OSDE Literacy Initiatives

OKLAHOMA STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LITERACY INITIATIVES

The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) is deeply committed to building and enhancing literacy skills for students across the state. To achieve this, the department is strategically leveraging multiple funding streams, including the Literacy Instructional Team, the Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant (CLSD), the State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG), the State Systemic Improvement Plan-Part B (SSIP-B), and remaining ESSER funds. By integrating these resources, the department ensures that schools have the necessary support to implement effective literacy programs, provide targeted interventions, and foster a strong foundation in reading and language arts. This comprehensive approach underscores the department's dedication to improving literacy outcomes and ensuring all students have the skills they need for academic success.

Comprehensive State Literacy Grant

The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) is pleased to announce the acquisition of a substantial grant totaling $58.9 million, with $11,228,650 allocated for the first year. This grant, awarded through the Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant Program, will fund a transformative initiative in line with Oklahoma’s Comprehensive Literacy Plan. The initiative's primary objective is to enhance school readiness and improve language and literacy success among disadvantaged students throughout the state.

As part of this initiative, 25 districts across Oklahoma will receive subgrants to support the implementation of literacy programs specifically designed for their student populations. These subgrants will enable schools to improve literacy instruction, offer targeted interventions, and build a stronger foundation in language arts for their students.

The project aims to achieve the following key objectives:

• Early Language Development: Increase the percentage of four-year-old children making significant gains in oral language skills, as measured by universal screening tools, diagnostic assessments, and formative assessment processes.
• Elementary Literacy Proficiency: Raise the percentage of fifth-grade students who meet or exceed proficiency levels on the Oklahoma state reading/language arts assessment.
• Middle School Literacy Proficiency: Raise the percentage of eighth-grade students who meet or exceed proficiency levels on the Oklahoma state reading/language arts assessment.
• Teacher Training and Professional Development: Provide extensive training for Oklahoma teachers in the science of reading and effective literacy instructional strategies to ensure high-quality literacy education statewide.

Grant funding will be released in October. More information will be forthcoming as the grant gets underway. 

State-Wide Literacy Screener

The Oklahoma State Department of Education is excited to announce that the Amira Screening assessment and learning platform will be available to public schools. Starting in the 2024-2025 school year, every K-5 student will have access to the Amira literacy screener assessment. For more information about the literacy screener, please click here or contact [email protected]

OKMTSS on EdPlan

OSDE is spearheading the establishment of an Early Warning Data Dashboard and an Intervention Management tool intended to support all K-12 educators and students called OKMTSS on EdPlan. Goals for this product include providing a single location to track student progress, minimizing duplicate documentation, maintaining consistent intervention provisions, and aligning LEA reporting to the state. For more information, please click here or contact [email protected].

High Dosage Literacy Tutoring Program

OSDE has launched a High Dosage Literacy Tutoring Program to combat literacy deficits in Oklahoma public schools.  Tutoring will focus on K-5 grade students at low-performing elementary school sites, including sites with a school improvement designation. The program will be available to districts to provide expert-level tutoring for students from highly trained and experienced teachers. For more information about High Dosage Tutoring, please contact [email protected]. 

HEROES Literacy Instructional Team

The Oklahoma Legislature passed 70 O.S. § 1210.508H in 2023, which established a three-year pilot program to employ a literacy instructional team to support school districts in implementing the requirements of the Reading Sufficiency Act, now known as the Strong Readers Act. The mission of this team is to "Help Elevate Reading Outcomes for Every Student." Placed regionally across the state, HEROES team members support districts in developing or improving sustainable and systemic literacy programming.

School and District Coaching

The primary purpose of the HEROES Literacy Instructional Team is to provide literacy coaching for high-needs schools and districts in Oklahoma. Team members work with district—and site-level administrators and educators to identify the site's needs and develop a plan to meet those needs.

Statewide Professional Development

Secondary to coaching, the HEROES Literacy Instructional Team also facilitates professional development on various topics related to literacy and reading difficulties, including dyslexia. Professional development includes participating in state-wide conferences and collaborating with districts to meet their individual needs.

For more information about support, interventions, and literacy instruction training opportunities, please contact [email protected].

Science of Reading Academies

Science of Reading Academies with Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling

LETRS, or Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, is a professional development program based on decades of research on effective early reading instruction. Educators enrolled in LETRS commit to an intensive science of reading program. LETRS is not a curriculum for students but a program designed to help teachers use curricular resources already available in their districts more effectively.

LETRS is program agnostic, meaning the knowledge teachers gain can be applied to any evidence-based curricular resource. LETRS is designed for educators working with students learning to read or struggling to read, focusing on kindergarten through third grade. This includes general and special education teachers, reading specialists, administrators, and those who teach English learners. Learn more about the Oklahoma Science of Reading Academies and LETRS at sde.ok.gov/scienceofreading.

Literacy Communities of Practice

The Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction Communities of Practice (LitCoP) provides an abbreviated science of reading training. Participants will complete an online 9-module course and attend five 1-hour facilitated sessions facilitated by Oklahoma’s Literacy Instructional team.  Educators who complete the LitCoP earn a micro-credential for Early Literacy and a monetary stipend from the state. More information about literacy communities of practice can be accessed here. 

Science of Reading Training for Teachers in Grades 4-8

With an increasing number of students reaching upper grades without the foundational literacy skills needed for academic success, secondary ELA instructors now need training on teaching reading and decoding. Asynchronous and synchronous training in these areas will provide instruction in the science of reading designed for teachers in grades 4-8. As teachers complete learning modules on foundational literacy skills, they will learn how students attain and increase word recognition. They will also have an opportunity to debrief with one another to reinforce what they have learned and identify ways to shift their classroom instruction. This training through Ashlock Consulting will begin in fall 2024 and will continue until spring 2030 with approximately 150 teachers per semester. For more information, please contact [email protected].

AIM Pathways to Proficient Reading

Pathways to Proficient Reading is an online professional development experience introducing the science of reading to educators.

• Practical strategies to enhance instructional practices that are program and curricular agnostic.
• A variety of interactive creative content, with real-life situations and downloadable resources.
• 24/7 asynchronous learning, allowing participants to advance at their own pace and convenience, without compromising instructional time.
• Expert AIM facilitators support participants in live sessions focused on classroom application of course content.

General track

The General track is available for all Oklahoma Educators up to the annually determined capacity. Participants must complete approximately 45 hours of asynchronous training and then participate in 6 hours of Virtual Communities of Practice (VCoP). There are no artifact submission requirements. Participants will receive a certificate of completion.

Dyslexia Micro-credential

The micro-credential track is designed for interventionists such as special education educators, Title 1 interventionists, etc., up to the annually determined capacity. Participants must complete 45 hours of asynchronous learning and 14 hours of Virtual Communities of Practice (VCoP). They must also submit 8 artifacts to demonstrate mastery and receive a micro-credential or ‘badge’ for the dyslexia focus.

For more information on Pathways to Proficient Reading please contact [email protected].

Dyslexia Awareness on OSDE Connect

The Oklahoma State Department of Education has developed an asynchronous course to provide K-12 educators with information regarding effective teaching practices and evaluation for students with dyslexia, information regarding dysgraphia, and resources for students, families, and professionals. The course can be accessed through OSDE Connect.

This course meets the legislative requirement from Oklahoma State Statue, Title 70 Section 6-194:

Requires all schools to provide dyslexia awareness professional development beginning in the 2020-2021 school year. The dyslexia awareness professional development will include training in identifying dyslexia indicators and effective classroom instruction to meet the needs of students with dyslexia, as well as identifying available dyslexia resources for teachers, students, and parents/guardians.

Additional dyslexia support for educators can be found here.

First-Class Cohorts with Literacy Modules

The First-Class Teacher Induction Program provides two support pathways that deliver targeted ongoing professional learning and support for early career teachers. The first pathway pairs first-year teachers with a site-based mentor. The first-year teacher and mentor work together throughout the year on activities and strategies that develop the novice teacher’s instruction. The second pathway invites second and third-year teachers to partner with an instructional coach. Early career teachers deepen their instructional knowledge and practice by engaging in focused, student-centered coaching cycles. Both pathways focus on increased support for early career teachers to improve student achievement, boost teacher confidence, and prevent teacher attrition. For more information about First-Class, please click here or contact [email protected].

OSDE Statewide Conferences

The Oklahoma State Department of Education facilitates several statewide conferences that bring educators, administrators, and experts together to share knowledge and strategies for effective literacy instruction. Included among these are Inspire OK and MTSS Bi-Annual Conferences. Information about these conferences can be located on the OSDE homepage nearer the event.

Teacher Clarity Program

School Support Specialists will provide Teacher Clarity Playbook training to teachers at designated CSI and Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) sites. Nine learning modules guide teachers systematically through a process that begins and ends with standards. The Teacher Clarity Playbook helps practitioners seamlessly align lessons, objectives, and learning outcomes so that classroom hours flow productively for everyone. 

SPARK through State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG)

The Special Education Professional Advancement and Refinement of Knowledge (SPARK) initiative through the State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) provides one year of professional development and instructional coaching for early-career special education teachers (those in their fifth year or less of Special Education). The initiative provides professional development focused on supporting students with disabilities. Additionally, as educators determine their needs, they can select a specific academic focus for literacy support. The grant was awarded until October 2027 and will support this initiative through May 2026.

Professional Development through the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP-B)

The State Systemic Improvement Plan Part B supports K-3 educators with early literacy through a series of tiered supports, including universal support, professional development, site MTSS literacy coaching, and instructional coaching. The Office of Special Education Services determines which schools are eligible for the full scope of services, which are specific to low-performing schools with 0% proficiency on the State Assessment in the IEP subgroup for third-grade students.