Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-11-103.6a

College- and career-ready English Language Arts and Mathematics

standards – Student assessments.

A. Beginning with the 2014-15 school year, each area of subject

matter standards, except for standards for career and technology

education adopted pursuant to Section 14-103 of this title, shall be

adopted by the State Board of Education and shall be subject to

legislative review and approval as provided for in Section 4 of this

act. The subject matter standards shall be implemented statewide by

every public school district in this state. The subject matter

standards shall be thoroughly reviewed by the State Board every six

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(6) years according to and in coordination with the existing subject

area textbook adoption cycle. After review, the State Board shall

adopt any revisions in such subject matter standards deemed

necessary to achieve further improvements in the quality of

education for the students of this state. Any revisions adopted by

the State Board of Education shall be subject to review and approval

as provided for in Section 4 of this act. The adoption of subject

matter standards or revisions to the standards by the State Board of

Education pursuant to this section shall not be promulgated as rules

and shall not be subject to Article I of the Administrative

Procedures Act.

B. 1. In addition to the requirements set forth in subsection

A of this section, on or before August 1, 2016, the State Board of

Education, in consultation with the State Regents for Higher

Education, the State Board of Career and Technology Education and

the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, shall adopt subject matter

standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics which are

college- and career-ready and will replace current standards. To be

considered college- and career-ready, the standards shall be

evaluated by the State Department of Education, the State Regents

for Higher Education, the State Board of Career and Technology

Education and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and be determined

to be such that the standards will address the goals of reducing the

need for remedial coursework at the postsecondary level and

increasing successful completion of postsecondary education. The

subject matter standards and corresponding student assessments for

English Language Arts and Mathematics shall be solely approved and

controlled by the state through the State Board of Education.

2. Upon the effective date of this act, the State Board of

Education shall begin the process of adopting the English Language

Arts and Mathematics standards and shall provide reasonable

opportunity, consistent with best practices, for public comment on

the revision of the standards, including but not limited to comments

from students, parents, educators, organizations representing

students with disabilities and English language learners, higher

education representatives, career technology education

representatives, subject matter experts, community-based

organizations, Native American tribal representatives and business

community representatives.

3. Until the statewide student assessments for English Language

Arts and Mathematics are implemented as provided for in paragraph 1

of subsection C of this section, the State Board of Education shall

implement the subject matter standards for English Language Arts and

Mathematics which were in place prior to the revisions adopted by

the Board in June 2010.

4. Upon the effective date of this act, the State Board of

Education shall seek certification from the State Regents for Higher

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Education that the subject matter standards for English Language

Arts and Mathematics which were in place prior to the revisions

adopted by the Board in June 2010 are college- and career-ready as

defined in the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
tate Board of

Education shall seek certification from the State Regents for Higher

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Education that the subject matter standards for English Language

Arts and Mathematics which were in place prior to the revisions

adopted by the Board in June 2010 are college- and career-ready as

defined in the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)

Flexibility document issued by the United States Department of

Education and referenced in Option B of Principle 1: College and

Career-Ready Expectations for All Students. The State Regents shall

provide the Board a detailed description of the certification

process and results, including a list of deficiencies if the State

Regents conclude that the standards are not college- and career-

ready. The Board shall post all documents, materials, reports,

descriptions and correspondence produced by the State Regents or

used by the State Regents in the certification process on the

website for the State Department of Education.

C. 1. On or before the 2017-18 school year, the State Board of

Education, in consultation with the State Regents for Higher

Education, the State Board of Career and Technology Education and

the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, shall direct the process of the

development of annual high-quality statewide student assessments for

English Language Arts and Mathematics as provided for in Section

1210.508 of this title that align with the college- and career-ready

subject matter standards developed pursuant to subsection B of this

section.

2. The statewide student assessments for English Language Arts

and Mathematics shall continue to assess standards and objectives

found in the subject matter standards for English Language Arts and

Mathematics which were in place prior to the revisions adopted by

the Board in June 2010 and the test blueprints shall continue to

align to the standards and objectives found in such subject matter

standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics until the new

assessments are implemented as provided for in paragraph 1 of this

subsection.

D. 1. The State Board of Education shall not enter into any

agreement, memorandum of understanding or contract with any federal

agency or private entity which in any way cedes or limits state

discretion or control over the process of development, adoption or

revision of subject matter standards and corresponding student

assessments in the public school system, including, but not limited

to, agreements, memoranda of understanding and contracts in exchange

for funding for public schools and programs. If the State Board of

Education is a party to such an agreement, memorandum of

understanding or contract on the effective date of this act, the

State Board of Education shall initiate necessary efforts to amend

the agreement, memorandum of understanding or contract to comply

with the requirements of this subsection.

2. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the

State Board of Education from seeking and being granted a waiver

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from federal law, provided that the conditions for the waiver do not

require the state to cede or limit its discretion or control over

the process of development, adoption or revision of subject matter

standards and corresponding statewide student assessments.

3. The State Department of Education may participate in a

multistate or multigovernmental cooperative pursuant to the

requirements of the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act, but shall not

bind the state, contractually or otherwise, to the authority of any

other state, organization or entity which may supersede the

authority of the State Board of Education.

E. The content of all subject matter standards and

corresponding student assessments shall be solely approved and

controlled by the state through the State Board of Education. The
ahoma Central Purchasing Act, but shall not

bind the state, contractually or otherwise, to the authority of any

other state, organization or entity which may supersede the

authority of the State Board of Education.

E. The content of all subject matter standards and

corresponding student assessments shall be solely approved and

controlled by the state through the State Board of Education. The

State Board of Education shall maintain independence of all subject

matter standards referenced in Section 11-103.6 of this title and

corresponding statewide student assessments and shall not relinquish

authority over Oklahoma subject matter standards and corresponding

statewide student assessments. Nothing in this section shall

prohibit benchmarking the state subject matter standards and

corresponding student assessments with those of other states or

nations to allow comparison of Oklahoma subject matter standards and

corresponding student assessments with those of other states and

nations.

F. School districts shall exclusively determine the

instruction, curriculum, reading lists and instructional materials

and textbooks, subject to any applicable provisions or requirements

as set forth in law, to be used in meeting the subject matter

standards. School districts may, at their discretion, adopt

supplementary student assessments which are in addition to the

statewide student assessments.

G. 1. Upon completion of the adoption of English Language Arts

and Mathematics subject matter standards pursuant to subsection B of

this section, the State Board of Education shall compare such

English Language Arts and Mathematics standards with the English

Language Arts and Mathematics standards that were adopted by the

State Board of Education prior to implementation of this act. The

State Board of Education shall consider public comments, the use of

best practices, evidence and research in the evaluation of both sets

of standards. The State Board of Education shall compare the

standards in the areas of:

a. effective preparation for active citizenship and

postsecondary education or the workforce,

b. subject matter content,

c. sequencing of subject matter content and relationship

to measurement of student performance and the

application of subject matter standards,

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d. developmental appropriateness of grade-level

expectations, academic content and instructional

rigor,

e. clarity for educators and parents,

f. exemplars tied to the standards,

g. measurability of student proficiency in the subject

matter,

h. pedagogy,

i. development of critical thinking skills, and

j. demonstration of application of acquired knowledge and

skills.

2. Upon completion of the comparison of the English Language

Arts and Mathematics subject matter standards, the State Board of

Education shall submit to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of

Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the

Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and the Minority

Leader of the Senate a report outlining the results of the

comparison of the standards.

H. All subject matter standards and corresponding statewide

student assessments adopted by the State Board of Education shall be

carefully circumscribed to reflect direct application to subject

matter proficiency and shall not include standards or assessment

questions that are designed to collect or measure noncognitive,

emotional or psychological characteristics, attributes or skills of

students.

I. Any rule, including but not limited to Rules 210:15-4-1

through 210:15-4-3 of the Oklahoma Administrative Code, which

conflicts with the requirements of this section, shall be amended or

repealed by the State Board of Education as necessary to comply with

the requirements of this section.