Oklahoma Administrative Code › Title 1 - EXECUTIVE ORDERS › Section 1:2013-40

Current through Vol. 41, No. 20, July 1, 2024
A strong public education system is critical to the future of
			 Oklahoma. Individual students must be proficient in basic subjects like
			 reading, writing, and math to secure living-wage jobs, succeed in
			 post-secondary education, or create individual wealth. Oklahoma businesses must
			 be able to hire qualified, highly-skilled workers in order to thrive. As such,
			 our prosperity as a state and as individual people and enterprises is dependent
			 on excellent educational outcomes.
The Oklahoma Constitution directs the State Legislature to
			 "establish and maintain" a system of free public education accessible to all
			 Oklahoma children. Okla. Const. art. XIII, § 1. In honoring that
			 obligation, the Legislature in 70 O.S. §
							11-103.6
			 directed the State Board of Education to adopt curricular standards for
			 instruction of students in the public schools to ensure the attainment of
			 desired levels of competencies in a variety of areas, to include social
			 studies, literature, languages, the arts, mathematics, science, and
			 communication.
In the same statute, the Legislature required that these
			 standards ensure that public school students "gain literacy at the elementary
			 and secondary levels through a core curriculum" that would be achieved by
			 development of skills in "reading, writing, speaking, computing and critical
			 thinking."
In 70 O.S. §
							11-103.6a,
			 the Legislature more specifically directed the State Board of Education to
			 align the "English Language Arts and Mathematics" curriculum "with the K-12
			 Common Core State Standards developed by the Common Core State Standards
			 Initiative." The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State
			 School Officers spearheaded the initiative to develop these Common Core
			 Standards, in collaboration with teachers, administrators, and parents,
			 including representatives from Oklahoma.
The State of Oklahoma has not received federal funding relating
			 to the adoption of Oklahoma's curricular standards for instruction, the
			 Oklahoma core curriculum, or the Common Core State Standards. Additionally,
			 Oklahoma has not received any federal directive regarding implementation of
			 curricular standards, core curriculum, or Common Core State Standards. However,
			 to prohibit the Federal Government from improperly inserting itself on this
			 clearly established right of Oklahoma to educate its own citizens,
			 implementation of 70 O.S. §§
							11-103.6
			 and
			 11-103.6a
			 must be carefully monitored by executive branch officials.
Accordingly, by the authority vested in me pursuant to Sections
			 1 and 2 of Article VI of the Oklahoma Constitution, I hereby direct and order
			 the Secretary of Education and Workforce Development to monitor and
			 ensure:
1. Any curricular standards,
		  core curriculum, or Common Core State Standards used in Oklahoma required by 70
		  O.S. §§
							11-103.6
		  and
		  11-103.6a
		  be clearly identified with the title of "Oklahoma Academic
		  Standards."
2. The Oklahoma
		  Academic Standards shall be carefully circumscribed to reflect direct
		  application to subject matter proficiency.
3. The Oklahoma Academic Standards must
		  increase classroom rigor.
4.
		  Students must be asked to demonstrate proficiency in subject matter that is
		  both complex and contains real-life applications, helping them to be better
		  prepared for post-secondary education or entry into the workforce.
5. Proficiency in these areas will be
		  demonstrated through assessments.
6. All assessments will be developed with
		  input by Oklahomans. Further, final adoption of any assessment is the sole
		  responsibility and obligation of Oklahomans, with input from Oklahoma
		  educators, higher education and career technology centers, parents, and the
		  Oklahoma business community.
7.
		  While the Oklahoma Academic Standards shall be statewide standards, each local
		  school district shall exclusively determine the teaching curriculum to be used
		  in meeting the Standards.
8. The
		  development of the Oklahoma Academic Standards will continue to be conducted in
		  an open and transparent manner that includes opportunities for Oklahomans to
		  offer input and suggestions for modification or updating of the Oklahoma
		  Academic Standards.
Further, in order to safeguard against any threat of federal
			 intrusion, and to guarantee the implementation of good public policy, by the
			 authority vested in me pursuant to Sections 1 and 2 of Article VI of the
			 Oklahoma Constitution, I direct and order all executive branch agencies with
			 authority to promulgate or otherwise participate in the drafting or adoption of
			 the Oklahoma Academic Standards to adhere to the following principles:
1. The Federal Government shall not have any
		  input in the formulation of the Oklahoma Academic Standards or the assessments
		  used to determine student performance.
2. The State of Oklahoma will be exclusively
		  responsible for deciding the assessment methodology to be used to measure
		  student performance.
3. Local
		  school districts may, at their own discretion, adopt additional supplementary
		  assessments to measure educational progress.
4. All agencies of the State of Oklahoma will
		  aggressively oppose any future attempt by the Federal Government to force the
		  state to adopt standards that do not reflect Oklahoma values.
5. The Oklahoma Academic Standards will not
		  jeopardize the privacy of any Oklahoma student or citizen. Local school
		  districts and the Oklahoma State Department of Education shall refrain from
		  collecting or reporting student information in a manner that would, in any way,
		  violate state or federal laws intended to protect student and family
		  privacy.
6. The Oklahoma Academic
		  Standards affect only K-12 public schools. Home schools and homeschooled
		  children are not under the jurisdiction of the State Department of Education
		  and are not affected by the implementation of any standards adopted by the
		  State, including the Oklahoma Academic Standards.
This Executive Order shall be distributed to the Secretary of
			 Education and Workforce Development, who shall cause the provisions of this
			 Order to be implemented.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand and caused the Great Seal
			 of the State of Oklahoma to be affixed at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, this
			 4th day of December, 2013.
BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA
Mary Fallin
ATTEST:
Chris Benge
Secretary of State
Added at 31 Ok Reg 228, eff
				12-5-13