Ohio
Through Shifting Gears, Ohio aims to increase the educational attainment and earnings potential of lower-income working adults by widening their access to postsecondary workforce education, shortening their paths to credentials, and speeding their progress with fewer interruptions. Ohio presents a unique set of opportunities and challenges for Shifting Gears: the state has recently brought together in one agency, the Ohio Board of Regents, responsibility for universities, community and technical colleges, adult career and technical training, and adult literacy and basic skills. All four sectors are joined in a new University System of Ohio, established by Executive Order of the Governor.
In the Shifting Gears planning phase (1.0), the state convened a Policy Advisory Panel of local, state, and national stakeholders to take a fresh look at ways to improve access, persistence, and success in postsecondary workforce education for working-age adults. Chaired by Chancellor Eric Fingerhut, the Panel developed a far-ranging Shifting Gears state policy change agenda and data plan.
For the Shifting Gears implementation phase (2.0), Ohio will engage stakeholders in refining and implementing its policy change recommendations. Ohio’s policy priorities include steps to:
- Create statewide standards for assessment, advising, and career exploration that could be used across adult education, adult workforce education, and community college services. The goal of this work is to use common assessments where feasible, creating cross-walks when necessary;
- Remove barriers to routine sharing of student assessment and advising information among the University System of Ohio partners;
- Develop software tools to facilitate analysis of statewide and institutional data on adult student transitions within the University System;
- Adopt curriculum models that integrate academic, technical, and career readiness content in selected occupational clusters to improve student outcomes and increase institutional efficiency;
- Adopt adult education collaborative service delivery models aimed at increasing postsecondary transitions through integrated curriculum aligned with Ohio Skills Bank career pathways and industry-sanctioned credentials, and support these with performance-based funding;
- Expand dual and concurrent enrollment policies so adult basic education and adult workforce education students can earn credits at community and technical colleges; and
- Ensure that new state funding formulas proposed for FY 2011 benefit the Shifting Gears population of low-wage, low-skilled adults and support Shifting Gears goals of increasing access, shortening paths, and speeding their progress toward the attainment of postsecondary credentials.
State ProfilesOhio Shifting Gears Student Testimonial – Carrie Martin, Cincinnati State University
Ohio Shifting Gears Student Testimonial – Heidi Bauer – Kent State University
Ohio Shifting Gears Student Testimonial – Lametris Joiner, Kent State University State ResourcesOhio Shifting Gears Plan Fact Sheet
An overview of the goals and structure of Ohio Shifting Gears for 2010-2011.
Adult and Postsecondary Education Fact Sheet
Developed by Ohio Shifting Gears, this fact sheet sheds light on the dimensions of need for increased access to and increased support in higher education among low-income working-age Ohioans.
University System of Ohio Strategic Plan for Higher Education
Ohio’s 10-year strategic plan for higher education which promises to raise the overall educational attainment of the state and meet the governor’s established goal of enrolling 230,000 more students in the Ohio University system, keeping graduates in Ohio and attracting students to the state.
Ohio Skills Bank: Innovations and Promising Practices (September 2009)
A report from the KnowledgeWorks Foundation that describes and evaluates processes that were developed as part of the regional Ohio Skills Bank career pathways work.
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