Advisory committee encouraged to advocate on graduation standards
Members of the state Superintendent's Advisory Committee for High School Graduation Standards were recently advised to reach out to legislators if they believe the relaxed graduation requirements in place for 2018 graduates should be extended, as recommended by the State Board of Education.  READ MORE

Study finds school funding efforts slowed during last 10 years
A new study -- 20 Years of School Funding Post-DeRolph -- conducted by the Ohio Education Policy Institute's Howard Fleeter and commissioned by the Buckeye Association of School Administrators, Ohio Association of School Business Officials and Ohio School Boards Association was recently released.  READ MORE

Low-cost, free dental care available to children
Qualifying families can access free dental care for their children through Smile Programs – the nation’s largest in-school dental program offering free preventive and restorative care to 500,000 underserved children each year.  Children insured with Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) can get free treatment through the program.  Private insurance is also accepted, though charges apply.  Parents and schools can learn more at: http://www.mobiledentists.com/

Additions made to industry-recognized credentials list
The Ohio Department of Education (ODE), in collaboration with the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, recently released additions to its 2018-2019 Industry-Recognized Credentials List.

A panel of more than 70 industry professionals reviewed all approved credentials and all credential applications earlier this year.  The result is expansion of the list to include 11 additional credentials within the career fields of: business and finance; hospitality and tourism; construction; health; transportation; and, information technology.

ODE will post the updated list on its website in the coming weeks.  The ODE list of new credentials is available here.

Fire Prevention Week Poster Contest now open

The Ohio Division of State Fire Marshal is conducting its annual, statewide Fire Prevention Week Poster Contest.  An excellent opportunity for kids to think and learn about fire safety, the contest is open to elementary school students in kindergarten through sixth grade.  The deadline for submitting entries is Nov. 5.  Learn more here

Students encouraged to seek nominations to U.S. Service Academies
U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) encourage Ohioans interested in 2019 admission to U.S. Military Service Academies to apply to each senator's office for a congressional nomination.  READ MORE

Auditor recommends development, implementation of crowd-funding policies
The Ohio Auditor of State recently unveiled a report developed in response to requests for guidance on the use of crowd-funding by schools.  READ MORE

Online resource helps parents find before- and after-school care

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) encourage parents to visit ChildCareSearch.Ohio.gov when searching for before and after-school care for their children. 

Families can search for child care providers by county, city, zip code and program type, as well as by Step Up to Quality rating – Ohio’s five-star tiered quality rating and improvement system which recognizes programs that exceed minimum health and safety standards and promote children’s learning and development.  

Programs listed at ChildCareSearch.Ohio.gov serve children of all ages, including infants and preschoolers.  All child care programs in Ohio serving more than six children – or more than three children under age 2 – must be licensed. Learn more here.

Get to know new report card elements
The 2018 Ohio state report cards to be released in September will include new and modified calculations.  READ MORE