OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) — Reading proficiency is the foundation of lifelong learning, workforce readiness, economic mobility and long‑term growth.
But addressing low proficiency rates remains a challenge in Oklahoma.
Now, as lawmakers move a new slate of literacy bills for 2026, the focus is shifting from diagnosing the problem to scaling solutions already working elsewhere.
“We should accept—and I know this is a high standard—nothing less than 100% of our kids being able to read. This isn’t one of those areas where we can get it right 95% of the time and, sadly, we’re getting it right 30% of the time,” said Sen. Adam Pugh, chair of the Senate Education Committee.
“It really is the most important thing we’re going to do in early childhood education—give a kid the ability to read.”
Building the pipeline before it breaks
House Speaker Kyle Hilbert frames literacy as a competitiveness issue with long-term consequences.
“If you’re behind as a kindergartner, as a fourth grader, statistically, you’re going to be more likely to be behind when you’re in seventh, eighth grade, going into high school,” Hilbert said. “It’s an existential crisis for us as a state, because if we can’t read, you’re not going to be a doctor, a nurse, a teacher, a lawyer.”
Hilbert points to Mississippi as the model: start early, train teachers around the science of reading, layer supports, and use third grade retention as a last resort.
“We don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Mississippi has really had a giant turnaround. Their early literacy scores, they’re in the top 10 in the country,” he said. “It’s a clear roadmap that we can follow.”
What parents are saying
Recent statewide polling suggests the current policy direction is in line with public sentiment, especially amongst parents. Seventy‑eight percent say it’s important for students to read on grade level before third grade, including 56% who say it is very important.
“Parents, their teachers, those students—they know if they’re not reading at grade level by the end of third grade, then there is the outcome of being held back,” Hilbert said, adding that Mississippi’s actual retention rates were low because interventions came first.
Beyond slogans, toward systems
Lawmakers at the State Capitol — including Speaker Hilbert and Sen. Pugh — have introduced bills to address early reading from multiple angles.
Hilbert’s HB 4420 bans the three‑cueing systems model and similar approaches; moves the state toward one K–3 screening instrument with real‑time data; clarifies promotion/retention through testing, alternative assessment or portfolio; expands summer academies (with minimum hours) into middle grades; and creates a Strong Readers Revolving Fund to channel private and philanthropic dollars to designated schools.
Pugh filed SB 1778 to expand intensive intervention and summer academies, set up transitional instruction before third‑grade retention is considered, and strengthen parent notification and district reporting. He also filed SB 1338 to make permanent and scale the statewide literacy instructional team and tie some reading funds to districts’ willingness to accept coaching support.
Hilbert and Pugh’s bills share several common elements, including an emphasis on earlier intervention, instructional alignment, and expanded supports.
- Instruction first: align to the Science of Reading
- What changes: Three‑cueing and similar approaches would be banned. Districts would use high-quality Science‑of‑Reading materials and training instead.
- How it’s supported: Classroom coaching expands to support teachers (regional literacy leads, dyslexia specialists, job‑embedded support).
- Earlier help for students
- K–3 students below grade‑level get intensive intervention with an individual reading plan; parents receive regular, structured updates.
- Summer academies: Become a standard catch‑up option—at least 70 instructional hours for at‑risk students—with alternatives for families who can’t attend in person, and phased expansion into upper elementary/middle grades.
- One high‑quality screener statewide
- What changes: Instead of a patchwork of tools, the state would select one K–3 reading screener.
- Who vets it: The Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability evaluates up to three instruments; the State Board of Education selects one.
- What it measures: Phonological awareness, decoding/encoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension while feeding real‑time data to teachers and parents.
- Clear promotion and retention options
- Ways to advance to 4th grade:
- Score above “below basic” on the 3rd‑grade ELA exam, or
- Earn an acceptable score on an approved alternative reading test, or
- Show portfolio mastery of 3rd‑grade reading standards.
- If not: Retention applies with good‑cause exemptions, plus intensive acceleration for any student retained more than once.
- Coaching at scale (and how it’s funded)
- What changes: The statewide literacy coaching pilot becomes permanent and expands—with regional leads and dyslexia expertise prioritized to the lowest‑performing sites.
- New dollars: A Strong Readers Revolving Fund would allow private/philanthropic donors to direct support to specific schools or regions.
“We actually have the same infrastructure in place. They combined state funding with significant philanthropic dollars,” Sen. Adam Pugh said of Mississippi’s turnaround. “We have the benefit of learning from them and doing it even better. We want to do it better.”
Note on differences to watch this session
There are differences between the bills that will likely be ironed out in the months ahead. They include:
- Screening mechanics: HB 4420 explicitly moves to a single, statewide screener after CEQA’s evaluation; SB 1778 emphasizes approved screeners and broader data/reporting details.
- Summer requirements & timelines: HB 4420 sets minimum hours (70) and phases summer academies through 4th–8th; SB 1778 sequences mandatory summer participation for off‑track 1st/2nd graders leading into 3rd‑grade decisions.
- Coaching structure: SB 1338 formalizes the literacy instructional team and ties some funds to districts accepting coaching support; HB 4420 also expands coaching and creates the revolving fund to add private dollars.
Bottom line
Oklahoma’s early literacy outcomes increasingly sit at the center of broader conversations about education, workforce readiness and long‑term economic growth. Lawmakers advancing reading legislation say the goal is to intervene earlier, align instruction with evidence‑based practices and provide additional supports before third grade, and recent polling suggests parents broadly agree on the importance of those priorities.
