New social studies standards feature 2020 election 'discrepancy' reports, COVID-19 lab claims: Lawmakers to review changes

State lawmakers are set to take up the new social studies standards from the State Department of Education this week.

Those standards include dozens of Bible references and new additions added after the public comment period, asking students to 'identify discrepancies in the 2020 election results' and to identify a Chinese lab as the source of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Democratic leaders in the Senate and House filed joint resolutions to reject the social studies standards, saying they don't align with Oklahomans' values.

"We have heard from Oklahomans from all across the state who say that they do not approve of this process,” said Rep. Cyndi Munson, D-OKC. 

House Speaker Kyle Hilbert says historically the legislature has never changed or rejected new standards.

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Oklahoma's Final Social Studies Standards vs. Public Comment Version: What's Changed?

Trump Administration (USH.9.3)

🔹 Public Comment Version:

1. Covered major policy issues, including tax cuts, border security, and social media.
2. Discussed foreign policy (USMCA, NATO, Abraham Accords).
3. Included the impact of George Floyd’s death and the Black Lives Matter movement.
4. Addressed federal and private COVID-19 responses.
5. Examined issues related to the 2020 election outcome.

🔹 Final Version:

1. Specifies Trump’s tax policies, business confidence, and inflation before COVID-19.
2. Clarifies foreign policy successes, including NATO spending increases and avoiding new wars.
3. States COVID-19 originated from a Chinese lab and discusses state/local lockdown effects.
4. Adds election discrepancies section, citing ballot-count halts, mail-in voting risks, and voter turnout anomalies.
5. New section on judicial appointments, including Roe v. Wade being overturned.

Biden Administration (USH.9.4)

🔹 Public Comment Version:

1. Covered economic recovery and bipartisan infrastructure efforts.
2. Addressed border crisis and executive/legislative responses.
3. Included foreign policy topics like Afghanistan withdrawal, Ukraine war, and Gaza-Israel conflict.

🔹 Final Version:

1. Removes economic recovery and infrastructure topics.
2. Keeps border crisis focus but shifts to the effects of Biden’s policies.
3. Foreign policy remains but rephrased, now listing the Israel-Hamas conflict instead of Gaza-Israel.

Key Changes at a Glance

✅ More detail on Trump-era policies (economic, foreign policy, judicial appointments).

❌ Removal of social issues (BLM movement, post-COVID recovery, bipartisan efforts).

⚠️ Election discrepancies now explicitly included in Trump section.

>>> What comes next for Oklahoma's proposed social studies standards?

Final version of social studies standards: