The 2025-26 school year was back to levels seen in 2021-2022. Since the peak, emergency certifications have decreased by almost a quarter, to 3,928.
Department staff presented more hopeful numbers at Thursday’s State Board of Education meeting. The percentage of traditionally certified first-year teachers is as high as it’s been since 2017, compared to emergency and provisionally certified.
However, the amount of students completing educator prep programs at universities is still at an all-time low — almost 40% less in 2024 than 2013.
Through the TeachForward program, OSDE and the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability are partnering with six Oklahoma universities to provide support for about 450 emergency certified teachers to earn standard certification in a year.
Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma, Northeastern State University and the University of Central Oklahoma will offer accelerated pathways OSDE said are designed for career changers and those pursuing alternative certification.
Cameron University and Southwestern Oklahoma State University have joined to offer apprenticeship-style programs meant to propel aspiring teachers and school employees to earn credentials while still working.
OSDE staff said through the Grow Your Own Educator Program, 125 local school employees and community members are receiving financial assistance and professional support to complete a degree in education or additional coursework without out-of-pocket costs.
Originally, the program required districts to match funds to participate. Due to legislation passed this spring, the state now covers the full cost of tuition or loan reimbursement.
Citing a high need for PE and health teachers, staff said 75 test vouchers are also available for Praxis certification exams for those who complete the department’s PE and health micro-credential.
The state department is also looking to retain early-career teachers with a new program, the Oklahoma Educator Launch and Mentorship Initiative. According to staff, it will support 463 first- and second-year teachers with a week of late summer training and mentorship throughout this school year. Mentors are retired educators who will observe and coach mentees.
Mentees can receive up to $2,500 in stipends, and mentors can earn up to $10,000 for multiple mentees.
Superintendent Lindel Fields lauded the legislature for providing $2 million to fund the program.
“There’s a lot of talk about recruiting teachers,” Fields said. “The real problem is keeping teachers.”
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