Just last month, the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction released Ohio’s five-year strategic plan for education, titled Each Child, Our Future. The plan, which is available on the Ohio Department of Education’s (ODE) website, focuses on three core principles: 1) equity; 2) partnerships and 3) quality schools.
The plan highlights the fact that equity in educational achievement remains one of Ohio’s greatest educational challenges and reinforces Ohio’s commitment to each child’s success. It provides that partnerships transform the educational experience and emphasizes that preparing children for successful futures is a shared responsibility among a wide range of groups and individuals, the most important of which are parents and caregivers, who have the greatest impact on a child’s development. The plan also focuses on the important role schools play in building Ohio’s future by serving children.
Beyond its three core principles, the plan sets forth four equal learning domains: 1) foundational knowledge and skills; 2) well-rounded content; 3) leadership and reasoning skills; and 4) social-emotional learning. It also creates 10 priority strategies organized into five workgroups. The five workgroups are: 1) excellent educators and instructional practice; 2) standards, assessments and accountability; 3) student supports and school climate and culture; 4) early learning and literacy; and 5) high school success and postsecondary connections. The three core principles are then applied to each of the five workgroups.
All of these numbers come together to support the plan’s vision that Ohio children will be challenged to discover and learn, prepared to pursue a fulfilling future after high school, and empowered to become resilient lifelong learners.
Visit ODE’s website for more information about Ohio’s new strategic plan for education.