Our project team is partnering with the Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to evaluate Ohio’s publicly funded child care (PFCC) program. During the nine-month project, we will be analyzing the payment structure for families participating in the program; evaluating the efficacy of alternative Market Rate Survey methodologies; analyzing the utilization rate of families authorized to participate in the program, with rates disaggregated by differing characteristics and demographics; and examining federal funding regulations for the program and permissible supplemental funding streams.
Grant Awards
Melissa Ross: Strengthening Ohio’s System of Support for English Learners and their Families $1,954,323
This project was designed to address the learning loss that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. Although it is clear that the need for this support existed prior to the pandemic, the pandemic exacerbated the existing need and increased the gap of academic achievement between English learners and non-English learners. In addition, this project offers the opportunity to support district and school administrators, instructors and other personnel in their efforts to continue to improve their capacity to effectively address the unique needs of English learners.
For more information: https://ehe.osu.edu/news/listing/providing-language-translation-serve-ohios-english-learners-families-educators
Ashlyn Pierson: Science and Integrated Language Plus Computational Thinking and Modeling (SAIL+CTM) $58,379
Kenneth Steinman: Evaluation of OCTF Central Ohio Regional Prevention Council (CORPC) $36,855
Tami Augustine: OPT in Ohio $160,000
“Opening Pathways to Teaching in Ohio” (OPT in OH) aims to address the K-12 educator shortage problem by providing teacher preparation scholarships to at least 30 participants interested in pursuing or expanding career opportunities in education. The project aims to expand opportunities in teacher education to increase the number of teachers entering the field and to provide secondary licenses to current practitioners to address the needs of under-served student populations. In addition, the project will focus on retaining talented educators by providing professional development to address factors that drive them out of the profession.
Edward Fletcher: Collaborative Research: Strategies to Improve the Recruitment and Retention of Black Male STEM Teachers $516,478
The project serves the national need of recruiting and retaining highly effective Black male high school STEM teachers. This research project will investigate factors influencing the effectiveness and retention of Black male STEM teachers in high-need school districts. The project outcomes will highlight the voices, knowledge, and experiences of both Black male STEM career academy teachers and ethnically and racially diverse students to provide critical insights and perspectives into how instructional strategies may engage diverse learners and promote their STEM college and career interests.
Jiangjiang Zhu: Assessing Gut Microbiota Mediated Health Outcomes of Whole Wheat and its Major Bioactive Components $649,999
With this grant funding, the project team will investigate the gut microbiota-mediated effect of whole wheat consumption on metabolomes, metabolic health, and gut health in a cohort of adults with prediabetes. Identifying the microbes, microbial pathways and metabolites that modulate the nutritional value of the highly consumed, potentially beneficial whole wheat products, and identifying biomarkers for these microbial processes will help to guide dietary recommendations with the ultimate goal of optimizing the health benefits of whole wheat.
Stephen Gavazzi: Understanding and Advancing Partnerships Among 1994 and 1862 Land-Grant Universities in the North Central Region $24,248
The purpose of this project is two-fold. First, to join with the descendants of Ohio’s First Peoples who were forcibly exiled from Ohio and imprisoned, interned and/or resettled during the founding of the State of Ohio, and to learn from them their understanding of this history and its multigenerational legacy of compounding injustice and disparities. Second, to advocate alongside these Tribal Nations and communities to repair the harm caused by these historical land dispossessions – including social and economic restitution.
For more information: https://u.osu.edu/landgranttruth/
Jay Plasman: The Path to College and Career: Exploring the Role of High School Engineering Courses for Students with Learning Disabilities $349,998
This project will be the first to evaluate the efficacy of engineering career and technical education (E-CTE) courses and to understand how these courses might link to the transition from high school into engineering fields in college as well as career aspirations with an emphasis on potential benefits for students with learning disabilities. Specifically, the project will identify which E-CTE courses students with learning disabilities are taking, how E-CTE coursework may encourage persistence along the engineering pipeline (e.g., STEM attitudes, college enrollment, earning an engineering credential), and the link between E-CTE participation and engineering-related career aspirations.
Matthew Mayhew: Building Positive Relationships Among University Students Across Religion And Worldview Diversity $15,738
With this grant funding, the Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey- United Kingdom team will explore through survey and case study research how different campus climates enable or impede positive relationships among students of different faiths and worldview perspectives, including varieties of faith, spirituality and non-religion. The project will enable universities and religion and belief-focused organizations to enhance inter- and intra-faith relations among students, better equipping them to relate respectfully to those with a different outlook from their own.