Hilbert urges follow-through on reading reforms as Valliant highlights OLI support

OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) — House Speaker Kyle Hilbert and Oklahoma educators used an Oct. 29 news briefing to report on teacher training, literacy coaching, and early reading intervention, with Valliant Public Schools highlighting support from the State Chamber Research Foundation’s Oklahoma Literacy Initiative. 

The briefing focused on putting this year’s changes to the Strong Readers Act into practice. Training and classroom support are underway as schools prepare for additional requirements in the 2027–28 school year. 

Hilbert said legislation passed in the House and Senate amounts to “just words on a piece of paper” until it changes what happens in classrooms and homes. 

“They don’t mean anything unless they’re implemented,” he said, emphasizing the work of local educators and families reading with their children. 

Valliant Superintendent Brandon Frazier described how the Oklahoma Literacy Initiative is helping his district strengthen instruction. 

“Their expertise, knowledge and skill set that they have brought has already shown to be helpful, especially with our tier one instruction that is provided to all students,” Frazier said. “That is so incredibly important.” 

The privately funded initiative, launched in August, supports 10 participating districts through professional learning, classroom coaching, and ongoing assistance grounded in the science of reading. Its approach includes preparing literacy leaders to coach other teachers and helping educators apply training in their daily lessons. 

Frazier’s interest in reading instruction is also personal. 

His daughter, Ashdyn, struggled to read in first grade. She appeared to recognize words, but her family discovered she was using pictures and context to guess what the text said. 

“She was smart enough that she was looking at the pictures and reading what she thought made sense,” Frazier said in a companion release distributed for the briefing. 

The family traveled to Texas for a dyslexia evaluation and arranged private tutoring with Mary Maxwell, a Valliant reading specialist and certified academic language therapist. 

Maxwell worked with Ashdyn using Take Flight, a structured literacy program for students with dyslexia. Lessons included connecting sounds with letters, recognizing syllable patterns, and practicing spelling. Ashdyn initially met with Maxwell twice a week after school and later joined a small group receiving targeted instruction. 

Frazier said his daughter became a more confident reader within four months. Two years later, she is at the top of her class, he said. 

“There were a lot of ‘aha’ moments,” Maxwell said in the release. “She started to shine in what she was doing.” 

Frazier said many families in his community cannot afford private evaluations and services, making access through schools especially important. 

“I think the key is early intervention,” he said. 

The briefing also outlined statewide efforts to prepare educators. According to materials released by the Oklahoma Education Impact Initiative, 450 teachers participated in the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability’s Early Literacy Academy during summer 2026. 

The academies provided 40 hours of instruction covering the science of reading, levels of support based on students’ needs, and early literacy instruction aligned with academic standards. Participating teachers received a $3,000 stipend for completing the training. 

The state’s HEROES literacy instructional team provides another layer of support. The briefing materials reported 26 literacy experts in the field, including 20 coaches working in more than 100 schools. 

Melissa Ahlgrim, the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s literacy policy and programs director, described how teacher training, coaching, early reading checks, and family resources work together. 

“Strong readers grow from strong teaching and timely support,” Ahlgrim said in the release. “Our responsibility is to turn Oklahoma’s commitment into everyday classroom practice, so every child receives the help they need to read confidently and pursue greater opportunities.” 

Lawmakers also recently formed a bipartisan Reading Caucus to follow implementation, monitor student outcomes, and consider changes supported by the results. 

Frazier thanked the State Chamber and OLI for including Valliant in the initiative. 

“This is not just an investment in our students, but it’s an investment in our state of Oklahoma,” he said. 

Families and educators can find information about the law through OKEII’s Strong Readers Act resource page and the State Department of Education’s school implementation resources.