Early Childhood Education Grant for Teachers

Early Learning and School Readiness is beginning to transition to the new Department of Children and Youth.  

Our email addresses are changing to firstname.lastname@childrenandyouth.ohio.gov. You can continue to send emails to our Department of Education email addresses and they will be forwarded automatically. 

Early education experiences characterized by supportive andECE-Teacher-page_crop-1.jpg responsive teachers, that create well organized and stimulating environments, are essential for positive learning outcomes for children.  The quality of relationships and learning environments during these early years is critical and has a strong impact on future education success.Inspire-1.png

High-Quality Programming

Programs that are awarded the Early Childhood Education Grant must demonstrate they meet high-quality standards by achieving a 3-, 4-, or 5- star rating in Step Up To Quality, Ohio’s tiered quality rating and improvement system. High-quality programming includes implementing a curriculum aligned to the Ohio Early Learning and Development Standards, setting learning goals for children based on assessment data, degreed teachers engaging in on-going professional development and building partnerships with families and the community.

Teacher education and specialized training are associated with higher overall classroom quality, more positive teacher behaviors in the classroom and positive developmental outcomes for children. ECE Grant programs must employ highly qualified teachers with training and experience in early childhood education and provide teachers with individualized, ongoing quality professional development opportunities.

ECE funded classrooms shall meet the teacher qualifications stated in the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 3301.311.  All administrators, lead and assistant teachers who work in an Early Childhood Education Grant funded program are required to complete 20 hours of Ohio Approved professional development each biennium. Please visit Early Learning Professional Development for more information on professional development.

Early Learning Assessment

The Early Learning Assessment an observational assessment consisting of skill progressions aligned to Ohio’s Early Learning and Development Standards. The Early Learning Assessment covers seven domains of school readiness: Social Foundations, Language and Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Physical Well-Being and Motor Development, and Fine Arts. The Learning Progressions define the pathway of skills, knowledge, and behaviors that children develop between the ages of 36 months and 72 months, including children who may be at earlier developmental levels than their typically developing peers.

All children who are funded through the Early Childhood Education Grant must be assessed using Ohio’s Early Learning Assessment. Please visit the Early Learning Assessment for Teachers for additional information and training opportunities.
 

Last Modified: 12/14/2023 1:43:15 PM