Teacher preparation; directing the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to establish TeachForwardOK.

Oklahoma funds new teacher training paths

The law creates TeachForwardOK, a two-year pilot to develop high-quality paths into teaching and grow Oklahoma’s teacher workforce. The Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability runs it. Only teacher education programs in Oklahoma’s state higher education system and accredited by the commission can participate. Programs must apply using the commission’s form and meet its approval criteria. When funds are available, approved programs receive grants supporting participation and contracts with commission-selected technical assistance providers. Public or private gifts, grants, donations, bequests, and legislative funding can support the pilot. Within 30 days of the law’s effective date, the commission must request proposals to select providers. Providers must review recruitment, completion, training quality, state workforce needs, and new ways to recruit nontraditional candidates. They must send evaluation reports electronically to each participating program and the commission. Within 90 days of receiving its report, each program must electronically submit a plan addressing the findings. Plans must prioritize new, high-quality teaching paths and a larger teacher workforce. They must address paths from high school to classroom aide work, from aide work to teaching, and from bachelor’s degrees to teaching. Plans must also address intensive on-the-job training and skill-based apprenticeship graduation standards with progress benchmarks. They must include schedules allowing full-time public school work, continued aide employment, and flexible classes for aides in apprenticeships. Subject to available funding, the commission must review the plans and select one approved program for a one-time $500,000 award. That program must use the money to carry out its plan. By December 31, 2027, the commission must electronically report findings and recommendations to the Governor and legislative leaders. The commission must also issue rules to carry out the law.