None of Oklahoma’s rural counties have enough primary and mental health care providers. A federal grant is training University of Oklahoma physician assistant students to serve rural communities in both areas. 

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Oklahomans are using more and more electricity. But as energy companies meet with landowners to build the needed infrastructure, opposition is growing. KOSU’sAnna Pope reports for StateImpact on one transmission project troubling Oklahomans.

This story was co-reported by KOSU’s Graycen Wheeler.

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Nationally, college enrollment has declined over the last 15 years. But Oklahoma’s land-grant institutions managed to avoid the post-COVID fallout and are now at all-time highs.

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More students with disabilities than ever before are spending at least 80 percent of their school day in general education classrooms. Federal data show that share of students has more than doubled in the last 35 years.

But how are teacher prep programs at universities changing to meet the needs of more inclusive classrooms?

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The federal government is increasing funding for a program that offers families free, voluntary home visits by health professionals from pregnancy to kindergarten. The state hopes to use those dollars to fill maternal and infant health care gaps.

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StateImpact managing editor Logan Layden introduces us to new science and environment reporter Chloe Bennett-Steele.

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Four years ago, lawmakers passed a bill requiring all Oklahoma public schools to offer at least four Advanced Placement courses. It went into effect this fall. But, according to data analyzed by StateImpact, most schools still aren’t teaching four AP courses — and rural schools say the law has had little impact.

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Oklahoma nursing homes are working to meet federal staffing rules, which require them to have a registered nurse on site 24/7 and employees to spend a minimum amount of time with each resident every day.

Facilities say the unfunded mandate asks them to find staff they can’t afford and that doesn’t exist. Oklahoma is one of about 20 states that recently joined a lawsuit against the federal government over it.

StateImpact’s Jillian Taylor spoke with Claire Dowers-Nichols, the CEO of LeadingAge Oklahoma, which represents 58 nonprofit nursing homes.

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Oklahomans took to the polls Wednesday for the first day of early voting. Oklahoma has four early voting days this year — that's two more than in the 2020 Presidential general election.

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