Bill to increase teacher preparation passes committee

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Sherrie Conley, R-Newcastle, today passed a bill in committee that will add multi-tiered systems of support to the preparation of teacher candidates for the classroom.

In training teachers in the multi-tiered systems of support, House Bill 1773 gives teachers and schools a framework that provides targeted support for struggling students. Included in the legislation is datadriven, evidence-based strategies that include training on literacy - including phonics; an evidence-based approach to mathematics instruction; the application of behavioral sciences to classroom management; and the identification and impact of trauma on student learning and trauma-informed responsive instruction.

“Oklahoma teachers are working hard to prepare children for the next phase of learning, whether that’s the next grade, graduation, higher education, the military or the work force,” said Conley, herself a former educator. “This framework introduced at the college level prepares teachers to use it upon entering the classroom. Recognizing needs earlier in the academic process to identify students who are struggling in reading or math or with behavior or trauma allows Oklahoma’s students to get the interventions they need to reach their academic potential.”

Conley said her bill will guarantee training of all teaching candidates in preservice teaching preparation programs to study such multi-tiered systems of support, which focus on evidence-based assessments, intervention and data-based decisionmaking procedures. Using the science and data behind these programs will help ensure success for all students through a well-trained teacher core, she said.

Conley received her teacher certification in 1991 and completed her master’s in education administration from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 2016. Conley started her teaching career in the early 1990s, teaching second through fifth grades in rural, urban and suburban schools. She most recently served as an administrator for Oklahoma City Public Schools.

HB 1773 passed the House Higher Education and Career Tech Committee with a vote of 9-0. It is now eligible to be considered by the entire House.

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