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Dear Groundwork Team: Another week has passed and we have certainly not let the grass grow under our feet! Groundwork and our partners have been sharing the quality early childhood story and the critical work we do across both the state and the nation. At the Statehouse, I was grateful to be invited to give testimony before the Speaker's Taskforce on Poverty and Education, a very engaged panel of education experts and legislators chaired by Representative Bob Cupp (R-Lima). Meanwhile, our local partners from Cleveland (Rebekah Dorman, Director of Cuyahoga County Office of Early Childhood, Invest in Children and Michelle Bledsoe, Coordinator for PRE4CLE) and Dayton (Robyn Lightcap, Executive Director of Learn to Earn Dayton and Charmaine Webster, Preschool Promise Manager at Learn to Earn Dayton) presented at the National League of Cities on their local work and investments to advance early childhood education. Then last night we celebrated with Groundwork Executive Committee Member Eric Karolak, CEO of Action for Children, during Action for Children's annual celebration of early learning in Central Ohio, "Small Steps Big Benefits, Celebrity Spelling Bee". Today, we closed out the week by participating in and learning from a powerful agenda at the Summit Education Initiative's Second Annual School Readiness Summit, "The Early Childhood Effect" sponsored by PNC. As we reflect on this week, we could not be more proud of our friends in this work and the opportunities we are creating together to advance early learning and prioritize quality early childhood education in Ohio. Thank you for all you do for kids and enjoy our pictures below. Shannon Jones Executive Director

Yesterday, the Ohio Business Roundtable (BRT) renewed their commitment to Ohio early childhood education by announcing a bold new goal, that by 2025, 90% of children will be kindergarten ready, with the release of their new report, "What Difference Are We Making? An Assessment of the State of Early Learning in Ohio." Along with the report, they also shared an FAQ. They found that at the beginning of this school year, only four in ten Ohio children entered kindergarten ready to learn and for families living in poverty, the results were way worse. In achieving their goal, the BRT believes that the core driver to kindergarten readiness is access to quality, cost-effective early-learning experiences and recommended that Ohio do the following: 1. Fast track significant state investments to take proven programs to scale. 2. Relentlessly pursue quality programs that make a difference. 3. Strengthen leadership, giving it authority to sustain effective cross-system leadership.

Joint Education Oversight Committee Hearing: Quality early childhood education lead the day at the Ohio Statehouse yesterday. Shannon Jones, Executive Director of Groundwork Ohio, Robyn Lightcap, Executive Director of Learn to Earn Dayton and leader of Dayton's Preschool Promise, and Michelle Connavino of PRE4CLE presented to the Joint Education Oversight Committee (JEOC) chaired by Representative Bob Cupp (R-Lima) and comprised of 5 State Senators and 5 State Representatives committed to the study and analysis of emerging education policy. This early childhood panel, representing statewide and local stakeholders, shared the critical need for increasing investments in early childhood education. Review presentations from Groundwork, Learn to Earn and PRE4CLE here! This unified message was bolstered by statewide and local data that shows how quality early childhood education is driving positive outcomes for Ohio kids including increased kindergarten readiness, a real time insurance that that the state is getting the incredible return on investment contemplated in the creation of our quality system. The overwhelming takeaway was that now is the time for the state to step up and lean into these investments to serve more eligible kids in the programs that we know changes their trajectory of success for life and helps close the gap they experience between their higher-income peers throughout their schooling and beyond. 4C for Children Advocates Visit Columbus: The JEOC hearing room was full of interested stakeholders including a dedicated group of early childhood program directors from Southwest Ohio committed to leadership on this issue through their participation in the Developing Early Childhood Leaders (DECL) through 4C for Children. Prior to the afternoon hearing, these emerging leaders received advocacy training from Groundwork and critical early childhood advocacy insight and special welcomes from Senator Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering), Senate President Larry Obhoff (R-Medina), Senator Bill Beagle (R-Tipp City), Senator Frank LaRose (R-Hudson), Senator Bob Hackett (R-London) and Senator Cliff Hite (R-Findlay). Groundwork and 4C for Children thanks these members for their time and commitment to advancing quality early childhood education in Ohio.

Dear Groundwork Team: As you know, we have been closely following the work of the Ohio House Taskforce on Poverty and Education as they learn about the achievement gap and identify policies to help close it. We know that high quality early childhood education has to be included in the solution because the data shows that it is narrowing the gap early by increasing kindergarten readiness for Ohio's most at-risk kids. Dr. Howard Fleeter, an economics PhD and resident Statehouse education policy analyst, elevated this message in his presentation to the Taskforce yesterday and touted Groundwork as the go to resource for Ohio early childhood policy and data. Dr. Fleeter's presentation focused on his evaluation of the 2017 Report Card data which underscored the pervasive correlation between a school’s performance index and the percentage of economically disadvantaged students they serve. Not surprisingly, the more poor kids a school serves, the lower their performance. Dr. Fleeter acknowledged that the K-12 system is the consumer of Ohio's early childhood education system and part of closing the gap is intervening early to help level the playing field for poor children even before they enter Kindergarten, citing the "Heckman curve" as a guide for investments. Even more concerning was the racially disaggregated data he shared which tells a parallel, but more harrowing, story for poor minority students on every measure. While it’s hard to pick just one iteration, I will highlight that 87% of African American public school students in Ohio are economically disadvantaged. Groundwork looks forward to exploring this racial inequity as we evaluate and prioritize investments in Ohio's early childhood system. Dr. Howard Fleeter with Lynanne Wolf, Groundwork's Policy & Advocacy Associate Dr. Fleeter's presentation was preceded by a presentation from Superintendent Paolo DeMaria which reflected on the challenges poverty presents in the context of the latest school report card. He offered hope by sharing how some schools are beating the odds. Unfortunately, these examples are truly the exception. Groundwork was also encouraged that Superintendent DeMaria promoted expanding early childhood programs as a way to address the achievement gap. We continue to have opportunities to elevate our early childhood agenda at the Statehouse and appreciate your support as we work towards making early childhood education a priority for Ohio's policymakers. Shannon Jones Executive Director

Groundwork’s Steering Committee held it's fall quarterly meeting yesterday and was honored to host Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) as their legislative guest. Senator Sykes, who serves as the Ranking Minority Member on the Senate Education Committee and a member of the Joint Education Oversight Committee among others, shared his passion and perspective on early childhood education policy. He shares Groundwork's drive to increase investments in quality early childhood programs and getting it to the children who need it the most. Senator Sykes also spoke to the knowledge gap experienced by parents and caregivers who want the best for their children but often don't understand the importance of early learning to inform their choices when building a strong foundation for their child. Parent engagement is critical to supporting our quality early childhood education system.

Groundwork Ohio's data analyst, Howard Fleeter of the Ohio Education Policy Institute, and Groundwork Steering Committee member Chad Aldis, Vice President of Ohio Policy and Advocacy for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, were featured on "The State of Ohio" in a discussion of the 2017 Ohio School Report Card released last week. The discussion covered progress and barriers to student performance, including the persistent gap seen among economically disadvantaged students and the schools who serve them compared to their higher income peers. Both promoted investments in early childhood education as a trusted intervention to impact the academic trajectory of economically disadvantaged students as a part of addressing larger systemic change. Click here or on the image below to watch the full show.

Dear Groundwork Team: Our statewide network knows just how important early childhood education is to closing the achievement gap and positioning all Ohio kids for success early. And while Ohio has made progress, we were reminded yesterday at a meeting of the Ohio House Poverty and Education Taskforce just how much work is yet to be done. We are hopeful that as the Taskforce has identified early childhood as an opportunity for growth, they prioritize the issue as they translate their learnings into policy recommendations. This week, a presentation from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) to the Taskforce made it clear that Ohio is lagging behind in covering 4-year-olds served by State Pre-K, Special Education Pre-K and Head Start when it comes to state investments. NCSL also reinforced that there is a large body of research that shows that low-income students who attend high-quality preschools are less likely to enter kindergarten significantly behind high-income students. NCSL provided other resources including a brief on "Closing the Opportunity Gap in Early Childhood Education". Now is the time to raise our collective voices to those who are seeking to be our next governor in order to familiarize candidates with Ohio’s early childhood education system. To assist in these efforts, Groundwork Ohio is mobilizing our statewide network to ensure that Ohio's next governor prioritizes early childhood. Last week we took our first formal step in this effort by sending a reference manual to each of the candidates and their staff to review. Included in this manual was a focused collection of high-level research and news media resources that tell a powerful story supporting an indisputable case for increasing state investments in Ohio’s early childhood education system. We encourage you to use this resource with those who are influential in your community including your state legislators and other policy makers. An electronic copy of this resource has been made available for your use on Groundwork’s website. Click here or on the image below to view the Reference Manual! Early childhood education is the smartest investment Ohio can make for our kids, families, workforce and economy, and voters expect these investments. Help us spread the word by by inviting colleagues and other like-minded people to join our ranks by signing up for email updates here. Shannon Jones Executive Director Start writing your post here. You can insert images and videos by clicking on the icons above.

Groundwork Ohio's Executive Director, Shannon Jones, and Erika Clark Jones, Executive Director of Celebrate One, joined host Karen Kasler on this week's The State of Ohio to provide an update on state policy and local efforts, including the impact of evidence-based home visiting programs, to reduce Ohio's abysmal and disparate infant mortality rates. Click here or on the image below to watch the full show. The infant mortality segment begins at 12:00.

Groundwork welcomed it's newest team member, Allison Mazzeo, this week. Allison is a senior at Kent State University studying Political Science. She will be interning with Groundwork this fall semester in addition to attending various policy briefings and classes alongside her distinguished peers in the Kent "Columbus Program in State Issues" which is lead by Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron). Allison is an outstanding student and, for the past three summers, has worked for the Greater Cleveland Y.M.C.A. as a summer camp counselor. This job is what sparked her interest in early childhood policy and advocacy. Given her commitment to her community and her international education experiences, Allison brings a unique perspective to Groundwork. Allison has already hit the ground running and Groundwork is lucky to have her on board!

Dear Groundwork Team: It’s hard to believe August is over and we’ll enjoy our last break before welcoming fall after the Labor Day weekend. Congress returns from their August recess to a full agenda on Tuesday including many critical decisions that must be made for our nation’s families and communities. One of the developments we are closely following is the reauthorization of the federal Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program. MIECHV is an important program with bipartisan support that provides funding to Ohio to support the implementation of evidence-based home visiting programs. Families participating in home visiting programs choose to receive regular, planned home visits from trained providers such as nurses, social workers, and educators. Home visitors help assess family needs and available community resources to them, partner with parents to provide necessary tools to ensure the safety and the emotional and physical well-being of their children, and connect families to community programs and resources that enhance stability. Home visiting is a smart, proven investment in our most important asset – our families. Rigorous research shows home visiting: Reduces child abuse and neglect Improves the health and well-being of young children Increases parental self-sufficiency as parents stay in school and/or obtain gainful, stable employment Improves school readiness and success in young children Ohio relies heavily on MIECHV funding to provide for its home visiting services which are driving positive outcomes for Ohio kids and families in the above areas. Through grants from the Federal Home Visiting Program, in fiscal year 2015, home visitors in Ohio made 15,512 home visits to 3,515 parents and children in 1,633 families; enrolled 1,452 new parents and children to the program; and served families living in communities in 24 counties across the state, or 27% of Ohio counties, of which 14 counties, or 58%, are rural. If MIECHV isn’t reauthorized by October 1, more than 140,000 families in 50 states including Ohio could begin to lose effective home visiting services that improve their health, school readiness, economic security and that help states save resources. Without continued funding, families will be left behind and we’ll lose the opportunity to learn from MIECHV to inform future public investments. Currently, MIECHV is funded at $400 million per year, allowing only a small percentage of eligible families to receive services. It is urgent that Congress reauthorize MIECHV for 5-years with an incremental doubling of funding on a bipartisan package called the “extenders package” or another suitable bipartisan package that can pass Congress on or before September 2017. Double annual funding would sustain the program and expand services to enable grantees, like Ohio, to make services more accessible to underserved populations, since most eligible families now go without access. Please help us support MIECHV and home visiting programs in Ohio at this time by contacting members of the United States Senate Committee on Finance, including Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) to urge them for passage of a bipartisan MIECHV package. We are grateful for your support for Ohio’s most vulnerable children and families. Shannon Jones Executive Director

Dear Groundwork Team: As we kicked off a new school year this week, I want to introduce you to Summit Education Initiative (SEI). You need to know about the incredible work that is happening in Akron, Ohio. SEI is a nonprofit organization working to increase the education of individuals and their families living in Summit County with the goal of ensuring every student graduates prepared, passionate and persistent. We share the belief with SEI that in order to accomplish this mission, we must invest in kids early. Among SEI's strategic goals is increasing the number of students ready for kindergarten success. Under strong leadership, SEI is strategically engaging with all of Summit County school districts including many non-public schools, 130+ preschools, government and nonprofit agencies, local state and national foundations and funders and business entities to make progress toward this goal. We are grateful to have SEI's Early Childhood Strategy Leader, Laura DiCola, as part of Groundwork's Steering Committee. Laura is among friends at Groundwork with the Steering and Executive Committees including representation of leadership from each of the local communities across Ohio such as Cincinnati, Cleveland and Dayton among others, who are leaning into early childhood to transform the future of their local communities across the state. We look forward to elevating the critical work SEI and their counterparts in communities around Ohio. Our state has a lot to learn from their leadership and experience as we work towards building Ohio's early childhood education system. We thank you for your continued support as we educate policymakers and advocate for increased state investments that are absolutely critical to sustaining and expanding the work of local communities leading the charge to increase access to high quality early childhood education. Enjoy your weekend! Shannon Jones Executive Director Pictured from left to right: Shannon Jones, Executive Director, Groundwork Ohio; Laura DiCola, Early Childhood Strategy Leader, Summit Education Initiative; Robyn Lightcap, Executive Director, Learn to Earn Dayton & Co-Chair, Groundwork Ohio. Calling all school leaders, educators, preschool and childcare directors, librarians, counselors, social workers, community and business leaders, nurses, home visiting professionals, pediatricians, government officials and anyone working with children! SEI's 2nd Annual School Readiness Summit "The Early Childhood Effect" October 27, 2017 REGISTER HERE!

Ohio House Poverty Taskforce Examines Intersection of Health and Education Yesterday, the House Taskforce on Poverty and Education, created by Speaker Rosenberger and the Majority Caucus and chaired by Representative Cupp (R-Lima), held their second meeting to begin examining issues of poverty and education including the achievement gap. The Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO) presented to the Taskforce on the intersection of health and education and told them that increasing access to early childhood programs would be the best step the state could take to improve health and academic outcomes. Amy Bush Stevens, HPIO's vice president of prevention and public health policy stressed the importance of investing in children early to improve health outcomes and educational attainment. Policy recommendations included evidence-based strategies including increased access to quality early childhood education, full day kindergarten, and home visiting programs that provide mentors to parents. Read the full article from Gongwer News Service here. The meeting was also covered by the Columbus Dispatch. Their story can be found here. Ohio Business and Military Leaders Warn of STEM Workforce Skills Gap, Urge Greater Access to Pre-K Yesterday, Ohio business and military leaders released a new report today at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery detailing how high-quality pre-K is important to developing STEM skills—those essential capabilities in science, technology, engineering, and math demanded in the 21st century workforce. The ReadyNation / Mission: Readiness report, entitled STEM and Early Childhood—When Skills Take Root, also cites projections for STEM workforce growth, as well as the challenges business and the military face in securing the necessary skilled workforce. The business and military leaders called for a greater investment in pre-K, which will have a lasting impact for children, for Ohio, and for the nation. Watch the news clip of the report release event. For more, read the full press release here.