Oklahoma governor signs bill intended to end social promotion in public schools

“It has been said that in the first through the third grade a child learns to read, but the fourth grade on a child reads to learn,” said Gov. Mary Fallin, who signed Senate Bill 346 and another education measure into law during a bill-signing ceremony.

“If our children are not able to read at grade-appropriate levels, they can't learn the math, the science, the social studies as they continue to go through the education system.

“We're doing a great disservice to our children, a great disservice to our parents, a great disservice to our workforce when our children are passed from grade to grade without the ability to read at grade-appropriate levels.”

SB 346 takes effect in late August.

Fallin also signed House Bill 1456, which will create an “A-F” grading system for public schools.

It will rate them with letter grades so parents and patrons can see how their schools are performing.

Both bills were proposals pushed by Fallin, who took office in January.

She mentioned ending the practice of “social promotion” in her State of the State address in early February to kick off this year's legislative session, which ends later this month.

Fallin said the proposals would improve the performance of students and public schools.

Joel Robison, associate executive director and chief lobbyist for the Oklahoma Education Association, said his group did not take a position on either measure, but he is skeptical of both.

“On the social promotion bill, our concern is that we have now set kind of an arbitrary line in the sand that kids have to be reading at grade three,” he said.

“We, too, want all kids to be reading by grade three; however, we do think that there are instances that arbitrary deadlines may not be in the student's best interest. It may be in the best interest of the adults to have this clear line, but it may not be helpful to the students.”

SB 346 requires school districts notify parents that their child has a reading deficiency and that the student would be held back if the deficiency isn't remedied. Public schools would be required to develop a plan to work with parents to help their child read.

Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, House author of the bill, said earlier that intense reading sessions would start with first-graders and continue each year through third grade.