Schools; adding course to fulfill English unit or set of competencies requirement for graduation. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 589 amends Oklahoma's high school graduation requirements by updating English curriculum standards to require equal consideration for Classic Literature and nonfiction literature alongside other literary works. This change directly affects all Oklahoma public high school students in grades 8-12, mandating that their English courses include these specific literary categories. The bill updates Section 11-103.6 of state law to specify that English Language Arts standards must give "Classic Literature and nonfiction literature equal consideration to other literature" while emphasizing the study of complete literary works. The policy change applies to the 2024-2025 school year and takes effect immediately under an emergency declaration.