Teaching candidates in kindergarten through grade 12 with advanced degrees could be exempt from subject area testing, under legislation passed this week by the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
House Bill 1796, by Rep. Nicole Miller, R-Edmond, would allow the State Board of Education to exempt a teacher from taking a subject area exam if the teacher has an advanced degree in the subject that is substantially comparable to the content on the subject area exam.
“Oklahoma continues to face a significant teacher shortage, and our students cannot receive the best possible education when they are in an overcrowded classroom with dozens of their peers also demanding the teacher’s attention,” Miller said.
Miller said HB1796 expands provisions previously created in Senate Bill 1115, which was signed into law in 2020 to allow alternatively certified teachers to be exempt from taking the Oklahoma Subject Area Tests if they possess an advanced degree in the subject area. Miller said HB1796 would expand that provision to all other teacher certification pathways.