As Introduced 1
122nd General Assembly 4
Regular Session S. B. No. 55 5
1997-1998 6
SENATOR WATTS 8
10
A B I L L
To enact section 3313.603 of the Revised Code to 12
codify the minimum requirements for graduation 13
from high school; to increase the total number of 14
units of credit necessary for graduation from 15
eighteen to twenty; to increase each of the
number of units of credit for English language 16
arts, mathematics, and social studies from three 17
to four; to increase the number of units of
credit for science from one to three; to reduce 18
the number of elective units of credit from nine 19
to six; and to require two units of credit in a 20
single foreign language to be a part of the six
elective units of credit for a student who 21
pursues a college preparatory core curriculum. 22
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO: 24
Section 1. That section 3313.603 of the Revised Code be 26
enacted to read as follows: 27
Sec. 3313.603. (A) AS USED IN THIS SECTION: 29
(1) "ONE UNIT" MEANS A MINIMUM OF ONE HUNDRED TWENTY HOURS 32
OF COURSE INSTRUCTION, EXCEPT THAT FOR A LABORATORY COURSE, "ONE 34
UNIT" MEANS A MINIMUM OF ONE HUNDRED FIFTY HOURS OF COURSE 35
INSTRUCTION.
(2) "ONE-HALF UNIT" MEANS A MINIMUM OF SIXTY HOURS OF 38
COURSE INSTRUCTION, EXCEPT THAT FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION COURSES, 39
"ONE-HALF UNIT" MEANS A MINIMUM OF ONE HUNDRED TWENTY HOURS OF 40
COURSE INSTRUCTION.
2
(B) THE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION FROM EVERY HIGH SCHOOL 43
SHALL INCLUDE TWENTY UNITS EARNED IN GRADES NINE THROUGH TWELVE 44
AND SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED AS FOLLOWS: 45
(1) ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, FOUR UNITS; 47
(2) HEALTH, ONE-HALF UNIT; 49
(3) MATHEMATICS, THREE UNITS; 51
(4) PHYSICAL EDUCATION, ONE-HALF UNIT; 53
(5) SCIENCE, THREE UNITS, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE BOTH OF THE 55
FOLLOWING: 56
(a) BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, ONE UNIT; 59
(b) PHYSICAL SCIENCES, ONE UNIT. 62
(6) SOCIAL STUDIES, THREE UNITS, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE BOTH 64
OF THE FOLLOWING: 65
(a) AMERICAN HISTORY, ONE-HALF UNIT; 68
(b) AMERICAN GOVERNMENT, ONE-HALF UNIT. 71
(7) ELECTIVE UNITS, SIX UNITS, WHICH IF A STUDENT IS 73
ENROLLED IN A COLLEGE PREPARATORY CORE CURRICULUM SHALL INCLUDE 74
TWO UNITS IN A SINGLE FOREIGN LANGUAGE. 75
(C) EVERY HIGH SCHOOL MAY PERMIT STUDENTS BELOW THE NINTH 78
GRADE TO TAKE ADVANCED WORK FOR CREDIT, BUT SUCH CREDIT MAY NOT 79
BE CONSIDERED IN CALCULATING THE TWENTY UNITS REQUIRED FOR HIGH 80
SCHOOL GRADUATION AS DESIGNATED IN DIVISION (B) OF THIS SECTION. 82
Section 2. The new minimum requirements for graduation 84
from high school as designated in section 3313.603 shall first 85
apply to high school students graduating after September 15, 86
2000.