There are several state and national standards that help English/language arts teachers design and implement instruction.
Currently, Oklahoma uses Priority Academic Student Skills (PASS) to guide subject matter curriculum. For English education majors, this means that each grade, 6-12, has its own set of standards revised March 2010. You can find an overview here.
Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, Oklahoma will begin using a new set of standards, adopted from the national Common Core Standards (CCS). Called Oklahoma C3, these standards will guide state assessments. More information can be found here.
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has its own set of guidelines written with the International Reading Association. While these do not drive assessments in Oklahoma, they do help English education teacher candidates think about the holistic nature of their field. Click here for more information.