Section 3301.85 | Regional partnership program.
(A) The department of education and workforce, in conjunction with the department of higher education and the department of children and youth, shall create, administer, and oversee the prenatal-to-five early childhood to post-secondary regional partnerships program to support existing and establish new early childhood to post-secondary regional partnerships throughout Ohio in regions that choose to participate. The department of education and workforce is the agency primarily responsible for implementation of the program. Each partnership may consist of prenatal-to-five early learning programs, primary and secondary schools, educational service centers, out-of-school time providers, post-secondary institutions, and workforce and community partners that are located in the same region and that are working collaboratively to increase educational attainment and economic mobility outcomes for children and adults.
(B) The departments shall do all of the following:
(1) Coordinate and convene a cohort of all existing and emerging regional partnerships at least quarterly to share best practices and assist in organizational development and growth;
(2) Distribute grants, in a manner determined by the departments, to qualifying partnerships to support regional collaboration programs that align educational resources and community support with regional in-demand workforce skills, opportunities, and jobs;
(3) Work to ensure that at least one regional partnership exists within each of the six different regions of the state, as determined by JobsOhio, as defined in section 187.01 of the Revised Code;
(4) Report the progress and outcomes of each regional partnership at least twice a year to the director of education and workforce, the chancellor of higher education, the director of children and youth, and annually to the governor and the general assembly.
(C)(1) Qualifying partnerships eligible to apply for grants under this section shall demonstrate all of the following:
(a) An identified theory of action and explicit commitment to address all areas of the education and workforce continuum over time, including a commitment to measure and report targeted attainment outcome metrics;
(b) How it will integrate and align its work with business advisory councils created under section 3313.82 of the Revised Code within the region, the educational regional service system established under Chapter 3312. of the Revised Code, industry sector partnerships, and other regional educational attainment efforts as appropriate;
(c) How it will work with local health care systems, service providers, and other stakeholders to better address the workforce readiness, mental health, and well-being skills children and young adults need to be successful in and beyond elementary and secondary school years.
(2) Qualifying partnerships shall report all of the following performance metrics for their region to the department of education and workforce, the department of higher education, and the department of children and youth:
(a) Kindergarten readiness;
(b) Third-grade reading proficiency;
(c) Middle grade math proficiency;
(d) High school graduation rates;
(e) Free application for federal student aid completion rates;
(f) Post-secondary enrollment;
(g) Post-secondary credential or degree completion;
(h) Employment for their region that includes the following:
(i) Percentage of recent graduates who found employment within one year of completing a post-secondary credential or degree;
(ii) Percentage of recent graduates who completed some form of work-based learning while enrolled in a post-secondary institution.
Last updated February 20, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Available Versions of this Section
- April 9, 2025 – Enacted by Senate Bill 208 - 135th General Assembly [ View April 9, 2025 Version ]