MANSFIELD — Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center (MOESC) has been awarded a state contract by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW).
This pact is to lead Governor Mike DeWine’s regional literacy initiative — Building Regional Capacity to Support Ohio’s Literacy Coaching Model — across both the West and Central Ohio regions, impacting over 40 counties.
This award significantly expands MOESC’s leadership role in advancing the state’s literacy efforts, grounded in the Science of Reading and aligned with Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement.
As part of this expansion, Carrie Wood, Director of Literacy at MOESC, will lead the Central Region while Nick Jacobs joins the team as the newly appointed Coordinator for the West Region.
Together, they will oversee up to 30 literacy coaches and support thousands of educators and students.
“I am thrilled for Mid-Ohio to continue the legacy in leading this project to champion literacy,” Wood said. “To be granted an opportunity to lead in almost half the state in the Governor’s literacy project is an incredible opportunity for Mid-Ohio to extend its reach over a span of 40 counties and ultimately contribute to the impact to improve language and literacy outcomes at this scale.
“This project is to serve as a successful coaching model to replicate across Ohio’s schools. It’s an honor to coordinate the work in this project as the Director of Literacy on behalf of Mid-Ohio’s collaboration with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.”
This state-level recognition comes at a time when research confirms the critical role of coaching in literacy success.
According to the Thomas B. Fordham Institute's June 2024 report, Ohio’s Path to Early Literacy: Science of Reading Progress and Challenges, coaching remains one of the most effective levers for system-wide impact.
The report strongly supports continuation of the state’s coaching investment:
“Lawmakers should continue support of the state’s literacy coaching program. This initiative currently deploys eighty-four trained coaches who provide hands-on support for teachers serving in more than 100 low-performing schools.
“In his recent budget request, Governor DeWine set aside $12 million per year to sustain the program, and lawmakers should approve these funds. Coaches like these were essential to Mississippi and can help Ohio make rapid progress, too.”
This expansion builds upon Mid-Ohio ESC’s current success in leading a 23-county effort that launched in July 2023.
That initiative, led by Wood and by Executive Director Dr. Mark Burke, has already deployed over 20 trained coaches across Northwest Ohio.
Now, with the dual-region contract, MOESC is poised to extend its reach and deepen its impact across an even greater swath of the state.
As the initiative scales, MOESC is continuing to recruit experienced educators to serve as regional coaches. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply through the agency’s online portal:
The following are minimum qualifications for the Literacy Coach:
A master’s degree in education, with either reading or literacy endorsements on state license.
At least (5) years of successful classroom teaching that includes reading/literacy instruction in grades K- 12.
Completion of a professional development program or course in evidence-based language and literacy instruction.
Experience providing and coaching structured literacy instruction.