Major changes to early childhood reading policies, including a return to strict third-grade retention, are now law in Oklahoma after being a top talking point throughout the 2026 legislative session.

Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 1778 while surrounded by state leaders and students at John W. Rex Charter Elementary on Tuesday morning. Multiple children at the downtown Oklahoma City school asked for the governor’s pens as a souvenir.

The legislation implements stricter requirements, starting in the 2026-27 academic year, for public schools to intervene when students fall behind gradelevel expectations in reading. Third graders who score below a basic level on state reading tests and fail a second state-approved literacy assessment would be held back from advancing to fourth grade, unless they meet limited criteria for an exemption.