The 2018 Ohio Early Childhood Race and Rural Equity Report is the most comprehensive early childhood report in Ohio history. Groundwork Ohio analyzed 26 child outcome metrics spanning a child’s life course from prenatal care to postsecondary attainment including data spanning five state departments and utilizing resources from an additional three. After a review of over 200 pages of data and graphics, what's the bottom line?
CHILDREN WHO START BEHIND, USUALLY STAY BEHIND.
Regardless of which metric you choose to examine, kids who have poor outcomes in one metric share the same profile of the kids who have poor outcomes in another. The data is extremely predictive in the earliest years due to the critical period of brain development that happens in a child’s first five years of life. Additionally, research is clear that certain metrics are predictive of future child outcomes. For example, kindergarten readiness predicts third grade reading achievement, which, in turn, predicts eighth grade math achievement. Eighth grade math achievement predicts high school graduation, which is also predictive of postsecondary attainment. While it's critical to understand early childhood outcomes for the state as a whole, it is also important to recognize that each community has its own unique story. Check out our target-county overviews to see what the disaggregated data looks like in your community by clicking on your county below.