Explanation
Mayor Ginther’s vision for Columbus, America’s Opportunity City, is that every child is ready for kindergarten. Kindergarten readiness is a multidimensional construct reflecting young children’s preparedness for instruction in areas related to both academic and social-emotional skills. Children who arrive to kindergarten with limited readiness in one or more of these areas face challenges in the transition into the kindergarten setting, and are susceptible to academic achievement over time.
Participation in quality early childhood education can provide an important mechanism for developing children’s school readiness; likewise, certain intentional parenting practices, such as shared book-reading and numeracy discussions, also can support school readiness. However, not all children have access to quality early learning programs and/or intentional parenting practices.
Because of this, the City has previously partnered with the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy at Ohio State University on the Summer Success program, a four-week intensive summer readiness ‘camp’ for children without prior ECE experience and those who may not have sufficient supports at home for developing key readiness skills.
This year, the Office of Education is partnering with the Crane Center to develop and distribute summer at-home toolkits to enhance the kindergarten readiness of rising kindergarteners. Children will be led through activities that include language and literacy development; print awareness, numeracy, and social-emotional skills. Stage completions are incentivized. Participation, and eventual kindergarten readiness test scores, will be tracked and analyzed. Children will be enrolled via a partnership with Nationwide Children Hospital’s Pediatric Primary Care network, with a priority on Linden and Whitehall children. 95 percent of children in this program are Medicaid-eligible.
Therefore, the Office of Education requests permission to contract with the Crane Center to provide this crucial work.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes an expenditure of $144,499.00 from the 2022 Office of Education’s General Fund operating budget.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: Emergency designation is requested to ensure the work can begin as soon as possible
Title
To authorize the Director of the Office of Education to enter into a contract with the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy at the Ohio State University for the 2022 Summer Success Program, to enhance the kindergarten readiness of entering kindergarteners through educational summer materials, to authorize the expenditure of $144,499.00 from the General Fund, and to declare an emergency. ($144,499.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Mayor Ginther’s vision for Columbus, America’s Opportunity City, is that every child is ready for kindergarten; and
WHEREAS, participation in quality early childhood education can provide an important mechanism for developing children’s school readiness; and
WHEREAS, not all children have access to quality early childhood education and/or intentional parenting practices; and
WHEREAS, the Summer Success program assists children that have not participated in early childhood education and may not have developed key readiness skills; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Education and the Crane Center seek to enhance the kindergarten readiness of entering kindergarteners through educational summer materials expand the Summer Success program; and
WHEREAS, funding was budgeted in the general fund within the Office of Education’s operating budget for this purpose; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Office of Education in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into contract with the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy at the Ohio State University to allow services to commence as soon as possible, all for the preservation of public health, peace, property, and safety; now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Office of Education is authorized to enter into a contract with the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy at the Ohio State University for the implementation of the 2022 Summer Success program.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $144,499.00 be and is hereby authorized as follows (see attachment Ordinance 1323-2022):
Dept/Div: 40-06 | Obj Class: 03 | Main Account: 63050 | Fund: 1000 | Sub-fund: 100010 | Program: ED001 | Amount: $144,499.00
SECTION 3. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 4. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this legislation.
SECTION 5. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor or 10 days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.