3301.42 Recommendations for collaboration among educational providers.

The partnership for continued learning shall promote systemic approaches to education by supporting regional efforts to foster collaboration among providers of preschool through postsecondary education, identifying the workforce needs of private sector employers in the state, and making recommendations for facilitating collaboration among providers of preschool through postsecondary education and for maintaining a high-quality workforce in the state. Copies of the recommendations shall be provided to the governor, the president and minority leader of the senate, the speaker and minority leader of the house of representatives, the chairpersons and ranking minority members of the standing committees of the senate and the house of representatives that consider education legislation, the chairperson of the Ohio board of regents, and the president of the state board of education. The recommendations shall address at least the following issues:

(A) Expansion of access to preschool and other learning opportunities for children under five years old;

(B) Increasing opportunities for students to earn credit toward a degree from an institution of higher education while enrolled in high school, including expanded opportunities for students to earn that credit on their high school campuses; a definition of “in good standing” for purposes of section 3313.6013 of the Revised Code; and legislative changes that the partnership, in consultation with the Ohio board of regents and the state board of education, determines would improve the operation of the post-secondary enrollment options program established under Chapter 3365. of the Revised Code and other dual enrollment programs. The recommendations for legislative changes required by this division shall be issued not later than May 31, 2007.

(C) Expansion of access to workforce development programs administered by school districts, institutions of higher education, and other providers of career-technical education;

(D) Alignment of the statewide academic standards for grades nine through twelve adopted under section 3301.079 of the Revised Code, the Ohio graduation tests prescribed by division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code, and the curriculum requirements for a high school diploma prescribed by section 3313.603 of the Revised Code with the expectations of employers and institutions of higher education regarding the knowledge and skills that high school graduates should attain prior to entering the workforce or enrolling in an institution of higher education;

(E) Improving the science and mathematics skills of students and employees to meet the needs of a knowledge-intensive economy;

(F) Reducing the number of students who need academic remediation after enrollment in an institution of higher education;

(G) Expansion of school counseling career and educational programs, access programs, and other strategies to overcome financial, cultural, and organizational barriers that interfere with students’ planning for postsecondary education and that prevent students from obtaining a postsecondary education;

(H) Alignment of teacher preparation programs approved by the state board of education pursuant to section 3319.23 of the Revised Code with the instructional needs and expectations of school districts;

(I) Strategies for retaining more graduates of Ohio institutions of higher education in the state and for attracting talented individuals from outside Ohio to work in the state;

(J) Strategies for promoting lifelong continuing education as a component of maintaining a strong workforce and economy;

(K) Appropriate measures of the impact of statewide efforts to promote collaboration among providers of preschool through postsecondary education and to develop a high-quality workforce and strategies for collecting and sharing data relevant to such measures;

(L) Strategies for developing and improving opportunities and for removing barriers to achievement for children identified as gifted under Chapter 3324. of the Revised Code;

(M) Legislative changes to establish criteria by which state universities may waive the general requirement, under division (B) of section 3345.06 of the Revised Code, that a student complete the Ohio core curriculum to be admitted as an undergraduate. The partnership at least shall consider criteria for waiving the requirement for students who have served in the military and students who entered ninth grade on or after July 1, 2010, in another state and moved to Ohio prior to high school graduation. The recommendations for legislative changes under this division shall be developed in consultation with the Ohio board of regents and shall be issued not later than July 1, 2007.

Effective Date: 08-12-2005; 04-04-2007