Oklahoma's Academic Standards

Overview of the Standards

Oklahoma Academic Standards serve as expectations for the essential knowledge and skills that students must master at each grade level. As directed by Oklahoma law, the Oklahoma State Board of Education must thoroughly review subject matter standards every six years. After review, the State Board shall adopt any revisions deemed necessary to improve the quality of education for Oklahoma students.

The academic review process is lengthy, meant to ensure that all interested stakeholders have ample time to provide feedback and suggestions. Ultimately, any revisions of the Academic Standards must be approved by the State Legislature. The review process and the academic standards are addressed in more detail below.

What are academic standards?

Academic standards outline the educational objectives that students should achieve by the end of a course, grade level, or grade span. However, they do not specify particular teaching practices, curricula, or assessment methods. Instead, they provide a framework and allow districts and educators the flexibility to determine the best approaches.

  • Do focus on deep thinking, conceptual understanding, and real‐world problem-solving skills
  • Do set expectations for students to be College, Career, and Citizenship Ready
  • Do incorporate literacy in Science, Social Studies, and Technical Subjects
  • Do emphasize the use of citations and examples from texts when creating opinions and arguments
  • Do increase rigor and grade‐level expectations
  • Do determine the full range of support for English Language Learners and Students with Special needs.
  • Do not dictate how teachers should teach
  • Do not mandate a specific curriculum
  • Do not limit advanced work beyond the standards
  • Do not require the purchase or development of entirely new instructional materials
  • Do not prescribe all that can or should be taught
  • Do not limit efforts to prepare students for college, career, and citizenship readiness
  • Do not prescribe interventions for students below grade‐level

Review and Revision Process

For each subject area, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction establishes three committees to guide the review process. Members for each committee are are  either selected through an application cycle or appointed by the State Superintendent. Generally, committee members include educators, community leaders, and other key stakeholders.

Although the three committees are distinct and charged with unique tasks in the review and revision process, close collaboration is necessary. The committees work hand-in-hand to produce final revisions, which are then submitted to the State Board of Education and, ultimately, the State Legislature for final approval.

The Three Committees

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee collaborates with the OSDE’s subject area directors to guide the review and revision process. The committee establishes primary goals and facilitates discussions during revision and review meetings. The committee is instrumental in the final revision and review of the standards. Each committee member is appointed by the State Superintendent. 

Writing Committee

The Writing Committee is responsible for reviewing and, if needed, revising the subject area standards. The Executive Committee and OSDE officials select the committee members through an application process. 

Draft Review Committee

The Draft Review Committee reviews and provides feedback on the Writing Committee’s subject area revisions. The Executive Committee and OSDE officials select the committee members through an application process. 

Public Comment

After the three committees finalize their subject area revision, they submit their final draft to the State Board of Education, where the draft is made available for public comment. Following public comment, the Board can direct the committees to amend the draft.

Final Approval

Once the three committees finalize the subject area standards, following public comment, the standards must be approved by the State Board of Education and then by the State Legislature. Once the new standards are approved, they will be implemented for the upcoming school year.