2023 Legislative Session Update New Professional Development Requirements

By Dr. Jeanene Barnett, Education Policy & Research Analyst & TLE Coordinator

NEW: CCOSA worked with legislators on HB 1441 (2023) for a reduction in requirements for professional development.

In addition to the eight mandates instated for the upcoming school year, Oklahoma schools should plan for a few mandates that legislation from prior years requires for implementation in future years.

Mandates Implemented in 2023-24

SB 89 (2021) Health Education Act providing health education.

HB 2768 (2022) Dysgraphia PD required.

SB 429 (2023) Tribal regalia allowed.

SB 1119 (2023) Teacher pay raise.

SB 1121 (2023) 6 weeks maternity leave required.

HB 1445 (2023) Bonds posted on website.

HB 2513 (2023) Handle with Care (HWC) Oklahoma Program.

HB 2903 (2023) School security grants.

Below is a list of mandates categorized by the school year in which they are required to be implemented, with a hyperlink to the bills themselves so you can read the specific language for more details if needed. Finally, you’ll find a more detailed summary of key bills and the implementation required from schools.

Mandates Implemented in 2024-25

HB 3400 (2020) Minimum of four Advanced Placement courses available to students.

SB 252 (2021) Computer Science (one in high school, aligned to standards in middle and elementary school].

New Mandates 2023-24

SB 89 (2021) creates the Health Education Act, which requires health education (physical, mental, social and emotional, and intellectual) be taught in the public schools.

By SY2022-23, the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) shall develop a microcredential and professional development for health teachers. By SY2023-24, school districts must provide instruction (either integrated into an existing subject or as a standalone course) addressing all health education subject matter standards, as adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE), at least once in the grade spans of prekindergarten through 2nd grade, 3rd through 5th grade, 6th through 8th grade, and 9th through 12th grade. At the February 23, 2023, State Board of Education meeting, the SBE approved the new Oklahoma Academic Standards for Physical Education and Health

HB 2768 requires each district’s annual dyslexia PD to include information and training in dysgraphia beginning in SY2023-24.

As with dyslexia, the program shall include training that reflects recommendations from the Oklahoma Dyslexia and Dysgraphia Handbook review group. The updated handbook is expected to be posted on the OSDE website by August 1, 2023. This group has been directed to

(1) study how to identify students who have dysgraphia identified through possible reading and broad written language scores;

(2) study RTI and other effective research-based approaches in writing, reading, and literacy to identify appropriate measures to assist students with dysgraphia; (3) make recommendations for resources and interventions for students with reading or writing difficulties, including dysgraphia and broad written language disorder.

SB 429 (2023) protects the right of any student to wear tribal regalia at an on-campus function or one at any institution.

It also allows a school to set a policy about times when items cannot be worn because the specific characteristic of the garment or item would either endanger the safety of students or others or interfere with the learning environment if worn during a specific activity. The bill defines “tribal regalia” as traditional garments, jewelry, other adornments such as an eagle feather, an eagle plume, a beaded cap, a stole, or similar objects of cultural and religious significance worn by members of a federally recognized Indian tribe or the tribe of another country and clarifies that tribal regalia does not include any firearm, other weapon, or any object that is otherwise prohibited by federal law, except in compliance with an appropriate federal permit.

SB 26: Another bill that directly impacts the work of our coaches with students is a change to SB 26, authored by Senator Dewayne Pemberton, R-Muskogee.

This bill amends language related to designation and use of restrooms or changing areas for the exclusive use of the male or female sex. Coaches who are the opposite sex of the student-athletes are now allowed to enter a locker room before, during, or after an athletic activity if all students are fully clothed. The bill requires that any male coach must be accompanied by an adult female when entering a girls’ locker room, or any female coach must be accompanied by an adult male when entering a boys’ locker room. It specifies that the adult cannot be a current high school student.

New Mandates 2024-25

HB 3400 (2020) requires all public high schools to make a minimum of four Advanced Placement courses available to students. Options for accessing Advanced Placement courses include: a school site or sites within the district, a career and technology institution within the district, a program offered by the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board or one of its vendors, or a school site or sites in another school district.

NEW: CCOSA worked with legislators on HB 1441 (2023) for a reduction in requirements for professional development; the update is reflected below with reductions from the prior year highlighted in green. One new additional PD requirement is Dysgraphia, an addition from HB 2768 (2022).

2023

All Staff, Every Year

1. Bloodborne Pathogens

2. FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act)

3. Title IX (Sex Discrimination)

4. Awareness training of local Board policies and grievance procedures

5. Title IX: McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance

6. Hazardous Communications

7. Bullying Prevention (suicide awareness & prevention training, required every other year, can be combined with bullying prevention)

8. Suicide Awareness

9. Child Abuse and Neglect; Child Sexual Abuse Awareness and Reporting

New Staff; Certified & Support Staff

For all new staff and then, once staff has received initial training, one time every 3 years or at the district’s discretion:

1. Alcohol and Drug Awareness (one time every 3 years once staff has received initial training)

2. Recognizing and Addressing Mental Health Needs of Students (one time every 3 years once staff has received initial training)_

3. Digital Teaching and Learning (timing based on local district’s need and discretion once staff has received initial training)

New Staff; Certified & Support Staff (PK-3)

One time every 3 years once staff has received initial training:

1. Autism

2024

All Staff, Every Year (Federal Requirements)

1. *Bloodborne Pathogens

2. *FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act)

3. ***Title IX: Sex Discrimination

4. Awareness training of local Board policies and grievance procedures

5. *Title IX: McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance

6. *Hazardous Communications

New Staff; All Staff (once every 5 years)

For all new staff and then, once staff has received initial training, one time every 5 years or at the district’s discretion, as designated below:

1. *Bullying Prevention

2. **Suicide Awareness

New Staff; Certified Staff (once every 5 years)

For all new staff and then, once staff has received initial training, one time every 5 years or at the district’s discretion, as designated below:

1. *Child Abuse and Neglect; Child Sexual Abuse Awareness and Reporting

2. *Alcohol and Drug Awareness

3. *Recognizing and Addressing Mental Health Needs of Students

4. *Digital Teaching and Learning (timing based on local district’s need and discretion once staff has received initial training)

New Staff; Certified & Support Staff (PK-3)

One time every 3 years once staff has received initial training:

1. Autism

SB 252 (2021) requires high schools to offer a minimum of one computer science course (redefined in HB 4389-2022) to students, and middle and elementary schools to offer instruction aligned to the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Computer Science. It permits the instruction to be offered through standalone computer science courses or through integration in other courses.

All Certified Staff, Every Year

1. Dyslexia

At District Discretion

1. Workplace Safety Training (grades 7-12 only; timing based on local district’s need and discretion once staff has received initial training)

All Certified Staff, Every Year

1. Dyslexia & Dysgraphia (NEW)

At District Discretion

1. Workplace Safety Training (grades 7-12 only; timing based on local district’s need and discretion once staff has received initial training)

* CCOSA District Level Services (DLS) program provides all-staff training on these topics.

** CCOSA DLS provides links to free online training for Suicide Awareness from state-required sources and verification of completion form.

*** CCOSA DLS program provides information for use by local Title IX compliance officers with the verification of completion form.

Certified Teachers (PK-5) Every Year

1. Science of Reading (for districts receiving greater than $2,500 in RSA funds, 10% must be spent on evidence-based PD from an OSDE-approved list). (https:// tinyurl.com/RSAapprovedlist)

All Coaches in Grades 7-12

All courses can be found on NFHSLearn.com

Concussion Management course (https://nfhslearn. com/courses/concussion-insports-2).

Heat Illness Prevention course (https://nfhslearn. com/courses/heat-illnessprevention-2).

The professional development listed in this article includes Oklahoma-required PD trainings, but you have local control of how you implement it. You can invite experts to facilitate the training or join CCOSA’s District Level Services program and have access to free resources that fulfill the requirements. Be sure to document every staff member who completes the training and keep it on file for OSDE accreditation documentation purposes and/or federal monitoring requirements.

FY2023 Accreditation required attendance documentation and agendas for Dyslexia and Reporting Child Abuse.

Each program may also include components on classroom management and student discipline strategies; outreach to parents, guardians, or custodians of students; special education; and racial and ethnic education.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest course (https://nfhslearn.com/ courses/sudden-cardiacarrest).

First-Year Coaches

Fundamentals of Coaching course (https://nfhslearn.com/courses/ fundamentals-of-coaching).

All Cheer Coaches

AACCA Spirit Safety Certification course.

These required professional development sessions are a part of the larger district professional development program focused on student achievement as is outlined in 70 O.S. § 6-194 (OSCN 2023):

The professional development programs adopted shall be directed toward development of competencies and instructional strategies in the core curriculum areas for the following goals:

1. Increasing the academic performance data scores for the district and each school site;

2. Closing achievement gaps among student subgroups;

3. Increasing student achievement as demonstrated on state-mandated tests and the ACT;

4. Increasing high school graduation rates; and

5. Decreasing college remediation rates. ■