Proposed legislation in Ohio would mandate that schools teach a three-pronged “success sequence” for youth and young adults that, in part, encourages students to marry before having children.
Senate Bill 156 mandates the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce to develop standards and a model curriculum and directs the department to launch a committee to examine them.
Ohio’s school districts can use the department-developed model curriculum or modify it “as appropriate” for the district if it “aligns with the standards set forth by the Department,” according to an analysis of the legislation by the Ohio Legislative Service Commission.
“Moreover, this legislation requires the Department of Education and Workforce to develop standards and a model curriculum about the Success Sequence for grades six to twelve, which shall include evidence, identified using the best research methods available, and describing the positive personal and societal outcomes associated with the Success Sequence,” state Sen. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, said in prepared testimony to the Senate Education Committee.
“Additionally, the department shall establish a committee including school district board of education members and parents of students enrolled in school districts to review the standards and model curriculum, and instructional materials aligned with them that may be used in annual Success Sequence discussions,” Cutrona added.
According to the lawmaker, the “Success Sequence,” based on research from The Brookings Institute, the American Enterprise Institute, federal agencies and other institutions, helps young adults achieve the American Dream. Cutrona said it has been found that 97% of people who complete at least a high school education, obtain full-time employment, and marry before having children do not live in poverty in adulthood.
“The Success Sequence is a pathway that can help youth thrive and achieve optimal health, all the while heightening financial literacy and acting as a catalyst for poverty avoidance,” Cutrona added. “Regardless of partisan beliefs, this legislation is a framework for a better future for all Ohioans. The Success Sequence works to empower individuals and families; and teaches the self-sufficiency and independence needed to succeed in today’s society.”
While the proposal is not necessarily a religious one, it has drawn support from Christian organizations, including the Center for Christian Virtue.
“When we invest in building strong children, we can save some of the expense of rebuilding broken adults,” WCMH-TV quoted David Mahan, the group’s policy director, as saying of the measure. “Encouraging education, hard work, and the importance of marriage and family helps reduce the risk of ever falling into poverty, and a whole host of other negative outcomes, in the first place.”
However, not everyone is in favor of the measure. The Morning Journal newspaper in Lison said that while “Cutrona’s intentions may be good,” the Senate “should give SB 156 the consideration it deserves. None.”
“To groom children to believe they should follow only a very narrow set of steps could be incredibly damaging to some,” the newspaper said in an editorial. “And, really, it’s none of the state’s business.”
A May 2022 report from the American Enterprise Institute found that “success sequence seems like common sense.”
“Critics of the success sequence often point out that it ignores the ‘obstacles individual efforts can’t always overcome,’” authors Brad Wilcox and Wendy Wang wrote. “There is no question that structural disadvantages make it more difficult to follow the three steps of the sequence. But that is also why it matters: Young adults who manage to follow the sequence—even in the face of disadvantages—are much more likely to forge a path to a better life."
The authors continued: “While we should talk about racism and the structural barriers facing all too many young adults, we also need to underline the truth that despite these barriers, there is a proven path for success,” the authors added. “That pathway runs through America’s three core institutions: education, work, and marriage.”
