2023 Oklahoma Statutes › Title 70. Schools › §70-11-103.6a. Review of adopted subject matter standards – 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 (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 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 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 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,
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.
Added by Laws 1989, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 2, § 7, emerg. eff. April 25, 1990. Amended by Laws 2002, c. 289, § 3, eff. July 1, 2002; Laws 2010, c. 291, § 15, eff. July 1, 2010; Laws 2014, c. 430, § 3, emerg. eff. June 5, 2014.