Sykes announces close to $1M for statewide early childhood special ed program

State Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) today announced the release of over $700,000 for the expansion of the Sit Together and Read – Ohio (STAR – Ohio) 10-county program to help reduce the risk of future disabilities for children in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) classrooms. The state funding will be used to further Summit County’s reach and development of the “Sit Together and Read” program to 525 students in the first year of the program’s operation. Funding was made available for the program through the state’s “Straight A Grant.” 

“The STAR – Ohio program fosters creativity, encouraging teachers to incorporate new approaches to education where a history of insufficient funding has made it more difficult for our children to succeed,” said Sykes. “The innovative curriculum that STAR applies to educating students is proving that investing in our children is the key to a brighter future. In Summit County, this program will help teachers meet students where they are individually, better preparing them for a lifetime of learning and achievement.”

STAR – Ohio is a reading intervention program developed through The Ohio State University that uses storybooks and step-by-step lessons to develop and strengthen young children’s awareness of and knowledge about print. By exposing children to high-quality literature, parents, teachers and speech language pathologists are able to provide context to build children’s language and literacy skills.

The Straight A Fund is providing 23 grants to local educators promoting academic achievement through innovative ideas that advance student learning, encourage economic efficiency, and reduce administrative costs within schools and districts.