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 to require that English curriculum standards give "Classic Literature and nonfiction literature equal consideration to other literature" and emphasize "the study of complete works of literature." This change directly affects Oklahoma public high school students in grades 8-12 during the 2024-2025 school year, as it modifies the English course requirements for a standard diploma. The bill updates existing curriculum standards under Section 11-103.6 of state law to ensure English courses include these specific literary forms. It does not alter other graduation requirements like math, science, or history courses, which remain unchanged. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.