OKPOLICY.ORG
The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book, published earlier this month, ranked Oklahoma 44th in overall child well-being, keeping the state among the bottom 10 nationwide. Oklahoma’s lowest major-category ranking was in education, where it placed 48th.
Within the overall education ranking, the state ranked 48th for percent of 4th graders who scored below proficient reading level (77%); 49th for percent of 8th graders who scored below proficient math level (83%); 41st for percent of high school students not graduating on time (18%); and tied with 4 other states for 42nd for percentage of young children (ages 3 and 4) not in school (60%).
To improve the state’s poor reading scores, Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, and Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, worked together last session to pass House Bill 4420 and Senate Bill 1778. The two bills amend the Strong Readers Act to create an ambitious multi-tiered system of reading supports (MTSS). The bills prioritize strong core literacy instruction for all students, with added support for those who need it, so students can read at grade level by fourth grade. Hilbert said reading is foundational because students who cannot read will struggle in every later subject.
Key provisions of the bills emphasize early identification of reading deficiencies; intensive intervention for students identified with reading deficiencies; communication with parents about their child’s reading progress and available support; required retention of a child in the third grade who is not reading at third grade reading proficiency; expanded teacher training and classroom support; encouragement for parents to incorporate reading into their child’s routine at home; and a revolving fund to encourage public, private partnerships.
According to the House Budget Transparency Portal, legislators appropriated $26.2 million to fund the Strong Readers program. They also appropriated $5 million for literacy coaches, $2.7 million for literacy program materials, and $2 million for teacher reading training. HB 4420 provides a noteworthy method of distributing the appropriated funding.
Sixty percent of the funds are to be allocated through a weighted student formula to support evidence-based core literacy instruction (tier-one) for all students, along with instructional materials, universal screening and diagnostic assessment, progress monitoring, family literacy resources and engagement activities, professional development, and instructional coaching.
Thirty percent is allocated for supplemental weighted funding to pay for tier 2 and 3 students receiving additional support, and 10 percent is reserved to provide incentives to school districts demonstrating measurable improvement in student reading performance.
The Oklahoma program is reportedly modeled on the “Mississippi miracle,” the gains Mississippi achieved after passing the Literacy-Based Promotion Act in 2013. The literacy initiative helped move Mississippi from last in education in 2012 to 16th nationwide and from 49th to 9th in fourth-grade reading performance.
The Mississippi miracle began 25 years ago when Jim Barksdale, a Mississippi native who made a fortune in the tech industry, pledged $100 million to boost literacy in his home state, a figure that eventually grew to $160 million. Years of research by his Barksdale Reading Institute, an independent entity that emphasized phonics-based instruction and sound reading pedagogy, worked to tackle the root challenges of early literacy. Data from the initiative helped form the state legislation and funding.
Oklahoma has made an ambitious start, but passing a law alone will not ensure success. Mississippi’s progress depended on sustained support from teachers, school officials, parents, dedicated education professionals, and state leaders committed to improving student outcomes. Oklahoma will likely need the same kind of commitment — along with substantial funding and patience.
Speaker Hilbert said that reading is foundational, which, to me, means it is just a first step. Most classroom teachers and administrators would likely point to smaller class sizes, higher teacher salaries, fewer alternative-, emergency-, and substitute-certified teachers in the classroom, and greater classroom autonomy and respect for teachers as the best means of achieving student achievement.
Compared to our surrounding states of Arkansas, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Missouri, Oklahoma is dead last in expenditure per student for public schools, according to World Population Review. We are $5,457 below the U.S. per-pupil average. An additional $1 billion through the state aid formula would raise our per-pupil expenditure by slightly less than $1,500, and it wouldn’t waste a penny. We’d still be next to last among our neighboring states.
