Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce have opened applications for the Governor's Science of Reading Champion's Award for the 2026-2027 school year. The program falls under the state's ReadOhio initiative.
According to the department's bulletin, the award goes to schools that show strong use of evidence-based instructional practices tied to the science of reading, and where students are achieving notable progress.
Eligibility covers PreK-12 schools — public, community and chartered nonpublic — and each building must apply on its own rather than as part of a district-wide submission. Schools that received the recognition for either the 2024-2025 or 2025-2026 school year are asked not to apply again; the bulletin says the recognition carries forward.
The application period opened Sept. 15 and closes at 5 p.m. on Oct. 6. The department points applicants to its Application Guidelines and Instructions for recognition requirements and to the program webpage for additional details.