OSDE is requesting a waiver from the federal peer review requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), as authorized by Section 8401. This waiver applies to all ESSA-required 3–12 statewide academic assessments, including mathematics, English Language Arts (ELA), science in grades 3–8 and high school, as well as the College and Career Readiness (CCR) assessment used once in high school.

This request reflects Oklahoma’s commitment to modernizing assessment strategies while upholding instructional rigor, accessibility, and valid measurement for accountability. OSDE seeks flexibility to expand its use of alternative assessments, including the Classical Learning Test (CLT), the SAT, and innovative benchmark assessments. These would be used in lieu of assessments constrained by a peer review system that has grown restrictive, outdated, and effectively monopolistic.

The full text of the waiver request can be found here: ESSA Assessment Waiver Request.  

Requests such as these require providing the public 30 days to comment on the request. Interested stakeholders should complete the form below by September 8, 2025.

Written comments may also be hand-delivered to the agency during regular business hours or via regular mail at the following address:

Office of Legal Services
State Department of Education
Hodge Education Building
2500 North Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105-4599