A. The State Department of Education shall develop and implement a program of parent education which provides practical information and guidance to parents regarding the development of language, cognition, social skills, and motor development of young children. The program shall be phased in so that services will be available to parents of children under age three (3) in school districts identified by the Department as having the greatest numbers of children whose education is considered to be high challenge. As funds are available the Department shall expand the program so that services will be available to the school sites identified by the Department as having the greatest percentage of children qualifying for the free or reduced school lunch program. The Department shall expand the program each year if funding is available to ensure that a parent education program is available to all school districts. In evaluating new funding requests, priority consideration shall be given to programs demonstrating the greatest need combined with the greatest commitment of community, foundation, and corporate support.

B. The program shall emphasize the importance of the parents of children as a child's first and most influential teachers. The parent education programs currently offered in other states should be examined as possible models for the Oklahoma program.

C. The State Department of Education shall provide or contract with an organization to provide for technical assistance for training and implementation of the program of parent education developed by the Department pursuant to subsection A of this section. To be eligible for a technical assistance contract, an applicant shall be an affiliate member of a national organization or association providing parent education training, have at least two (2) years' experience in implementation of a program of parent education which provides practical information and guidance to parents, and have at least one staff member with a degree above the baccalaureate level who has expertise in Child Development or Early Childhood Education. Technical assistance shall include assistance with training on program organization, management, implementation, and fundraising techniques for groups seeking to implement a program of parent education and existing parent education programs throughout the state. The technical assistance provider shall compile a report utilizing data collected from the State Department of Education on the status of parent education programs operating pursuant to this section in Oklahoma, including the locations and descriptions of the programs, the sources of funding for the programs, and pending applications for funding. The report shall be filed on or before April 1 of each year with the Governor, the Legislature, and the State Board of Education.

Added by Laws 1989, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 2, § 35, emerg. eff. April 25, 1990. Amended by Laws 1992, c. 324, § 14, eff. July 1, 1992; Laws 1992, c. 373, § 17, eff. July 1, 1992; Laws 1994, c. 392, § 1, eff. July 1, 1994; Laws 2002, c. 437, § 2, eff. July 1, 2002; Laws 2015, c. 217, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2015.