hb1023_00

As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 1023

2025-2026

To establish the Early Childhood Education Governance and Outcomes Task Force.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. (A) The Early Childhood Education Governance and Outcomes Task Force is created to evaluate whether Ohio's regulatory structures governing early childhood education optimally support all of the following:

(1) Kindergarten and school readiness;

(2) Educational continuity between early childhood programs and primary and secondary schools;

(3) Accountability for educational outcomes;

(4) Effective use of state and federal resources;

(5) Coordination among relevant state agencies and programs;

(6) Long-term student academic success.

(B) The Task Force shall consist of the following members:

(1) Three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, not more than two of whom shall be members of the same political party;

(2) Three members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, not more than two of whom shall be members of the same political party;

(3) The Director of Children and Youth or the Director's designee;

(4) The Director of Education and Workforce or the Director's designee;

(5) The Medicaid Director or the Director's designee;

(6) The Director of Health or the Director's designee;

(7) The Director of Developmental Disabilities or the Director's designee;

(8) A representative of the Children and Youth Advisory Council with expertise in early childhood education and care;

(9) A representative with expertise in early childhood education and kindergarten readiness;

(10) An individual with a valid educator license under section 3319.22 of the Revised Code with a grade band specification of grades pre-kindergarten through eight who has experience receiving students transitioning from early childhood programs;

(11) A representative of an early childhood education provider;

(12) An individual with expertise in child development, early brain development, or early childhood educational outcomes;

(13) An individual with expertise in education data, longitudinal data systems, or program evaluation;

(14) A parent or guardian of a child who is currently participating in or has recently participated in a publicly funded early childhood program;

(15) An individual with experience spanning both kindergarten through twelve education and early learning or kindergarten readiness.

(C) Members of the Task Force shall be appointed not later than thirty days after the effective date of this section. The governor shall appoint the members described in divisions (B)(8) to (15) of this section. Appointments to the Task Force shall, to the extent practicable, reflect the geographic diversity of this state and include representation from urban, suburban, and rural communities. Any vacancy in the membership of the Task Force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. Members shall serve without compensation.

(D) The Speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the Senate shall each designate one legislative member to serve as co-chairperson of the Task Force. The Task Force shall hold its initial meeting not later than thirty days after the last member is appointed. All subsequent meetings of the Task Force shall be held at the call of the co-chairpersons. The Task Force shall meet not less than once each month during the period of its operation and may conduct additional meetings, hearings, or regional listening sessions as determined necessary by the co-chairpersons. The Task Force may receive testimony from state agencies, schools, early childhood providers, parents, researchers, economists, employers, nonprofit organizations, and other interested persons.

(E) The staff of each agency represented on the Task Force shall provide technical and administrative support as needed by the Task Force and, to the extent permitted by state and federal law, provide information necessary for the Task Force to conduct its study and author its report. The Task Force shall utilize existing data to the greatest extent practicable and shall seek to minimize additional reporting requirements imposed upon early childhood providers and schools. When individual-level information is necessary for longitudinal analysis, all data sharing and analysis shall comply with applicable state and federal privacy requirements.

Section 2. (A) The Early Childhood Education Governance and Outcomes Task Force shall study and make findings and recommendations concerning all of the following:

(1) The governance and educational alignment of early childhood education programs in this state, including all of the following:

(a) The statutory and administrative placement of early childhood education programs within the state government, including programs administered or overseen by the Departments of Children and Youth, Education and Workforce, Medicaid, Health, and Developmental Disabilities and other relevant state agencies;

(b) Whether the existing governance structure in Ohio provides sufficient coordination, accountability, and educational focus across early childhood programs;

(c) The alignment of Ohio's early learning and development standards, program expectations, assessments, and other measures with kindergarten readiness and academic expectations for grades kindergarten through twelve;

(d) The transition of children from early childhood education programs into kindergarten and the extent to which information regarding a child's educational development follows the child;

(e) Governance models used by other states to organize and administer early childhood education and promote kindergarten readiness and long-term educational outcomes;

(f) Whether statutory or administrative changes could improve coordination between early childhood education programs and primary and secondary schools.

(2) Outcomes, data, and accountability of early childhood education programs in this state, including all of the following:

(a) Existing kindergarten readiness indicators, early childhood development measures relevant to educational outcomes, early learning assessments, and program performance measures;

(b) The percentage of children entering kindergarten who demonstrate kindergarten readiness, including differences by geographic region, socioeconomic status, participation in publicly funded early childhood programs, and other appropriate demographic or program characteristics;

(c) The availability and use of data necessary to evaluate whether participation in publicly funded early childhood programs is associated with kindergarten readiness and subsequent academic performance;

(d) The ability of the state to longitudinally track educational outcomes for children participating in publicly funded early childhood programs, including outcomes in kindergarten, third-grade reading and mathematics, and subsequent grade levels;

(e) Opportunities to improve data sharing and coordination among the Departments of Children and Youth, Education and Workforce, Medicaid, Health, and Developmental Disabilities and schools, early childhood providers, and other appropriate entities, consistent with applicable state and federal privacy laws;

(f) Whether Ohio currently possesses sufficient performance measures to determine the effectiveness of individual early childhood programs and funding streams;

(g) Opportunities to establish common outcome measures across publicly funded early childhood programs while recognizing differences in the purposes and populations served by individual programs.

(3) Fiscal and policy review of early childhood education programs in this state, including all of the following:

(a) Publicly funded child care administered by the Department of Children and Youth pursuant to section 5104.30 of the Revised Code;

(b) The Early Childhood Education Grant Program, as established under section 5104.53 of the Revised Code;

(d) The Help Me Grow Program established under section 5180.21 of the Revised Code;

(e) The Part C Early Intervention Services Program administered by the Department of Children and Youth pursuant to section 5180.30 of the Revised Code;

(f) Preschool special education;

(g) Other state-supported early learning and school-readiness programs.

(B)(1) The Task Force shall not duplicate any of the ongoing responsibilities of the Children and Youth Advisory Council established under section 5180.04 of the Revised Code, the Ohio Family and Children First Cabinet Council established under section 121.37 of the Revised Code, or another existing state entity. The Task Force shall instead focus specifically on all of the following:

(a) Education governance;

(b) Kindergarten readiness;

(d) Educational outcomes and accountability;

(e) Longitudinal educational data;

(f) The relationship between public investment and measurable educational outcomes.

(2) The Task Force may request information, testimony, reports, and technical assistance from the Children and Youth Advisory Council and its Early Childhood Education and Care Advisory Group.

(3) The Task Force shall not conduct a comprehensive review of child care licensing, health and safety regulations, or the day-to-day operations of child care providers except to the extent that such matters directly affect educational quality, kindergarten readiness, program participation, or educational continuity.

Section 3. (A) Not later than December 1, 2027, the Task Force shall submit a final report to the Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives, President of the Senate, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and Minority Leader of the Senate. The report shall include all of the following:

(1) Findings concerning Ohio's early childhood education governance structure;

(2) An inventory of major publicly funded early childhood programs and funding sources;

(3) Available information regarding eligibility, enrollment, participation, and utilization of those programs;

(4) Available kindergarten-readiness and subsequent educational outcomes;

(5) Findings concerning the state's ability to longitudinally measure outcomes;

(6) Identification of gaps or unnecessary duplication in governance, data, administration, or accountability;

(7) Recommendations for improving coordination between early childhood education programs and primary and secondary schools;

(8) Recommendations for improving kindergarten readiness and long-term educational outcomes;

(9) Recommendations for statutory, administrative, or regulatory changes;

(10) Recommendations concerning data collection, data sharing, and performance measurement;

(11) Fiscal considerations associated with the Task Force's recommendations;

(12) An implementation plan identifying recommendations that may be accomplished administratively and those recommendations requiring legislative action.

(B) When it submits the report described in this section, the Task Force ceases to exist.

Section 4. The General Assembly finds that early childhood education plays an important role in preparing children for kindergarten and subsequent academic success and that Ohio administers early childhood education and related programs through multiple state and federal funding streams, programs, agencies, and delivery systems.

It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Early Childhood Education Governance and Outcomes Task Force evaluate Ohio's early childhood system principally through the lens of educational opportunity and measurable outcomes, while recognizing the important child care, health, family support, and workforce functions served by individual programs.

The Task Force's work should seek to answer the fundamental policy question of whether Ohio's existing early childhood investments, governance structure, and programs are effectively preparing children to enter kindergarten ready to learn and providing the foundation necessary for long-term academic success.