Oklahoma lawmakers have filed a wave of education proposals for the 2026 Legislative Session. From major changes to early literacy and reading interventions to efforts aimed at keeping great teachers in the classroom and banning student cell phones completely, these topics represent some of the biggest education initiatives at the State Capitol this year.
Below are five key education bills to watch as Oklahoma’s Legislative Session gets underway. To participate in our upcoming survey on these bills, please text “OklaEd” to 50457.
I. House Bill 4420 & Senate Bill 1778
Both bills aim to expand Oklahoma’s Strong Readers Act by:
- more broadly banning three-cueing and balanced literacy approaches statewide
- Requiring stricter K–3 reading interventions
- Reducing the timeline for notifying the parents of students with reading deficiencies
- Adding mandatory 3rd-grade retention for students who do not demonstrate sufficient reading skills
- Mandatory summer academies for reading-deficient students
II. Senate Bill 1338: HEROES Program-Expansion of Literacy Coaches
Expands Oklahoma’s literacy instructional teams, which travel across the state to support schools struggling to achieve reading sufficiency.
III. Senate Bill 1776: Teacher Retention Tax Credit
Teachers who begin their 8th consecutive year within a school district are authorized to claim a $10,000 refundable credit. Teachers who claim the tax credit must remain with the district for the following 3 years.
IV. Senate Bill 1719: Permanent School Cellphone Restriction
Makes permanent the state’s “bell-to-bell” cellphone prohibition in all public schools.