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OKLAHOMA CITY (March
23, 2016)
— New and stronger academic standards for English language arts (ELA) and
mathematics will take effect beginning in the 2016-2017 school year for
Oklahoma’s preK-12 public education system. The standards were approved earlier
this week in separate resolutions by the state House and Senate, although a
final resolution failed to emerge before both chambers adjourned for the week.
Under the provisions of House Bill 3399, which directed Oklahoma
to develop its own ELA and math standards, implementation work on the standards
can begin immediately for Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) staff
and school districts across the state.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister
praised the standards that were written by teams of Oklahoma educators and
subject content experts.
“These new standards are rigorous, user-friendly and, most
importantly, created by Oklahomans for Oklahomans to address the particular
needs of our state,” she said.
“They strengthen expectations of what our students can achieve
and set a high bar to ensure that our schoolchildren will graduate prepared for
college or the workforce. I am thankful to every Oklahoman who participated in
this process — from those who devoted many months of their time and expertise writing
the standards to the thousands of individuals and organizations that provided
essential feedback. This was a dynamic, collaborative, transparent process. Oklahoma
can truly be proud of these standards.”
Hofmeister thanked
legislators for their efforts this week in supporting the standards.
“I am greatly appreciative of House Speaker Jeff Hickman,
House Speaker Pro Tempore Lee Denney, Senate Education Committee Chairman John
Ford and Sen. Clark Jolley for their tremendous work on the joint resolutions,”
she said.
HB 3399 tasked the State Board of Education with adopting a new
set of standards for use in schools beginning in the 2016-2017 school year. The
Oklahoma Academic Standards for ELA and mathematics resulted from an
exhaustive, transparent and thorough process encompassing input from Oklahoma
teachers, education professionals, parents, and community and business leaders.
In the process, drafts of the standards were reviewed by
thousands of Oklahoma classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, parents,
legislators, business professionals and members of the public who participated
in multiple rounds of public comment.
The OAS standards, which replace the Priority Academic Students
Skills (PASS) standards, were delivered to the legislature on Feb. 1, the first
day of the 2016 session.
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