This 80-second “video time capsule” from the 74 Million reminds us how life-altering the past year in schooling has been.  
Quotable & Notable
"More than any other factor, this lack of public funding is what has set our child care system up for failure, and it will continue to harm working families, their children, and the early educators who care for them until our country begins to fund child care as the public good it is."
Fact of the Week
According to the Economic Policy Institute, families were the ones paying for two out of three dollars spent on early care and education pre-pandemic. This totaled $42 billion spent by families out of the $64 billion total spent on child care services.
Policy Radar
Student testing 
Ohio lawmakers passed a bill this week to suspend report card ratings for schools and districts for the 2020-21 school year as well as add flexibility for graduation requirements. The bill is headed to governor. While the U.S. Department of Education has said standardized testing must still occur, states are allowed flexibility in when the tests are administered. Testing experts warn that test results will be difficult to interpret since participation will likely drop this year – resulting in incomplete data that will make it difficult to make trend comparisons. On the subject of standardized testing, here are two additional worthwhile reads. 
• • • • • • •
Children’s health 
Through a new partnership among Job and Family Services, Mental Health and Addiction Services, and Case Western Reserve University’s Center for Innovative Practices, the state will establish a statewide center to support child and adolescent behavioral health programs. The center, “Ohio’s Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Center of Excellence,” will support various state initiatives to reform the child care and protection system. 
Events & Happenings
Our April Crane Research Forum will host Crane faculty fellow Dr. Kelly Purtell, who will present (virtually) on understanding the transition to kindergarten and factors that influence it on Wednesday, April 7th from 12-1 pm. Register here.   
 
Sesame Workshop is partnering with WOSU Classroom as part of a new initiative to enhance the early childhood education programs of local PBS stations serving rural communities. Through the initiative, WOSU Classroom is working with community organizations to train caregivers in the rural counties with valuable support resources. Free virtual courses on “Building Resilience Through Difficult Times & Tough Talks” are being held on Saturday, March 27th from 9–11am and Tuesday, April 6th from 6:30–8:30pm. Register here.  
 
Join ZERO TO THREE and CLASP on Tuesday, April 6th at 2 pm for “What’s in the American Rescue Plan for Infants, Toddlers and Their Families?” Register here.  
Beyond the Buckeye State
Florence City Schools in Alabama is dealing with heightened mental health struggles during the pandemic by offering a model that helps students, teachers, parents and counselors work through children’s mental health issues. The program provides access to all students including those whose families lack transportation, time or money to find mental health supports. In 2020, Alabama lawmakers allocated $4.5 million in grants for school districts to hire a mental health services counselor. 
  
Jeff Bezos is set to open Bezos Academy preschool this fall in Tacoma, Washington. The tuition free, Montessori-inspired preschool will serve about 80 students and is part of a larger initiative to create a network of preschools.   
 
The pandemic disrupted the lives of children nationwide, but particularly in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico and Alabama, states that Save the Children ranked as the "worst" states for children during the pandemic. Their rankings focus on food insecurity, internet access for schoolwork and difficulty in paying for basic household expenses. 
FYI
Ohio has updated its BOLD Beginning website, which shares resources intended to help “Ohio’s parents, grandparents, caretakers, teachers, and child care providers to access all things related to early childhood in Ohio’s state agencies.” 
What We're Reading
Many folks are talking (and writing) about the “game-changing” policy components of the recently passed American Rescue Act. People highlights how revolutionary the expanded child tax credit may be in reducing child poverty. Still others remind us that the U.S. lags way behind other countries on child poverty and efforts to address it, and that the Rescue Act may not be going far enough in some areas (like the minimum wage).  
 
Center for American Progress has 6 recommendations to ensure preschool contributes to an equitable early childhood system. 
 
As we surpass the one-year anniversary of school shutdowns caused by the coronavirus, Chalkbeat looks back on its effect on education and asks educators, counselors, students, parents to share their education story and show us what the year looked like for them. For a more local perspective on this anniversary, Dayton Daily News looks back at schools’ decisions to continue learning online or return to in-person learning. Finally, the Hechinger Report chronicles how first year teachers are handling teaching during the stress of the pandemic. 
Research Round Up
Hechinger Report summarizes research on the effectiveness of student tutoring programs, including a quick review of a March 2021 study of math tutoring for high schoolers. Intensive tutoring-based interventions have been proposed as one strategy to combat student learning loss through the pandemic.  
This edition written by: Jamie Davies O'Leary, Associate Director of Policy and Caitlin Lennon, Communications & Policy Specialist
• • • • • • •
If you like this newsletter, forward to a friend! Subscribe here.
• • • • • • •