Math & reading standards and testing in Oklahoma
Updated June 2026
Oklahoma repealed Common Core and adopted its own Oklahoma Academic Standards. Students in grades 3-8 take the OSTP each spring in ELA and mathematics.
Does Oklahoma hold kids back in 3rd grade for reading?
No (repealed). As of 2024-25, Oklahoma no longer requires 3rd-grade retention; promotion is local, with early screening and intervention emphasized.
Standards
Oklahoma Academic Standards
Oklahoma sets its own grade-level expectations rather than using Common Core, though the core math and reading skills are similar grade to grade.
The key test
The Oklahoma state test
OSTP covers both math and reading in grades 3-8.
Reading the results
Spring.
Four levels: Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, Advanced.
On grade level means Proficient or Advanced on OSTP ELA.
What's distinctive about Oklahoma
Oklahoma ended its long-standing 3rd-grade retention requirement and shifted the Reading Sufficiency Act toward early screening and support.
Practice the skills, by grade
Whatever Oklahoma calls its test, the underlying math and reading skills are grade-level. Practice them directly:
Practice the skills behind the test
Oklahoma writes its own standards. What a third grader has to do does not change: multiply, find the main idea, read a paragraph and say what it meant. KangarooKiddo drills those skills in daily sessions of a handful of questions that end on their own. You see where your kid actually stands, they earn rewards you set up and approve.
Source: Oklahoma Department of Education. Verified for the 2025-26 school year; policies can change, so confirm with your school.