Turnaround Ohio
Early Care & Education
"Just For You:
Supporting Inclusion in Preschool
Classrooms
September 6, 2007
Columbus, Ohio
Overview
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Turnaround Ohio
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Current Early Childhood System
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Programs and Workforce Development
Supports
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Questions and Answers
Ohio’s Children
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884,593 children under the age of 6
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62% of these children live in families with
all parents working
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22% of children under 5 live in poverty

1 in 6 children is hungry or at risk of
hunger
Ohio’s Children

Nearly 1/3 of the 130,000 children
entering kindergarten are NOT prepared

36% of fourth graders read below grade
level
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34% of fourth graders perform below
grade level in math
Turnaround Ohio
A Fair Start for Every Ohio Child

Work to make high quality early care and
learning for all children a reality in Ohio

Recognize the critical importance of a child’s
social, emotional and physical development to
school readiness and lifelong learning

Realign state government to promote healthy
early childhood development
Governor Strickland’s Commitment

Executive Order to create the Early Childhood
Cabinet in May 2007

Mission: The Early Childhood Cabinet will unite
key state agencies around the common goal of
promoting school readiness by setting and
coordinating state policy and programs which
serve Ohio’s children, prenatal to six years of
age.
Governor’s Early Childhood Cabinet

Ohio Department of Drug and Alcohol and Drug
Addiction Services
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Ohio Department of Education
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Ohio Department of Health
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Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
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Ohio Department of Mental Health
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Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and
Developmental Disorders
State Early Childhood Development
System
Early Childhood System
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Early Learning
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Health/Mental Health/Nutrition
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Family Support
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Special Needs/Early Intervention
System Development Efforts
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Build Ohio
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School Readiness Solutions Group
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Ohio Family & Children First
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Groundwork
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Child Care Resource & Referral
Build Ohio
7 states
 Public/Private Partnership
 Infrastructure Development
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Professional Development
Social and Emotional
Communication and Public Will
Making Connections
www.build-ohio.org
School Readiness Solutions Group
State Board
 18-month planning process
 2020 vision
 Major Recommendations
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BA degrees
New teacher license
Change fiscal structure
Licensing that mirrors national accreditation
www.schoolreadiness.ohio.gov
Ohio Family & Children First
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Created by Governor Voinovich
88 county collaborations
Service coordination for children birth-21
Commitments
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Expectant Parents and Newborns Thrive
Infants and Toddlers Thrive
Children Are Ready for School
Children and Youth Succeed in School
Children and Youth Engage in Healthy Behaviors
Youth Successfully Transition into Adulthood
www.ohiofcf.org
Groundwork
Grassroots Advocacy
 Focused on making ECE a priority for
elected officials
 Instrumental in state budget process
 www.groundworkohio.org
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Child Care Resource & Referral
Movement began in early 1970’s
 Statewide system funded in 1992
 Core Services
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Consumer education
Professional development
Recruitment
Technical assistance
Quality Initiatives
www.occrra.org
Early Learning

5 Major Programs
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Federal Head Start
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Early Childhood Education
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Subsidized Child Care
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Early Learning Initiative
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Preschool Special Education
Early Learning-Federal Head Start

Administered by U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services

Federal Head Start Bill
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1-100% of Poverty (10% waiver)
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In 2005-2006, $244,204,960 allocation
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36,477 3-5 year olds
1,466 birth-2 year olds
National Performance Standards-comprehensive
services, including parent involvement
Early Learning-Early Childhood
Education
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Ohio Department of Education

Formerly Public School Preschool
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Targets families under 200% FPL, but school
districts have the ability to go higher.

12,000 3 & 4 year old children

Must meet ODE Program Guidelines
Early Learning-Subsidized Child Care

Administered by the Ohio Department of Job and
Family Services
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Funded by the Child Care Development Fund and
TANF in centers and family child care homes
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Serves 0-185% where a family is working or in an
approved training or educational program

Birth-13 years of age
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Each month approximately 95,000 children receive
services
Early Learning-Early Learning Initiative
(ELI)

The Ohio Department of Education and the
Department of Job and Family Services

A collaboration to provide children, often
identified at risk of school failure with educational
experiences that will help them enter
kindergarten ready for success.
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0-195% FPL

In May 2007, over 11,500 3 and 4 year old
children served.
Early Learning-Special Education
Preschool
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Ohio Department of Education

Preschool received the first budget increase in
years.

Programs are provided to meet the needs of
children with disabilities as required by I.D.E.A.

Serves 23,455 three to five year old children

8:4 ratio with typically developing students
Early Learning-Step Up to Quality

Ohio’s Quality Rating System

3 steps above licensing for ODJFS centers

Benchmarks: ratios, group sizes, teacher
qualifications, on-going professional
development

Began with a pilot; now available statewide
Early Learning Workforce

2005 Workforce Study-Key Findings
 Wages
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Education
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ODE average wage $18.90
ODJFS average wage $9.81
67% of ODE teachers have BA or higher
25% of ODJFS teachers have BA or higher
Benefits


66% of ODE teachers are offered fully or partially
paid health benefits
37% of ODJFS teachers are offered fully or partially
paid health benefits
Workforce and Professional
Development Supports

Ohio Professional Development Network
www.ohpdnetwork.org
 Professional Profiles
 Training/Trainer Registry
 Core Body of Knowledge
 Workforce Data
Workforce and Professional
Development Supports
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T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Ohio
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23 states
Education, Compensation and Retention
Partnership
Centers and Family Child Care
CDA/Associates Degree
Technical Assistance Network
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First Steps/ Infant & Toddler Specialists
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Healthy Child Care Ohio
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Literacy Specialists
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Early Childhood Mental Health Specialists
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SUTQ/ELI
Thank you

leatha@odjfs.state.oh.us
614-752-2196
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Questions??