June-July 2025
Summer break is a great time to relax and refresh, but it's also the perfect chance to explore free professional learning opportunities offered by the Oklahoma Department of Education.
These sessions, available both virtually and in person, are packed with high-quality resources, instructional strategies, and tools to support success in the upcoming school year. Led by experienced educators and experts, each session is designed to be practical, engaging, and relevant.
Early registration is encouraged, as spots may be limited. Explore this newsletter for full details and registration links on all the ELA summer learning opportunities.
Wishing everyone a restful and productive summer!
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Please make plans to attend the free annual conference hosted by the OSDE.
- NCED Conference Center & Hotel (Norman, OK)
- Friday, June 27, 2025
- 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
The following Elementary English language arts sessions will be offered at InspireOK.
The Power of a Sentence: Building Skilled Writers
This session covers sentence-level instruction to improve students' writing skills. Attendees will explore sentence expansion, combination, and generation to improve writing proficiency. Participants will learn engaging sentence activities and strategies to support writing instruction in the elementary classroom.
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Spelling Matters: Connecting Spelling and Reading in the Elementary Classroom
This session examines how explicit, systematic spelling instruction supports reading development in elementary classrooms. Focusing on research-based strategies, the session explains why spelling matters, identifies key instructional components, and outlines methods to improve decoding, fluency, and comprehension. Participants will leave with practical, ready-to use classroom activities for classroom use.
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Writing Development in Early Childhood: Understanding Stages and Supporting Growth
Join us for a session on writing development, from early scribbles to sentence formation. Learn to support children at each stage, strengthen fine motor skills, and build handwriting readiness. Explore strategies to create a writing-rich environment, foster confidence, and encourage growth through effective, research-based practices.
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 Register here:
July 21, 2025 @ 10:00 a.m.: The Power of a Sentence: Building Skilled Writers
July 23, 2025 @ 10:00 a.m.: Foundation Skills of Writing: teaching Handwriting with Intention
July 24, 2025 @ 10:00 a.m.: Spelling Matters: Connecting Spelling and Reading
 This free conference is for all educators, including general education and special education teachers, administrators, school-professionals, and related professionals.
Sessions include information on:
- MTSS implementation
- universal screening
- progress monitoring
- diagnostic testing
- data-driven decisions
- multi-tiered resources
- special education services
The conference will have traditional and hands-on sessions to practice implementation. It is recommended to bring a computer device.
Hotel registrations can be found at the Reed Center and Project 613 funding can be used for hotel and travel reimbursement.
 Join us for the OSDE Annual School Governance Conference on July 31-August 1, 2025, at the University of Central Oklahoma. This transformative experience is designed for educational leaders, administrators, and school board members committed to advancing governance strategies that strengthen school effectiveness and drive student success. This event offers a dynamic platform for networking, collaboration, and professional development, equipping participants to exchange ideas, explore best practices, and navigate emerging challenges in education.
OSDE will lead specialized sessions that provide in-depth insights into complex regulatory changes, support the implementation of innovative educational programs, and optimize financial and operational resources to deliver measurable improvements in student outcomes. These hands-on learning experiences equip attendees with practical strategies for fostering transparent, accessible, and strategic governance, reinforcing the shared mission of ensuring high-quality education for all students.
The State Board of Education is authorized to award one or more grants annually to classroom teachers from funds available in the Public School Classroom Support Revolving Fund established pursuant to 70 O.S. § 1-123. A grant awarded under this section shall be used by the grantee teacher for the purpose of purchasing supplies, materials, or equipment for their class or classes.
A public school classroom teacher in Oklahoma is eligible to apply for a Public School Classroom Support Grant.
The award amount can range from $1,000-$5,000.
The grant must meet the following criteria:
- An articulated purpose for the requested grant that is intended to promote student learning in one or more content areas or skills.
- A specific plan for incorporating supplies, materials, and/or equipment funded by the requested grant into the applying teacher's course(s) for the stated purpose.
- Alignment of the purpose and plan for the requested grant with the Oklahoma Academic Standards.
The deadline to apply is June 30, 2025.
Learn more about CLASS grants and download your application today.
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