Ohio Creates Early Education and Development Officer Position

Social and Emotional Health, Governance/Leadership, Quality Improvement, Accountability & Evaluation

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To coordinate state efforts to improve children’s readiness for school, Ohio Governor John Kasich created an Early Education and Development Officer position within the Governor’s Office of 21st Century Education in October 2011. The officer will oversee the development and implementation of a comprehensive kindergarten readiness assessment process that will include academic, social and emotional, and physical health measures of readiness. He/she will also be responsible for taking a number of actions to improve the overall performance of the early childhood system, such as: including outcome and performance measures within the statewide quality rating and improvement system (QRIS); ensuring all publicly funded, licensed early learning and development providers are part of the QRIS; evaluating and implementing innovative financing strategies that support high quality services; and engaging parents as resources in the development of state policies and programs. To achieve these goals, the officer will work through, and in conjunction with, the many state agencies that serve young children to break down silos and institute an outcomes-oriented approach.

A new Early Education and Development Innovation Committee is also being established to support the systems work. The committee will advise the governor and the officer on methods to mobilize business partnerships; opportunities to bring private-sector tools and resources to early education and development; and methods to disseminate information to community and state leaders. The committee will consist of five members appointed by the governor: two leaders from the business community, one from the philanthropic community, one from the research community, and one from a children’s health care organization. Both the committee and the officer were expected to be in place by spring 2012, however, as of July 2012 there has been no release of the officer appointed or the committee formed.

To learn more about Ohio’s plans for improving its early learning and development system, download a copy of the state’s Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge application at www.ode.state.oh.us. Ohio was one of nine states that received an Early Learning Challenge Grant.

Updated July 2012