Governor Kasich to sign Education and Workforce Reform Bill

CINCINNATI, Ohio - Governor John Kasich is expected to sign Senate Bill 316 Monday.

In a press release from the Governor's office, it says the legislation "strengthens the link between Ohio's education system and the needs of employers."

Senate Bill 316 calls for "The Third Grade Reading Guarantee." It requires:

- a reading intervention and monitoring plan for students struggling with reading in kindergarten through second grade

- retention for students who participated in the plan for two years and are still not proficient in reading at the end of third grade

The bill also calls for new standards for dropout recovery schools. The legislation says a new report card rating system must be adopted by the General Assembly by March 31, 2013.

The grade from this report card will be the basis for closing schools that are failing.

Senate Bill 316 also includes a workforce development section. The bill revamps the Executive Workforce Board by allowing the board to develop a unified budget, which in turn, will help both employers and job seekers get work training they need.

Plus, the legislation would allow people currently collecting unemployment to train with an employer and still receive unemployment benefits.

Governor Kasich will be joined by lawmakers and other business executives when he signs the bill at the Fifth-Third Operations Center in Cincinnati.

Media is expected to arrive at 11 a.m. Monday. The program is expected to begin afterwards.