeting kids where they are, recognizing and assessing deficiencies so we can target gaps — and making sure all kids receive the gift of literacy in the state of Oklahoma. I will be a yes.”
What SB 1338 does
- Makes the literacy instructional team permanent, with regional placements and specified qualifications for regional leads and specialists.
- Ties eligibility for certain Strong Readers Act funds to districts accepting prioritized instructional support from the State Department of Education.
- Requires biennial reporting starting Dec. 31, 2026, including deployment by district, impact on reading proficiency, and recommendations for changes to the Strong Readers Act.
- Sets a July 1, 2026 effective date and includes an emergency clause.
The measure now moves to the House for consideration. If it passes without changes, it will go to the Governor.
