Ohio

Download the 2-page overview: 21st Century Readiness in Ohio.

Because Ohioans are competing in a global economy that demands innovation, Governor Ted Strickland proposed several reform initiatives designed to help the state’s education system keep up. The plan focuses on 21st century readiness for every student and aims to establish and maintain student centered 21st century learning environments that foster and nurture the fusion of the three Rs and the four Cs (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation). The Governor’s work has been supported by a broad coalition of educators, policy-makers and business and civic leaders, as evident in the passage of Amended Substitute House Bill I in July 2009 by the Ohio House of Representatives.

This Legislation:

• Establishes a framework for development of student-centered, collaborative, professional, innovative and critical thinking 21st century learning environments;
• Measures Ohio students against the world;
• Expands learning opportunities for all Ohio students; and
• Prepares and supports Ohio’s educators for a successful instructional career.

21st Century Readiness Initiatives

Ohio Global Institute 2009

In August 2009, the Ohio Department of Education, in collaboration with the Office of International Affairs and Area Studies Centers at The Ohio State University, the Gerald H. Read Center at Kent State University and the Ohio Geographic Alliance held a three-day Global Institute for teachers in grades K-12. The goal of the institute was to build a network of teachers who are incorporating a more international perspective into their classrooms. This event trained a cadre of teachers from content areas across the curriculum to:

1. Understand the importance of international education;
2. Identify opportunities for integrating international context into teaching activities;
3. Create models that can be shared with other teachers; and
4. Use technology to make international connections.

eTech Ohio

eTech Ohio was created in July 2005, to consolidate the state’s investment in the telecommunications networks used by Ohio’s public broadcasters and the K-12 community. The legislature charged this agency with aligning content and technology resources and expertise, eliminating unnecessary duplication of services, providing visionary leadership for enhancing learning through the use of technology for Ohioans of all ages, and leveraging shared networking to utilize available resources more efficiently.

eTech Ohio recognizes that educators are vital to Ohio’s future and economy; therefore, it is eTech Ohio’s mission to provide educators with professional development and resources to enhance learning for all Ohioans. eTech Ohio’s website at www.etech.ohio.gov provides information and resources to assist educators in utilizing technology effectively to enhance student achievement and ensure every student is ready for today’s and tomorrow’s world.

Gateway to Technology (GTT) and Project Lead the Way (PLTW)

GTT and PLTW are inquiry/project-based pre-engineering programs that provide rich opportunities for students to develop communication, collaboration, and critical thinking and problem solving skills. Additionally, the programs include skill development with engineering technologies.

GTT and PLTW provide extensive course-specific professional development for teachers and counselors and a teacher network that allows teachers to dialogue throughout the year sharing ideas and asking questions. Ohio currently has 263 middle and high school PLTW programs in both career-technical centers and associate schools. Ohio has invested in developing its own professional development trainers for these programs and has aided Sinclair University, a university affiliate, in providing this training to teachers each year. The university affiliate also provides ongoing technical assistance and peer learning community assistance. Professional development is offered to teachers in the manufacturing, transportation and engineering career fields and is provided in partnership with local businesses and several national industry associations.