Explanation
Mayor Ginther’s vision for Columbus, America’s Opportunity City, is that every child is ready for kindergarten. Addressing early childhood learning means bringing awareness and resources to a critical learning stage in childhood development. Children who come to school ready to learn are more likely to succeed academically and in life.
To make sure our children are ready for kindergarten, the Department of Education uses different tools and collaborates with certain organizations in the preparation of our children. Ready4Success (R4S), administered by the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy at the Ohio State University, uses a multi-pronged strategy to support providers in preparing children for Kindergarten success. The goal of the R4S initiative is to improve children’s outcomes and kindergarten readiness. It does so by focusing on the instructional practices of pre-kindergarten teachers.
For the 2024-2025 academic year, the Crane Center staff will also again implement Read It Again (RIA), an evidence-based, low-cost instructional supplement designed to promote intentional teaching practices in early childhood education programs serving children from birth to age five. Implementing RIA to all early childhood providers is aligned with, and is an early strategy of, the Future Ready By Five Strategic Plan driver one: providing development and education supports for all children.
Therefore, the Department of Education requests permission to contract for $470,000.00 with the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy at the Ohio State University to provide this crucial work.
This contract is being awarded pursuant to Columbus City Code Section 329.30, which allows for the City to negotiate not-for-profit service contracts. The Department of Education chose the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy at The Ohio State University because there is no employee expertly positioned to do this work in the city. F...
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