Ohio Bill Requires Schools to Teach “Success Sequence” Framework in Grades 6–12

Public school students in Ohio will now learn about the proven links between responsible decision-making and better economic outcomes. A bill that requires instruction on the “success sequence” for students in grades 6–12 passed the Ohio senate on June 10. The legislation was sent to Governor Mike DeWine’s desk shortly after, and signed into state law on July 7. 

What is the Success Sequence?

The success sequence is a widely researched framework associated with a lower likelihood of experiencing poverty in adulthood. The sequence most often suggests three steps, completing at least a high school education, getting full time employment, and waiting until marriage to have children, correlate with reduced rates of poverty later in life. According to a 2017 study by AEI and the Institute for Family Studies, 97 percent of Millennials who follow the success sequence are not in poverty by the time they reach young adulthood.

A 2020 synthesis of the literature from the Administration for Children and Families explains the logical link between the steps taken in this sequence and the economic outcomes that follow:

“The three milestones that make up the success sequence (education, employment, and nonmarital childbearing) are all interconnected and strongly associated with economic outcomes in adulthood. For example, studies show that increased education leads to higher income in adulthood, both by enhancing a person’s employment prospects and by increasing the chances of marrying a person with a similar education level and income.”

Specifically, the review notes:

• Men and women’s annual income rose by 20% with each level of education obtained.

• Unemployment is proportionate to education level, with data from 2017 showing that unemployment rose from 10% among those who have a postsecondary education to 25% among those who did not obtain a high school diploma.

• Women with a higher education degree are more likely to marry a man with the same level of education and delay having children until that marriage.

The History of the Ohio Bill

The Ohio State senate passed SB 156 in November 2025. Known as the “Success Sequence Bill,” it advanced out of the Senate but stalled in the House. 

One month later, the Senate introduced SB 276. This bill’s primary purpose is to have Ohio join the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists, which would expand cross-state licensure mobility for school psychologists licensed in Ohio. A secondary provision would expand access to extracurricular activities for students in districts with more limited offerings, allowing broader participation across district lines.

After SB 276 passed the Senate, members of the Ohio House Education Committee incorporated provisions from SB 156 into SB 276, resulting in a combined bill that moved forward for a full House vote and included the Success Sequence curriculum language. 

Under SB 276, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce would be required to research and maintain a list of curriculum materials that include instruction on the Success Sequence for grades 6-12. The bill would also require that at least one course be offered for high school students based on such curriculum.

After a bill passes the Ohio House and Senate, it is sent to the governor’s office. Once the bill is officially received by the governor, he has ten days to sign it into law, veto the bill, or simply not sign and allow it to take effect as law by default. These ten days do not necessarily begin on the day that the bill passes both chambers and exclude Sundays. Additionally, the Ohio legislative branch went on an extended recess shortly after the bill's passing, prohibiting their ability to receive a vetoed bill should Governor DeWine have chosen to do so. Ultimately, the bill was signed into law on July 7. 

Worldview Roundup

The Success Sequence provides important evidence that certain life choices are associated with improved economic outcomes, reflecting how biblical principles promote human flourishing. 

The Sequence is not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive. It does not address individual circumstances or the role of higher education in detail. Broader demographic trends such as declining marriage rates and lower birth rates are frequently cited in discussions about the social context of these issues, 

The Administration for Children and Families literature review noted a few more demographic and social facets with important worldview implications, namely that women with higher degrees often delay childbearing, and that among researchers there is consensus that “changing social norms will require updating the definition over time.”

Christians should consider the implications of these demographic clarifications. The success sequence highlights a compelling connection between delaying childbearing until after marriage and improved economic outcomes—a finding that aligns with God’s design. However, because it does not prescribe a definition of marriage or family, the framework leaves the door open for someone to affirm its conclusions while rejecting God’s design for marriage and family under the banner of “changing social norms.” 

Public responses to the bill already highlights cultural disagreements over the assumptions underlying the success sequence, particularly around marriage and childbearing. 

In online coverage and commentary, headlines often frame the legislation as requiring schools to teach “when to have kids.” The other two components of the success sequence, educational attainment and full-time employment, are not as controversial. There is broad agreement that completing high school leads to a less impoverished life, and that steady employment contributes to financial stability.  Debate more often centers on how these factors are taught and contextualized, particularly in relation to family formation and sexual ethics. 

The repeated “when to have kids” headline is indicative of a culture that does not want to embrace what the data presented by the success sequence affirms: God’s design for marriage and sex leads to flourishing. This is further exemplified by which organizations are speaking up.

Some advocacy groups, including Planned Parenthood, called for opposition to the initial bill, arguing that it embeds normative assumptions about marriage and childbearing. The objection to the success sequence is raised even as the framework implemented in the curriculum is descriptive rather than prescriptive, focusing on statistical associations rather than moral mandates. 

The ongoing debate reflects disagreements over the role of public education in shaping student worldviews. While some argue for a strictly neutral curriculum, supporters of the success sequence argue that all education reflects underlying assumptions about human flourishing. From that perspective, the Ohio legislation seeks to equip students with research-based tools for understanding the long-term consequences of key life choices.