A hundred new Oklahoma laws went into effect this week and several of them impact education.
School might be the last thing on students’ and teachers’ minds right now, but there are a few new requirements to pay attention to come August.
Tulsa Public Schools spoke with News on 6 on how these laws impact the district.
Another day of school
One new law now requires schools in Oklahoma to add one more school day to the year, from 180 to 181, or add six more hours of instruction time.
Caroline Crouch, TPS, said, “Oklahoma has had fewer required hours in classroom instruction as compared to other states across the country for a long time. So we are very excited to see that learning time will be increased for students across the state.”
Caroline Crouch with Tulsa Public Schools says it was already in compliance with the new legislation before it became law.
Limits on virtual days
Districts will also be allowed two virtual days each year.
TPS doesn’t have any.
“In-person instruction is by far the most effective way for students to learn. It provides the most engagement, the most opportunity to work with a classroom teacher, and we really feel like is the strongest opportunity for our students to thrive academically,” said Crouch.
New graduation requirements
Districts will also have to add a graduation requirement for the next school year.
A new law requires every student in the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade to pass a financial literacy course, either added to an existing class or taught on its own.
That’s already a part of the TPS curriculum.
Bell to bell no cell for everyone
Another new law will require all school districts to enforce stricter rules on student cell phone and electronic device use during the school day.
T-P-S adopted a bell-to-bell no cell policy for its elementary and middle school students last year.
“The feedback from parents, students, teachers, administrators, was overwhelmingly positive,” said Crouch.
High school students at TPS didn’t have the bell-to-bell no cell policy because TPS says it wanted to see how it worked with the lower grades first, but it’s ready to implement the policy for the upcoming school year.
Other laws impacting education
Public schools also now have the opportunity to defend themselves before the State Board of Education, before facing accreditation loss.
Teachers may now qualify for annual stipends of up to $10,000 based on performance.