By Nuria Martinez-Keel, Oklahoma Voice
OKLAHOMA CITY — Education committee leaders in the Oklahoma Legislature have put literacy laws at the forefront of their yearly policy goals, further entrenching childhood reading as a top focus for the 2026 legislative session.
Only 26% of Oklahoma public school students made a proficient score on statewide reading tests last year. Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, and Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber, who lead Senate and House committees on K-12 schooling, both announced legislation this week aimed at improving those outcomes.
While groups like the Oklahoma State Chamber advocate for more students to repeat third grade if they’re too far behind in reading, Pugh and Lowe’s literacy plans would make student retention a possibility in first and second grade, as well.
Third grade is too long to wait, Pugh said.
“My approach is we identify and intervene as early as possible so that we never have to get to that point,” he said in an interview with Oklahoma Voice. “For kids that do get to that point, then yes, there’s going to be a retention component, but as early as possible, you identify and you intervene.”
Lowe and Pugh both suggested schools give students summer tutoring and an end-of-summer reading test before finalizing retention decisions.
Pugh’s plan, outlined in Senate Bill 1778, also would require a transitional year before retention. Students in a transitional year would stay with their age-group cohort but spend the school year receiving extensive remediation in reading concepts they still need to master. If not caught up after a transitional year, a student could repeat a grade.
Oklahoma’s current reading instruction law, which Pugh co-wrote in 2024, removed a requirement that students repeat third grade if they score well below their grade level.
Only 2% of third graders were retained even with the requirement still in place, according to a 2023 report from the Oklahoma State Department of Education.That’s because the state allowed students multiple exemptions and other avenues to avoid it.
“To me, with all the exemptions on the books, it was almost like we needed to start over and reevaluate,” Pugh said. “And now we have.”
Lowe’s House Bill 3023 would prohibit schools from using only digital technology for reading intervention. Most instruction would have to come directly from a teacher, specialist or literacy coach trained in the science of reading.
Retired teachers would be allowed to contract with the Oklahoma State Department of Education to work as reading coaches, under the bill.
“Literacy remains a major concern for Oklahoma parents, educators and policymakers,” Lowe said in a statement. “House Bill 3023 might not be exactly the right solution, but now is the time to bring ideas to the table and have thoughtful discussions about how we can all help improve literacy for all students.”
The state should increase funding for districts to hire reading specialists to work with students, Pugh said, and to grow the Education Department’s literacy instructional teamthat provides professional development to schools. He said he also will push to increase public school funding overall with the goal of offsetting inflation and adding more school days.
He and the Senate Appropriations Committee will reveal the potential budget impact and a funding source for the investment in the coming weeks, Pugh said.
As the state continues to grapple with a shortage of qualified educators, Pugh also proposed several new incentives for teachers: a $2,500 base salary increase for all teachers, a $10,000 tax credit for teachers who work in the same district for at least seven years, six weeks of paternity leave for school employees and doubling the college scholarship funds available for aspiring educators.
Not all of the new incentives have a fiscal impact estimate yet, Pugh said, but he expects the $2,500 teacher pay raise to cost between $135 million and $140 million.
Lowe’s HB 3022 would prohibit schools from hiring uncertified adjunct instructors to teach core subject areas in pre-K through sixth grade. That would include math, science, English language arts and social sciences. Senate Education Committee Vice Chairperson Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, filed a similar bill.
Lowe’s legislation also would require adjunct teachers to have at least a high school diploma. State law currently doesn’t require a minimum education level for adjunct instructors, only that they have “distinguished qualifications in their field.”
“These bills reflect years’ worth of conversations with educators, parents and community leaders,” Lowe said of his policy agenda. “My goal is to build thoughtful, practical policy that strengthens Oklahoma’s education system and better prepare students for life after graduation while providing consistent, reliable support for our teachers.”
