SB 1778: Strong Readers Act; modifying number of screening instruments to be approved by the State Board of Education beginning in certain school year. Emergency. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was transferred from the House to the Senate, where it was amended to strengthen reading intervention requirements. The Senate version mandates the approval of at least three screening instruments instead of one, expands exemptions for English learners to include those with less than one year of instruction, and clarifies that tutorial instruction cannot count toward required school hours.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on the Strong Readers Act, but the applicability of screening exemptions was broadened for specific English learner populations.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for screening instruments was changed from approving one instrument to approving no fewer than three instruments to ensure robust progress monitoring.

Clarification was added stating that tutorial instruction provided after school hours or during summer cannot be counted toward the state's minimum required school day or hour totals.

ELIGIBILITY

Exemptions from screening were expanded to include English learners who have had less than one school year of instruction in an English-learner program.

TECHNICAL

The House version included a summary of committee amendments; this was removed in the Senate version as the text itself was updated.

Committee Substitute → SB1778 (3-24-26) (PUGH) FS FA1.PDF · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was reclassified from a 'Committee Substitute' to a 'Floor Substitute,' indicating it has advanced to the state legislature floor for final consideration. The text of the bill was updated to reflect a new session year (2026) and revised statutory references, ensuring the law applies to the correct academic and legislative periods.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on the Strong Readers Act, covering reading screening, intervention, and retention policies for students in Oklahoma public schools, with no substantive changes to the policy itself.

TECHNICAL

The bill title was changed from 'Committee Substitute' to 'Floor Substitute,' reflecting its progression in the legislative process.

Statutory references were updated to cite the correct amending chapters (Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 instead of Chapter 297, O.S.L. 2025) and corrected section numbers (1210.508A and 1210.508B).

TIMELINE

The legislative session year was updated from 2025 to 2026, and the effective school year for new screening requirements was adjusted to 2026-2027.

House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill → Committee Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reorganized to shift from a House Committee Substitute to a formal Committee Substitute, updating the legislative session details and sponsor information. Substantively, the text of the bill was significantly rewritten to clarify the Strong Readers Act, specifically updating the requirements for reading screenings, the number of approved instruments, and intervention protocols for students in grades K-3.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on the Strong Readers Act, but the specific statutory language regarding screening instruments and intervention timelines has been altered to reflect new legislative intent and updated references.

TECHNICAL

The document header was updated to reflect the transition from a 'House Committee Substitute' to a 'Committee Substitute,' and the legislative session year was updated to 2026.

REQUIREMENT

The summary of the act's purpose was rewritten to clarify the transition from approving three screening instruments to a modified approval process, and to emphasize new requirements for transitional instruction and retention.

The specific statutory text for 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.508C was restructured to explicitly define screening requirements for grades K-3, list specific criteria for approved instruments, and detail exemptions for students with disabilities or English learners.

Language regarding the number of approved screening instruments was modified, shifting from a removal of language allowing three instruments to a new requirement for approving no fewer than three instruments.

TIMELINE

The timeline for implementing screening instruments was adjusted, with references updated to reflect the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years.

Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 → House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was technically amended to update its title and formatting to reflect recent legislative changes, but the substantive policy content regarding literacy instruction and assessments was not altered in this specific version. The changes primarily involve renumbering lines and updating the bill's description to match the current state of the law.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; this is a procedural update to the bill's title and metadata.

TECHNICAL

The bill's title and introductory text were updated to conform to recent amendments, removing the label 'Proposed Committee Substitute' and replacing it with 'Committee Substitute' to reflect its current status in the legislative process.

Line numbers and page references were adjusted to align with the official legislative record, ensuring the document format matches current standards.

Enrolled (final version) → Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to remove the names of several House sponsors and update the legislative history references. The core policy text regarding reading instruction, screening, and retention remains substantively unchanged, though the formatting of the title and sponsor list was adjusted to conform to the committee substitute format.

TECHNICAL

Removed the names of House Representatives Wolfley, Roberts, Hill, and Williams from the list of bill sponsors.

Changed the document header from 'ENROLLED SENATE' to 'PROPOSED COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE' to reflect the bill's current stage in the legislative process.

Updated the title and legislative history section to remove references to the original enrolled bill's specific page numbers and line counts.

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 2 edits · Apr 21, 2026

MINOR

The bill was finalized from its engrossed version, updating the list of sponsors to include five new House members. The text of the bill was reformatted for the final enrolled version, but the substantive policy language regarding the Strong Readers Act, including screening requirements, retention rules, and funding allocations, remains consistent with the previous version.

TECHNICAL

The list of House sponsors was updated to include Chad Caldwell, Wolfley, Roberts, Hill, and Williams.

The bill text was reformatted and reorganized to meet the final enrolled format, though the underlying policy provisions did not change.

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 6 edits · Apr 20, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was reorganized from a House amendment to a Senate bill, updating the list of coauthors and refining the legislative description. The core policy changes involve shifting the focus of reading intervention requirements, specifically removing exemptions for school districts and certain students while adding new mandates for direct instruction and transitional classrooms for younger students.

Scope change

The bill's scope was refined to remove previous exemptions for school districts and proficient students, thereby applying the new reading intervention requirements more broadly across the state.

REQUIREMENT

Removed language that exempted certain school districts from the annual requirement to submit Strong Readers plans.

Removed specific language regarding intensive intervention services for third-grade students, likely to be replaced or clarified by new provisions.

Added a requirement for certain first- and second-grade students to be placed in transitional classrooms or provided transitional instruction.

Added a requirement that reading intervention must include a specific amount of direct instruction and cannot be provided solely by digital technology.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed an exemption allowing students who demonstrate proficiency on screening instruments to avoid programs of reading instruction.

ENFORCEMENT

Modified the description of screening instrument approval, shifting from selecting one instrument to a process involving approval by the Commission and selection by the State Board.

Introduced → Amended And Engrossed · 6 edits · Apr 20, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was amended to significantly alter the Strong Readers Act by shifting the focus from approving multiple screening tools to selecting a single instrument. It also expanded the program's scope to include core literacy instruction across all subjects, added new requirements for transitional classrooms for younger students, and modified retention rules for third graders to include more exemptions and parental consent options.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a specific reading assessment mandate to a broader literacy framework that integrates reading, writing, and math instruction. It also extended applicability to incoming third-grade students with new intervention requirements.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the requirement for the State Board to approve at least three screening instruments to a mandate for selecting only one approved instrument.

Added new requirements for schools to integrate reading, writing, and math into core literacy instruction.

Added requirements for first- and second-grade students to be placed in transitional classrooms or receive targeted intervention instruction.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified eligibility for reading intervention services to include incoming third-grade students in addition to existing grade levels.

TIMELINE

Adjusted timelines and procedures for student retention, adding good-cause exemptions and requiring parental consent for voluntary retention of first- and second-graders.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions and terms related to the multi-tiered system of supports and core literacy instruction.

Strong Readers Act; modifying number of screening instruments to be approved by the State Board of Education beginning in certain school year. Emergency.

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