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Policy: Strong Readers Act – Reading Assessment and Intervention
Adopted by: The Academies of Oklahoma Board of Education
Effective Date: August 27, 2026

Purpose

The Academies of Oklahoma will implement the requirements of the Oklahoma Strong Readers Act to identify students experiencing reading difficulties as early as possible and provide evidence-based instruction and intervention designed to support reading proficiency.

Student Reading Assessments

• All students enrolled in kindergarten through third grade will be administered a State Board of Education-approved universal screening assessment three times each school year: beginning-of-year, middle-of-year, and end-of-year.

• Universal screening will assess foundational reading skills and identify students who may be at risk for reading difficulties, including characteristics associated with dyslexia.

• The statewide grade-level target for approved screening assessments is the 40th percentile.

• Students who do not meet the established grade-level target will receive appropriate supplemental reading instruction and intervention based on individual student needs.

• Diagnostic assessments and progress-monitoring measures will be used as appropriate to identify specific areas of need and evaluate students' responses to intervention.

Student Literacy Intervention Plans (SLIPs)

A Student Literacy Intervention Plan (SLIP) will be developed for each K–3 student identified as having a reading deficiency under the Strong Readers Act.

• The SLIP will be completed no later than 30 days after the close of the applicable screening assessment window.

• The SLIP will supplement, rather than replace, high-quality core reading instruction.

• Intervention will be explicit, systematic, evidence-based, and responsive to the student's identified areas of reading need.

• The plan will include the student's screening results, identified areas of need, supplemental instructional services and interventions, progress-monitoring information, and strategies or activities families can use to support literacy development at home.

• Student progress toward grade-level reading proficiency will be documented and reviewed regularly.

• Instruction and intervention will be adjusted based on progress-monitoring data.

• Families will participate in the SLIP process and receive required information regarding their student's reading progress and available supports.

• SLIPs will remain in place and be updated as required until the student demonstrates grade-level reading proficiency or otherwise exits the requirements of the Strong Readers Act.

Reading Instruction and Intervention

Reading instruction and intervention will:

• Align with Oklahoma Academic Standards and the science of reading;

• Include evidence-based practices addressing phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics and decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and other identified areas of reading need;

• Be implemented through the district's Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS);

• Include increasingly intensive intervention based on student need;

• Utilize ongoing progress monitoring to evaluate intervention effectiveness; and

• Provide additional instructional supports, diagnostic assessment, high-quality instructional materials, and family literacy resources as appropriate.

Interventions will be provided in addition to grade-level core instruction and will not replace access to the student's core academic curriculum.

Dyslexia Screening

All kindergarten through third-grade students will participate in universal screening for reading difficulties using a State Board of Education-approved screening instrument.

Students who do not meet the grade-level target on the beginning-of-year universal screening assessment will also be screened for characteristics of dyslexia in accordance with state requirements.

When the district's approved universal screener includes the required dyslexia screening components, those results may fulfill the dyslexia screening requirement.

Families will be informed of required screening results and provided information regarding characteristics of dyslexia and available resources. Intervention plans will be adjusted when screening or diagnostic data indicate additional or different supports are needed.

A dyslexia screening is not a diagnosis of dyslexia and does not replace evaluation procedures required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or Section 504.

Family Communication

The Academies of Oklahoma will communicate regularly with parents and legal guardians regarding student reading development.

For students requiring a SLIP, families will receive information that includes, as applicable:

• Universal screening results and the student's grade-level performance;

• Identification of areas of reading difficulty;

• Supplemental instructional services and interventions being provided;

• Information regarding diagnostic assessment and progress monitoring;

• Results of screening for characteristics of dyslexia when applicable;

• Strategies and activities families can use to support literacy development at home; and

• Information regarding additional literacy resources and supports available to the family.

Families of students who demonstrate proficiency will receive notification in accordance with current Strong Readers Act requirements.

Exemptions

A student may be exempt from Strong Readers Act screening and SLIP requirements when the student meets criteria established by Oklahoma law and the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

Current exemptions include students who:

• Participate in the Oklahoma Alternate Assessment Program (OAAP) and are taught using alternate methods;

• Use sign language as their primary expressive or receptive form of communication;

• Use Braille as their primary form of written or read text; or

• Are identified as English learners whose primary expressive or receptive language is not English and who have received less than one school year of instruction in an English learner program.

Any exemption will be appropriately documented. Students who qualify for an exemption will continue to receive instruction and supports necessary to demonstrate progress toward literacy goals identified in their IEP, ELAP, or other applicable educational plan.

District Responsibilities

The Academies of Oklahoma will:

• Develop and annually update the district's Strong Readers/Annual District Reading Plan;

• Implement a Multi-Tiered System of Supports for literacy instruction and intervention;

• Review site- and district-level literacy data to identify student and system needs;

• Ensure approved screening instruments are administered within established assessment windows;

• Ensure required SLIPs, dyslexia screenings, family notifications, and progress monitoring are completed within applicable timelines;

• Provide appropriate professional learning and support for educators responsible for literacy instruction and intervention;

• Maintain documentation necessary to demonstrate compliance with the Strong Readers Act;

• Submit required Strong Readers reports and the Annual District Reading Plan to the Oklahoma State Department of Education according to established annual deadlines; and

• Publish required Strong Readers data on school or district websites in accordance with OSDE requirements.

Compliance

The Academies of Oklahoma will implement this policy in accordance with the Oklahoma Strong Readers Act, applicable Oklahoma Administrative Rules, and current guidance issued by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

REFERENCE: 70 O.S. § 1210.508A et seq.; 70 O.S. § 1210.520; Oklahoma State Department of Education Strong Readers Act guidance.