Overview

• Superintendent Ryan Walters began administering the PragerU-designed test on August 15 to educators relocating from California, New York as a condition for public school certification
• Sample questions probe topics such as chromosome pairs determining biological sex, the importance of religious freedom, the first three words of the Constitution and American exceptionalism
• Walters declined requests from the Oklahoma State Board of Education to review or approve the exam, asserting sole authority over teacher certification
• Democrats and education groups have condemned the requirement as an ideological loyalty test and are preparing legal challenges over First Amendment and equal-protection grounds
• Walters has signaled that the assessment could be extended to applicants from up to eight additional states under his broader ‘America First’ certification strategy