Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center says it is carrying forward Ohio's expanded reading-instruction effort through a ReadOhio contract covering the state's Central and West regions. According to the organization, those two regions span 42 counties and nearly half the state, with schools connected to job-embedded literacy coaching.
The reported expansion traces to Gov. Mike DeWine's 2026 State of the State address, which announced 50 additional coaches, an extension reaching at least 70 more schools, and free regional training and credentialing for coaches employed by districts rather than the state program.
Numbers cited by Mid-Ohio ESC show the Central region with 27 coaches, 16 of them new hires, and the West region with 26, including 15 new hires, for 53 combined under Carrie Wood and Nick Jacobs. Statewide staffing is described as roughly 200 coaches. At a Columbus kickoff event, DeWine characterized coaching as central to accelerating evidence-based reading instruction.
Veteran coaches reportedly started working with schools in mid-August on first-quarter priorities, student evidence and instructional materials. New partner schools go through a structured entry process involving a needs assessment, a defined coaching focus and a meeting with district and building leaders.
A credentialing network led by Wood, Jacobs and Mid-Ohio ESC leadership offers monthly sessions so district-employed coaches can apply the ReadOhio framework locally. The organization also expects its regional teams to partner with districts through newly announced Science of Reading Instructional Implementation Teams.
Mid-Ohio ESC states it serves 13 districts and more than 20,000 students in Crawford, Morrow and Richland Counties.