In 2023, Governor DeWine made a statewide initiative grounded in the science of reading, an evidence-based instructional approach that focuses on phonics and knowledge-building, the centerpiece of his education budget. As part of the initiative, public schools were required to adopt curricula and materials that appear on a state-approved list of high-quality options. Teachers were required to undergo professional development. Funding was set aside for reading coaches in the state’s most challenged schools. And the Ohio Department of Higher Education was tasked with auditing teacher preparation programs to ensure proper training in the science of reading.
Implementation of these efforts got off to a good start in 2024. But Ohio still has a long way to go to reach the finish line. Results from the 2024 administration of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)—which was administered prior to schools implementing the science of reading—show that Ohio’s reading proficiency rates have declined in both fourth and eighth grade. Just 32 percent of fourth graders achieved proficiency. Math scores were slightly better, but still pretty bad—less than a third of eighth graders were proficient. Results on state exams in both subjects are similarly lackluster.
The upshot? If policymakers are serious about improving student achievement, then the 2025 budget needs to double down on the literacy efforts that began in 2023 and add numeracy to the mix. Fortunately, Governor DeWine’s initial budget proposal does both. Here are four provisions the governor proposed that could push Ohio further down the achievement path.
1. Expanding access to advanced math
Earlier this year, my colleague Aaron Churchill made a persuasive argument for expanding access to advanced math courses. In particular, he argued in favor of automatically enrolling high-achieving seventh graders in Algebra I during eighth grade. All across Ohio, there are already eighth graders who take Algebra I. But it’s only a fraction of the students who have demonstrated their ability to succeed in that course based on their performance on state math exams. An automatic enrollment policy would ensure that all high achievers are on a rigorous academic pathway that can help them enroll in selective colleges or pursue STEM careers.
The governor's budget proposal takes a more expansive approach by extending advanced math opportunities to all high achievers, not just those headed toward Algebra I. If passed, it would require districts to provide every student who achieves at the advanced level—the highest mark on state math exams—with learning opportunities that “provide academic content or rigor that exceeds the standard curriculum for a student’s grade level.” That includes enrolling students in an advanced math course during the following school year.
There are two exceptions worth noting. First, districts must notify the parents and guardians of students who qualify for advanced opportunities and courses. Upon notification, parents may opt their child out. Although it seems unlikely that many would do so, including an opt-out provision is wise. Second, districts are only required to offer advanced learning opportunities and courses if those options already exist for the grade level the student will enter the following school year. In other words, districts wouldn’t be obligated to create new opportunities or courses—they’re merely required to ensure that advanced students are enrolled in any courses or opportunities that do exist. That’s a mistake. The purpose of an automatic enrollment policy is to ensure that every student who is ready for advanced math has access to it. Excusing districts from meeting the needs of their advanced students runs counter to that purpose.
2. Universal screening tools for reading and math
Diagnostic assessments are crucial tools for schools, as they identify children who are off-track and make early intervention possible. A foundational piece of Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee is a requirement for schools to administer a reading diagnostic assessment to all students in grades K–3. The Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) has developed a diagnostic exam for this purpose. But districts aren’t currently required to use it. They are permitted to choose a different diagnostic from a state-approved list instead, even though data suggest that that some of these assessments may not be predictive of children’s reading proficiency. Meanwhile, although current law calls on DEW to adopt diagnostic assessments for math, the requirement is only for grades one and two. And districts aren’t required to administer those exams, either.
Together, these flexibilities mean that hundreds, maybe even thousands of students who are struggling in math, reading, or both aren’t being properly identified and might not be receiving the intensive support they need. DeWine’s budget seeks to address this issue by requiring DEW to adopt a diagnostic assessment aligned with Ohio’s academic standards in both reading and math for each grade K–3. The assessment for reading must be aligned to the science of reading. And schools will be required to administer DEW’s diagnostics beginning in the 2026–27 school year. That means math diagnostics will no longer be optional, nor will districts be able to choose a different assessment. This universal expectation is crucial, as it will ensure that struggling students are properly identified and that all schools will be operating from the same identification playbook.
3. Continuing the focus on professional development
Providing teachers and administrators with professional development in evidence-based reading instruction is a key feature of Ohio’s statewide early literacy effort. DeWine’s latest state budget proposal continues the focus on training in two ways. First, it maintains funding to support literacy coaches in schools with the lowest reading proficiency. And second, it adds some new requirements to ensure ongoing development.
Specifically, the budget calls on DEW to do two things: 1) maintain a training course for licensed educators that serves as an introduction to the science of reading (likely the one it’s currently offering to fulfill requirements enacted in the last budget), and 2) develop a competency-based training course for licensed educators that will update and reinforce their knowledge and skills in the science of reading. Anyone hired as a teacher or administrator in a public school prior to July 2025 must complete the competency-based training course by June 2030 and every five years thereafter. Those hired by public schools after July 2025 must complete the initial training course within one year of being hired[1] and the competency-based course every five years thereafter. Completing these trainings will count toward professional development requirements for educator license renewal.
4. Leveraging state dollars for disadvantaged students to provide reading intervention
Context on two Ohio-specific policies is required to understand this proposal. First is Reading Achievement Plans (RAP). As part of Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee, districts and charter schools with poor literacy results are required to submit RAPs to the state. As the name suggests, an RAP is a district plan for raising student achievement in reading. These plans must include analyses of student data, measurable performance goals, and improvement strategies. Second is disadvantaged pupil impact aid (DPIA). DPIA is a funding stream that allocates extra state aid toward meeting the needs of low-income students. These dollars are intended to cover the cost of supplemental services like high-dosage tutoring, extended learning time, and other interventions for the state’s neediest students. In 2024, Ohio allocated $563 million toward DPIA.
Under the proposed budget, districts and schools that submitted RAPs during the prior fiscal year would be required to spend at least 50 percent of their DPIA funding in the current fiscal year on two things: 1) reading improvement and intervention aligned with the science of reading and evidence-based strategies and/or 2) professional development in the science of reading and evidence-based strategies for K–3 teachers. Districts and schools must specify in their improvement plans how they will use DPIA funds to comply with this requirement. Meanwhile, all other districts, charters, or STEM schools—those that aren’t under an RAP—will be required to spend at least 25 percent of their DPIA funds on these reading-specific efforts.
By leveraging DPIA to address reading outcomes, the DeWine administration is zeroing in on one of Ohio’s most significant problems: the sizable achievement gap between low-income students and their more affluent peers. Recent NAEP results show that the achievement of Ohio’s economically disadvantaged students has worsened over the past decade, and that the biggest drop has been in fourth grade reading. State exam results also show a sizable gap between economically disadvantaged students and their non-disadvantaged peers. Requiring schools to use funds that are targeted at low-income students on reading improvement efforts could give these students a much-needed literacy boost.
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Governor DeWine deserves kudos for his continued commitment to early literacy and for tackling numeracy. But there’s always room for improvement, and there are several ways that lawmakers in the House and Senate could strengthen the governor’s proposals over the next few months. Stay tuned for a future piece that outlines our recommendations.
[1] New hires aren’t required to complete the initial training course if the district superintendent or head administrator can verify that, within five years prior to the date of hire, they already completed that training or a similar training or that they completed appropriate coursework as part of their preparation program.
