HB 1537 Summary

• State Board of Education must adopt college- and career-ready English Language Arts and Mathematics standards by August 1, 2016, replacing current standards and requiring consultation with State Regents for Higher Education, Career and Technology Education Board, and Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

• State Board of Education must adopt college- and career-ready Science standards by August 1, 2017, using the same definition of college- and career-ready as applied to English Language Arts and Mathematics standards.

• Subject matter standards and corresponding student assessments must be solely approved and controlled by the state through the State Board of Education, and the Board cannot enter into agreements ceding or limiting state discretion over standards development, adoption, or revision.

• School districts have exclusive authority to determine instruction, curriculum, reading lists, and instructional materials used to meet subject matter standards, and may adopt supplementary assessments at their discretion.

• All subject matter standards and assessments must be limited to direct subject matter proficiency and cannot include measures of noncognitive, emotional, or psychological characteristics of students; effective November 1, 2015.