Oklahoma Lawmakers Launch Bipartisan Reading Caucus to Build on Recent Legislative Success and Drive Continued Student Achievement
OKLAHOMA CITY – Following a landmark year for education policy, a bipartisan group of Oklahoma legislators from both the House and Senate today announced the formation of the Oklahoma Reading Caucus, focused on sustaining and expanding recent progress in early literacy and student outcomes. The caucus will center its work on maintaining the momentum from this year’s legislative efforts to strengthen reading instruction—drawing inspiration from the widely recognized “Mississippi Miracle,” a model that has led to dramatic gains in student literacy through evidence-based policy and classroom support. The caucus will be co-chaired by: Mike Lay, R- Jenks Suzanne Schreiber, D-Tulsa Ally Seifried, R-Claremore Mark Mann, D-Oklahoma City "Every child should be reading proficiently by the end of the third grade, and we will support the evidence-based policies necessary to achieve that goal," said Rep. Mike Lay, House co-chair. "This year, Oklahoma took meaningful steps to improve our state’s reading outcomes and now our job is to make sure that progress continues." Sen. Ally Seifried, Senate co-chair, added, "We have seen other states make tremendous progress by committing to strong, consistent policy grounded in the science of reading. Oklahoma has taken important steps in the right direction, but our work is far from finished. This caucus is about building on that progress and following through on our commitment to Oklahoma students." The Oklahoma Reading Caucus will prioritize: Methodical implementation of the improved Strong Readers Act Data monitoring of outcomes, both short and long term Any needed legislative modifications to the law to further improve outcomes Promoting school districts seeing results Learning from high-performing states to inform Oklahoma policy By bringing together lawmakers from both chambers and both parties, the caucus aims to create a durable, collaborative framework for education policy that transcends political cycles and keeps students at the center. "Improving literacy is one of the most important things we can do for Oklahoma’s future," said Rep. Suzanne Schreiber. "This caucus is committed to working together and delivering results that last." "Wanting all of our students to be able to read on grade level is not a partisan issue," said Sen. Mark Mann. "Any good legislation will require tweaks along the way, but we want to make sure any changes to the law are grounded in data and putting students first." The caucus will convene regularly and engage with educators, parents, and national experts to guide its work and ensure policies translate into meaningful impact for children across the state.