To amend sections 3301.0714, 3306.51, 3306.53, 3306.54, 3306.55, 3306.58, 3313.603, 3314.028, and 3314.35 and to enact sections 3301.94, 3306.59, and 3333.0410 of the Revised Code to include Junior ROTC as a permitted elective within the Ohio Core curriculum, to permit schools to excuse Junior ROTC students from high school physical education, to clarify the conditions under which a community school must close for poor academic performance, to specify conditions under which certain community schools may obtain new sponsors, to permit the Department of Education and the Chancellor of the Board of Regents to establish a longitudinal student data system, to extend the deadline for certain school districts to secure voter approval of bonds and tax levies for the districts' shares of state-assisted classroom facilities projects, to make performance of the Harmon Commission's duties contingent on the availability of funding, and to declare an emergency.

SECTION 1. That sections 3301.0714, 3306.51, 3306.53, 3306.54, 3306.55, 3306.58, 3313.603, 3314.028, and 3314.35 be amended and sections 3301.94, 3306.59, and 3333.0410 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 3301.0714.  (A) The state board of education shall adopt rules for a statewide education management information system. The rules shall require the state board to establish guidelines for the establishment and maintenance of the system in accordance with this section and the rules adopted under this section. The guidelines shall include:

(1) Standards identifying and defining the types of data in the system in accordance with divisions (B) and (C) of this section;

(2) Procedures for annually collecting and reporting the data to the state board in accordance with division (D) of this section;

(3) Procedures for annually compiling the data in accordance with division (G) of this section;

(4) Procedures for annually reporting the data to the public in accordance with division (H) of this section.

(B) The guidelines adopted under this section shall require the data maintained in the education management information system to include at least the following:

(1) Student participation and performance data, for each grade in each school district as a whole and for each grade in each school building in each school district, that includes:

(a) The numbers of students receiving each category of instructional service offered by the school district, such as regular education instruction, vocational education instruction, specialized instruction programs or enrichment instruction that is part of the educational curriculum, instruction for gifted students, instruction for students with disabilities, and remedial instruction. The guidelines shall require instructional services under this division to be divided into discrete categories if an instructional service is limited to a specific subject, a specific type of student, or both, such as regular instructional services in mathematics, remedial reading instructional services, instructional services specifically for students gifted in mathematics or some other subject area, or instructional services for students with a specific type of disability. The categories of instructional services required by the guidelines under this division shall be the same as the categories of instructional services used in determining cost units pursuant to division (C)(3) of this section.

(b) The numbers of students receiving support or extracurricular services for each of the support services or extracurricular programs offered by the school district, such as counseling services, health services, and extracurricular sports and fine arts programs. The categories of services required by the guidelines under this division shall be the same as the categories of services used in determining cost units pursuant to division (C)(4)(a) of this section.

(c) Average student grades in each subject in grades nine through twelve;

(d) Academic achievement levels as assessed under sections 3301.0710, 3301.0711, and 3301.0712 of the Revised Code;

(e) The number of students designated as having a disabling condition pursuant to division (C)(1) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code;

(f) The numbers of students reported to the state board pursuant to division (C)(2) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code;

(g) Attendance rates and the average daily attendance for the year. For purposes of this division, a student shall be counted as present for any field trip that is approved by the school administration.

(h) Expulsion rates;

(i) Suspension rates;

(j) Dropout rates;

(k) Rates of retention in grade;

(l) For pupils in grades nine through twelve, the average number of carnegie units, as calculated in accordance with state board of education rules;

(m) Graduation rates, to be calculated in a manner specified by the department of education that reflects the rate at which students who were in the ninth grade three years prior to the current year complete school and that is consistent with nationally accepted reporting requirements;

(n) Results of diagnostic assessments administered to kindergarten students as required under section 3301.0715 of the Revised Code to permit a comparison of the academic readiness of kindergarten students. However, no district shall be required to report to the department the results of any diagnostic assessment administered to a kindergarten student if the parent of that student requests the district not to report those results.

(2) Personnel and classroom enrollment data for each school district, including:

(a) The total numbers of licensed employees and nonlicensed employees and the numbers of full-time equivalent licensed employees and nonlicensed employees providing each category of instructional service, instructional support service, and administrative support service used pursuant to division (C)(3) of this section. The guidelines adopted under this section shall require these categories of data to be maintained for the school district as a whole and, wherever applicable, for each grade in the school district as a whole, for each school building as a whole, and for each grade in each school building.

(b) The total number of employees and the number of full-time equivalent employees providing each category of service used pursuant to divisions (C)(4)(a) and (b) of this section, and the total numbers of licensed employees and nonlicensed employees and the numbers of full-time equivalent licensed employees and nonlicensed employees providing each category used pursuant to division (C)(4)(c) of this section. The guidelines adopted under this section shall require these categories of data to be maintained for the school district as a whole and, wherever applicable, for each grade in the school district as a whole, for each school building as a whole, and for each grade in each school building.

(c) The total number of regular classroom teachers teaching classes of regular education and the average number of pupils enrolled in each such class, in each of grades kindergarten through five in the district as a whole and in each school building in the school district.

(d) The number of lead teachers employed by each school district and each school building.

(3)(a) Student demographic data for each school district, including information regarding the gender ratio of the school district's pupils, the racial make-up of the school district's pupils, the number of limited English proficient students in the district, and an appropriate measure of the number of the school district's pupils who reside in economically disadvantaged households. The demographic data shall be collected in a manner to allow correlation with data collected under division (B)(1) of this section. Categories for data collected pursuant to division (B)(3) of this section shall conform, where appropriate, to standard practices of agencies of the federal government.

(b) With respect to each student entering kindergarten, whether the student previously participated in a public preschool program, a private preschool program, or a head start program, and the number of years the student participated in each of these programs.

(4) Any data required to be collected pursuant to federal law.

(C) The education management information system shall include cost accounting data for each district as a whole and for each school building in each school district. The guidelines adopted under this section shall require the cost data for each school district to be maintained in a system of mutually exclusive cost units and shall require all of the costs of each school district to be divided among the cost units. The guidelines shall require the system of mutually exclusive cost units to include at least the following:

(1) Administrative costs for the school district as a whole. The guidelines shall require the cost units under this division (C)(1) to be designed so that each of them may be compiled and reported in terms of average expenditure per pupil in formula ADM in the school district, as determined pursuant to section 3317.03 of the Revised Code.

(2) Administrative costs for each school building in the school district. The guidelines shall require the cost units under this division (C)(2) to be designed so that each of them may be compiled and reported in terms of average expenditure per full-time equivalent pupil receiving instructional or support services in each building.

(3) Instructional services costs for each category of instructional service provided directly to students and required by guidelines adopted pursuant to division (B)(1)(a) of this section. The guidelines shall require the cost units under division (C)(3) of this section to be designed so that each of them may be compiled and reported in terms of average expenditure per pupil receiving the service in the school district as a whole and average expenditure per pupil receiving the service in each building in the school district and in terms of a total cost for each category of service and, as a breakdown of the total cost, a cost for each of the following components:

(a) The cost of each instructional services category required by guidelines adopted under division (B)(1)(a) of this section that is provided directly to students by a classroom teacher;

(b) The cost of the instructional support services, such as services provided by a speech-language pathologist, classroom aide, multimedia aide, or librarian, provided directly to students in conjunction with each instructional services category;

(c) The cost of the administrative support services related to each instructional services category, such as the cost of personnel that develop the curriculum for the instructional services category and the cost of personnel supervising or coordinating the delivery of the instructional services category.

(4) Support or extracurricular services costs for each category of service directly provided to students and required by guidelines adopted pursuant to division (B)(1)(b) of this section. The guidelines shall require the cost units under division (C)(4) of this section to be designed so that each of them may be compiled and reported in terms of average expenditure per pupil receiving the service in the school district as a whole and average expenditure per pupil receiving the service in each building in the school district and in terms of a total cost for each category of service and, as a breakdown of the total cost, a cost for each of the following components:

(a) The cost of each support or extracurricular services category required by guidelines adopted under division (B)(1)(b) of this section that is provided directly to students by a licensed employee, such as services provided by a guidance counselor or any services provided by a licensed employee under a supplemental contract;

(b) The cost of each such services category provided directly to students by a nonlicensed employee, such as janitorial services, cafeteria services, or services of a sports trainer;

(c) The cost of the administrative services related to each services category in division (C)(4)(a) or (b) of this section, such as the cost of any licensed or nonlicensed employees that develop, supervise, coordinate, or otherwise are involved in administering or aiding the delivery of each services category.

(D)(1) The guidelines adopted under this section shall require school districts to collect information about individual students, staff members, or both in connection with any data required by division (B) or (C) of this section or other reporting requirements established in the Revised Code. The guidelines may also require school districts to report information about individual staff members in connection with any data required by division (B) or (C) of this section or other reporting requirements established in the Revised Code. The guidelines shall not authorize school districts to request social security numbers of individual students. The guidelines shall prohibit the reporting under this section of a student's name, address, and social security number to the state board of education or the department of education. The guidelines shall also prohibit the reporting under this section of any personally identifiable information about any student, except for the purpose of assigning the data verification code required by division (D)(2) of this section, to any other person unless such person is employed by the school district or the information technology center operated under section 3301.075 of the Revised Code and is authorized by the district or technology center to have access to such information or is employed by an entity with which the department contracts for the scoring of assessments administered under section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code. The guidelines may require school districts to provide the social security numbers of individual staff members.

(2) The guidelines shall provide for each school district or community school to assign a data verification code that is unique on a statewide basis over time to each student whose initial Ohio enrollment is in that district or school and to report all required individual student data for that student utilizing such code. The guidelines shall also provide for assigning data verification codes to all students enrolled in districts or community schools on the effective date of the guidelines established under this section.

Individual student data shall be reported to the department through the information technology centers utilizing the code but, except as provided in sections 3310.11, 3310.42, 3313.978, and 3317.20 of the Revised Code, at no time shall the state board or the department have access to information that would enable any data verification code to be matched to personally identifiable student data.

Each school district shall ensure that the data verification code is included in the student's records reported to any subsequent school district or, community school, or state institution of higher education, as defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code, in which the student enrolls. Any such subsequent district or school shall utilize the same identifier in its reporting of data under this section.

The director of health shall request and receive, pursuant to sections 3301.0723 and 3701.62 of the Revised Code, a data verification code for a child who is receiving services under division (A)(2) of section 3701.61 of the Revised Code.

(E) The guidelines adopted under this section may require school districts to collect and report data, information, or reports other than that described in divisions (A), (B), and (C) of this section for the purpose of complying with other reporting requirements established in the Revised Code. The other data, information, or reports may be maintained in the education management information system but are not required to be compiled as part of the profile formats required under division (G) of this section or the annual statewide report required under division (H) of this section.

(F) Beginning with the school year that begins July 1, 1991, the board of education of each school district shall annually collect and report to the state board, in accordance with the guidelines established by the board, the data required pursuant to this section. A school district may collect and report these data notwithstanding section 2151.357 or 3319.321 of the Revised Code.

(G) The state board shall, in accordance with the procedures it adopts, annually compile the data reported by each school district pursuant to division (D) of this section. The state board shall design formats for profiling each school district as a whole and each school building within each district and shall compile the data in accordance with these formats. These profile formats shall:

(1) Include all of the data gathered under this section in a manner that facilitates comparison among school districts and among school buildings within each school district;

(2) Present the data on academic achievement levels as assessed by the testing of student achievement maintained pursuant to division (B)(1)(d) of this section.

(H)(1) The state board shall, in accordance with the procedures it adopts, annually prepare a statewide report for all school districts and the general public that includes the profile of each of the school districts developed pursuant to division (G) of this section. Copies of the report shall be sent to each school district.

(2) The state board shall, in accordance with the procedures it adopts, annually prepare an individual report for each school district and the general public that includes the profiles of each of the school buildings in that school district developed pursuant to division (G) of this section. Copies of the report shall be sent to the superintendent of the district and to each member of the district board of education.

(3) Copies of the reports received from the state board under divisions (H)(1) and (2) of this section shall be made available to the general public at each school district's offices. Each district board of education shall make copies of each report available to any person upon request and payment of a reasonable fee for the cost of reproducing the report. The board shall annually publish in a newspaper of general circulation in the school district, at least twice during the two weeks prior to the week in which the reports will first be available, a notice containing the address where the reports are available and the date on which the reports will be available.

(I) Any data that is collected or maintained pursuant to this section and that identifies an individual pupil is not a public record for the purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(J) As used in this section:

(1) "School district" means any city, local, exempted village, or joint vocational school district and, in accordance with section 3314.17 of the Revised Code, any community school. As used in division (L) of this section, "school district" also includes any educational service center or other educational entity required to submit data using the system established under this section.

(2) "Cost" means any expenditure for operating expenses made by a school district excluding any expenditures for debt retirement except for payments made to any commercial lending institution for any loan approved pursuant to section 3313.483 of the Revised Code.

(K) Any person who removes data from the information system established under this section for the purpose of releasing it to any person not entitled under law to have access to such information is subject to section 2913.42 of the Revised Code prohibiting tampering with data.

(L)(1) In accordance with division (L)(2) of this section and the rules adopted under division (L)(10) of this section, the department of education may sanction any school district that reports incomplete or inaccurate data, reports data that does not conform to data requirements and descriptions published by the department, fails to report data in a timely manner, or otherwise does not make a good faith effort to report data as required by this section.

(2) If the department decides to sanction a school district under this division, the department shall take the following sequential actions:

(a) Notify the district in writing that the department has determined that data has not been reported as required under this section and require the district to review its data submission and submit corrected data by a deadline established by the department. The department also may require the district to develop a corrective action plan, which shall include provisions for the district to provide mandatory staff training on data reporting procedures.

(b) Withhold up to ten per cent of the total amount of state funds due to the district for the current fiscal year and, if not previously required under division (L)(2)(a) of this section, require the district to develop a corrective action plan in accordance with that division;

(c) Withhold an additional amount of up to twenty per cent of the total amount of state funds due to the district for the current fiscal year;

(d) Direct department staff or an outside entity to investigate the district's data reporting practices and make recommendations for subsequent actions. The recommendations may include one or more of the following actions:

(i) Arrange for an audit of the district's data reporting practices by department staff or an outside entity;

(ii) Conduct a site visit and evaluation of the district;

(iii) Withhold an additional amount of up to thirty per cent of the total amount of state funds due to the district for the current fiscal year;

(iv) Continue monitoring the district's data reporting;

(v) Assign department staff to supervise the district's data management system;

(vi) Conduct an investigation to determine whether to suspend or revoke the license of any district employee in accordance with division (N) of this section;

(vii) If the district is issued a report card under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code, indicate on the report card that the district has been sanctioned for failing to report data as required by this section;

(viii) If the district is issued a report card under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code and incomplete or inaccurate data submitted by the district likely caused the district to receive a higher performance rating than it deserved under that section, issue a revised report card for the district;

(ix) Any other action designed to correct the district's data reporting problems.

(3) Any time the department takes an action against a school district under division (L)(2) of this section, the department shall make a report of the circumstances that prompted the action. The department shall send a copy of the report to the district superintendent or chief administrator and maintain a copy of the report in its files.

(4) If any action taken under division (L)(2) of this section resolves a school district's data reporting problems to the department's satisfaction, the department shall not take any further actions described by that division. If the department withheld funds from the district under that division, the department may release those funds to the district, except that if the department withheld funding under division (L)(2)(c) of this section, the department shall not release the funds withheld under division (L)(2)(b) of this section and, if the department withheld funding under division (L)(2)(d) of this section, the department shall not release the funds withheld under division (L)(2)(b) or (c) of this section.

(5) Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, the department may use its own staff or an outside entity to conduct an audit of a school district's data reporting practices any time the department has reason to believe the district has not made a good faith effort to report data as required by this section. If any audit conducted by an outside entity under division (L)(2)(d)(i) or (5) of this section confirms that a district has not made a good faith effort to report data as required by this section, the district shall reimburse the department for the full cost of the audit. The department may withhold state funds due to the district for this purpose.

(6) Prior to issuing a revised report card for a school district under division (L)(2)(d)(viii) of this section, the department may hold a hearing to provide the district with an opportunity to demonstrate that it made a good faith effort to report data as required by this section. The hearing shall be conducted by a referee appointed by the department. Based on the information provided in the hearing, the referee shall recommend whether the department should issue a revised report card for the district. If the referee affirms the department's contention that the district did not make a good faith effort to report data as required by this section, the district shall bear the full cost of conducting the hearing and of issuing any revised report card.

(7) If the department determines that any inaccurate data reported under this section caused a school district to receive excess state funds in any fiscal year, the district shall reimburse the department an amount equal to the excess funds, in accordance with a payment schedule determined by the department. The department may withhold state funds due to the district for this purpose.

(8) Any school district that has funds withheld under division (L)(2) of this section may appeal the withholding in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(9) In all cases of a disagreement between the department and a school district regarding the appropriateness of an action taken under division (L)(2) of this section, the burden of proof shall be on the district to demonstrate that it made a good faith effort to report data as required by this section.

(10) The state board of education shall adopt rules under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to implement division (L) of this section.

(M) No information technology center or school district shall acquire, change, or update its student administration software package to manage and report data required to be reported to the department unless it converts to a student software package that is certified by the department.

(N) The state board of education, in accordance with sections 3319.31 and 3319.311 of the Revised Code, may suspend or revoke a license as defined under division (A) of section 3319.31 of the Revised Code that has been issued to any school district employee found to have willfully reported erroneous, inaccurate, or incomplete data to the education management information system.

(O) No person shall release or maintain any information about any student in violation of this section. Whoever violates this division is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

(P) The department shall disaggregate the data collected under division (B)(1)(n) of this section according to the race and socioeconomic status of the students assessed. No data collected under that division shall be included on the report cards required by section 3302.03 of the Revised Code.

(Q) If the department cannot compile any of the information required by division (C)(5) of section 3302.03 of the Revised Code based upon the data collected under this section, the department shall develop a plan and a reasonable timeline for the collection of any data necessary to comply with that division.

Sec. 3301.94. Upon approval of the state board of education, the superintendent of public instruction and the chancellor of the Ohio board of regents may enter into a memorandum of understanding under which the department of education, on behalf of the chancellor, will receive and maintain copies of data records containing student information reported to the chancellor for the purpose of combining those records with the data reported to the education management information system established under section 3301.0714 of the Revised Code to establish an education data repository that may be used to conduct longitudinal research and evaluation. The memorandum of understanding shall specify the following:

(A) That, prior to establishing the repository, the superintendent and chancellor shall develop a strategic plan for the repository that outlines the goals to be achieved from its implementation and use. A copy of the strategic plan shall be provided to the governor, the president of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives.

(B) That the chancellor shall submit all student data to be included in the repository to the independent contractor engaged by the department to create and maintain the student data verification codes required by division (D)(2) of section 3301.0714 of the Revised Code. For each student included in the data submitted by the chancellor, the independent contractor shall determine whether a data verification code has been assigned to that student. In the case of a student to whom a data verification code has been assigned, the independent contractor shall add the code to the student's data record and remove from the data record any information that would enable the data verification code to be matched to personally identifiable student data. In the case of a student to whom a data verification code has not been assigned, the independent contractor shall assign a data verification code to the student, add the data verification code to the student's data record, and remove from the data record any information that would enable the data verification code to be matched to personally identifiable student data. After making the modifications described in this division, the independent contractor shall transmit the data to the department.

(C) That the superintendent and the chancellor jointly shall develop procedures for the maintenance of the data in the repository and shall designate the types of research that may be conducted using that data. Permitted uses of the data shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) Assisting the department, superintendent, or state board in performing audit and evaluation functions concerning preschool, elementary, and secondary education as required or authorized by any provision of law, including division (C) of section 3301.07 and sections 3301.12, 3301.16, 3301.53, 3301.57, 3301.58, and 3302.03 of the Revised Code;

(2) Assisting the chancellor in performing audit and evaluation functions concerning higher education as required or authorized by any provision of law, including sections 3333.04, 3333.041, 3333.047, 3333.122, 3333.123, 3333.16, 3333.161, 3333.374, 3333.72, and 3333.82 of the Revised Code.

(D) That the superintendent and the chancellor, from time to time, jointly may enter into written agreements with entities for the use of data in the repository to conduct research and analysis designed to evaluate the effectiveness of programs or services, to measure progress against specific strategic planning goals, or for any other purpose permitted by law that the superintendent and chancellor consider necessary for the performance of their duties under the Revised Code. The agreements may permit the disclosure of personally identifiable student information to the entity named in the agreement, provided that disclosure complies with the "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974," 88 Stat. 571, 20 U.S.C. 1232g, as amended, and regulations promulgated under that act prescribing requirements for such agreements. The superintendent shall notify the state board of each agreement entered into under this division.

(E) That the data in the repository submitted by the department shall remain under the direct control of the department and that the data in the repository submitted by the chancellor shall remain under the direct control of the chancellor;

(F) That the data in the repository shall be managed in a manner that complies with the "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974," 88 Stat. 571, 20 U.S.C. 1232g, as amended;

(G) That all costs related to the initial establishment and ongoing maintenance of the repository shall be paid from funds received from state incentive grants awarded under division (A), Title XIV, section 14006 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, other federal grant programs, or existing appropriations of the department or chancellor that are designated for a purpose consistent with this section;

(H) That the department annually shall report to the state board and the chancellor all requests for access to or use of the data in the repository and all costs related to the initial establishment and ongoing maintenance of the repository.

Sec. 3306.51.  The Harmon commission shall review and approve or disapprove applications from city, exempted village, and local school districts and community schools established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code for individual classrooms to be designated as creative learning environments. To be eligible for designation of one or more of its classrooms as a creative learning environment, a community school shall enter into a memorandum of understanding, approved by the department of education, with one or more school districts that specifies a collaborative agreement to share programming and resources to promote successful academic achievement for students and academic and fiscal efficiencies.

The commission shall designate a classroom as a creative learning environment if the commission determines that the classroom supports and emphasizes innovation in instruction methods and lesson plans and operates in accordance with the guidelines adopted by the state board of education under section 3306.52 of the Revised Code. Beginning July 1, 2010, a A district or community school that has a classroom that is designated a creative learning environment may qualify for a grant or subsidy awarded by the commission under section 3306.58 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3306.53.  From January 1, 2010, through April 14, 2010, The superintendent of public instruction shall establish an application period during which a city, exempted village, or local school district and a community school may submit to the Harmon commission an unlimited number of applications for first-time designation of individual classrooms as creative learning environments. No applications may be submitted between April 15, 2010, and July 1, 2010. After July 1, 2010 After that application period, each city, exempted village, or local school district and each eligible community school may submit only one application per fiscal year for first-time designation of one classroom as a creative learning environment.

Sec. 3306.54.  Not later than the first day of May each year Following the end of the initial application period established under section 3306.53 of the Revised Code, the Harmon commission shall begin meeting meet to review pending applications for first-time designations submitted under that section 3306.53 of the Revised Code. The commission shall approve or disapprove all pending applications by the first day of July not later than two months after the end of the application period. The decision of the commission is final.

Sec. 3306.55.  (A) The Harmon commission's first-time designation of a classroom as a creative learning environment is valid for one the first full fiscal year following approval of the application under section 3306.54 of the Revised Code. A school district or community school may apply to have the designation renewed. The commission shall renew the designation for the next two fiscal years if the school district or community school applies for the renewal and the commission finds that the classroom continues to meet the guidelines adopted under section 3306.52 of the Revised Code. The commission shall not renew the designation if the school district or community school does not apply for renewal or if the commission determines that the classroom no longer meets those guidelines.

(B) At the end of a two-year renewal granted under division (A) of this section, and every two fiscal years thereafter, the designation of a classroom as a creative learning environment is automatically renewed, without need for application, for the next two fiscal years, unless the designation is revoked under division (C) of this section.

(C) If the department of education at any time finds that the classroom is no longer operating in accordance with the standards adopted under section 3306.52 of the Revised Code, the department shall appeal the designation to the commission not later than the fifteenth day of February. The commission shall review the operation of the classroom and either continue the designation or revoke the designation. A revocation shall take effect on the first day of July following the department's appeal.

(D) The decision of the commission under divisions (A) to (C) of this section is final.

(E) If the commission does not renew a designation of a classroom under division (A) of this section or revokes that designation under division (C) of this section, the district or community school may reapply for designation of the classroom under section 3306.53 of the Revised Code. That application shall be treated as a new application for first-time designation.

Sec. 3306.58.  Beginning July 1, 2010, to To the extent the Harmon commission determines that sufficient funds are available, the commission may award grants or stipends to school districts and community schools that have one or more of their classrooms designated as creative learning environments under section 3306.51 of the Revised Code. The commission shall adopt procedures for application for and the award of grants or stipends under this section.

Sec. 3306.59.  Sections 3306.50 to 3306.58 of the Revised Code shall be implemented unless the general assembly does not appropriate funds to perform the duties prescribed by those sections or the superintendent of public instruction determines that sufficient funds are not available for that purpose.

Sec. 3313.603.  (A) As used in this section:

(1) "One unit" means a minimum of one hundred twenty hours of course instruction, except that for a laboratory course, "one unit" means a minimum of one hundred fifty hours of course instruction.

(2) "One-half unit" means a minimum of sixty hours of course instruction, except that for physical education courses, "one-half unit" means a minimum of one hundred twenty hours of course instruction.

(B) Beginning September 15, 2001, except as required in division (C) of this section and division (C) of section 3313.614 of the Revised Code, the requirements for graduation from every high school shall include twenty units earned in grades nine through twelve and shall be distributed as follows:

(1) English language arts, four units;

(2) Health, one-half unit;

(3) Mathematics, three units;

(4) Physical education, one-half unit;

(5) Science, two units until September 15, 2003, and three units thereafter, which at all times shall include both of the following:

(a) Biological sciences, one unit;

(b) Physical sciences, one unit.

(6) Social studies, three units, which shall include both of the following:

(a) American history, one-half unit;

(b) American government, one-half unit.

(7) Elective units, seven units until September 15, 2003, and six units thereafter.

Each student's electives shall include at least one unit, or two half units, chosen from among the areas of business/technology, fine arts, and/or foreign language.

(C) Beginning with students who enter ninth grade for the first time on or after July 1, 2010, except as provided in divisions (D) to (F) of this section, the requirements for graduation from every public and chartered nonpublic high school shall include twenty units that are designed to prepare students for the workforce and college. The units shall be distributed as follows:

(1) English language arts, four units;

(2) Health, one-half unit;

(3) Mathematics, four units, which shall include one unit of algebra II or the equivalent of algebra II;

(4) Physical education, one-half unit;

(5) Science, three units with inquiry-based laboratory experience that engages students in asking valid scientific questions and gathering and analyzing information, which shall include the following, or their equivalent:

(a) Physical sciences, one unit;

(b) Life sciences, one unit;

(c) Advanced study in one or more of the following sciences, one unit:

(i) Chemistry, physics, or other physical science;

(ii) Advanced biology or other life science;

(iii) Astronomy, physical geology, or other earth or space science.

(6) Social studies, three units, which shall include both of the following:

(a) American history, one-half unit;

(b) American government, one-half unit.

Each school shall integrate the study of economics and financial literacy, as expressed in the social studies academic content standards adopted by the state board of education under division (A)(1) of section 3301.079 of the Revised Code and the academic content standards for financial literacy and entrepreneurship adopted under division (A)(2) of that section, into one or more existing social studies credits required under division (C)(6) of this section, or into the content of another class, so that every high school student receives instruction in those concepts. In developing the curriculum required by this paragraph, schools shall use available public-private partnerships and resources and materials that exist in business, industry, and through the centers for economics education at institutions of higher education in the state.

(7) Five units consisting of one or any combination of foreign language, fine arts, business, career-technical education, family and consumer sciences, technology, agricultural education, a junior reserve officer training corps (JROTC) program approved by the congress of the United States under title 10 of the United States Code, or English language arts, mathematics, science, or social studies courses not otherwise required under division (C) of this section.

Ohioans must be prepared to apply increased knowledge and skills in the workplace and to adapt their knowledge and skills quickly to meet the rapidly changing conditions of the twenty-first century. National studies indicate that all high school graduates need the same academic foundation, regardless of the opportunities they pursue after graduation. The goal of Ohio's system of elementary and secondary education is to prepare all students for and seamlessly connect all students to success in life beyond high school graduation, regardless of whether the next step is entering the workforce, beginning an apprenticeship, engaging in post-secondary training, serving in the military, or pursuing a college degree.

The Ohio core curriculum is the standard expectation for all students entering ninth grade for the first time at a public or chartered nonpublic high school on or after July 1, 2010. A student may satisfy this expectation through a variety of methods, including, but not limited to, integrated, applied, career-technical, and traditional coursework.

Whereas teacher quality is essential for student success in completing the Ohio core curriculum, the general assembly shall appropriate funds for strategic initiatives designed to strengthen schools' capacities to hire and retain highly qualified teachers in the subject areas required by the curriculum. Such initiatives are expected to require an investment of $120,000,000 over five years.

Stronger coordination between high schools and institutions of higher education is necessary to prepare students for more challenging academic endeavors and to lessen the need for academic remediation in college, thereby reducing the costs of higher education for Ohio's students, families, and the state. The state board of education and the chancellor of the Ohio board of regents shall develop policies to ensure that only in rare instances will students who complete the Ohio core curriculum require academic remediation after high school.

School districts, community schools, and chartered nonpublic schools shall integrate technology into learning experiences whenever practicable across the curriculum in order to maximize efficiency, enhance learning, and prepare students for success in the technology-driven twenty-first century. Districts and schools may use distance and web-based course delivery as a method of providing or augmenting all instruction required under this division, including laboratory experience in science. Districts and schools shall whenever practicable utilize technology access and electronic learning opportunities provided by the eTech Ohio commission, the Ohio learning network, education technology centers, public television stations, and other public and private providers.

(D) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, a student who enters ninth grade on or after July 1, 2010, and before July 1, 2014, may qualify for graduation from a public or chartered nonpublic high school even though the student has not completed the Ohio core curriculum prescribed in division (C) of this section if all of the following conditions are satisfied:

(1) After the student has attended high school for two years, as determined by the school, the student and the student's parent, guardian, or custodian sign and file with the school a written statement asserting the parent's, guardian's, or custodian's consent to the student's graduating without completing the Ohio core curriculum and acknowledging that one consequence of not completing the Ohio core curriculum is ineligibility to enroll in most state universities in Ohio without further coursework.

(2) The student and parent, guardian, or custodian fulfill any procedural requirements the school stipulates to ensure the student's and parent's, guardian's, or custodian's informed consent and to facilitate orderly filing of statements under division (D)(1) of this section.

(3) The student and the student's parent, guardian, or custodian and a representative of the student's high school jointly develop an individual career plan for the student that specifies the student matriculating to a two-year degree program, acquiring a business and industry credential, or entering an apprenticeship.

(4) The student's high school provides counseling and support for the student related to the plan developed under division (D)(3) of this section during the remainder of the student's high school experience.

(5) The student successfully completes, at a minimum, the curriculum prescribed in division (B) of this section.

The department of education, in collaboration with the the chancellor of the Ohio board of regents, shall analyze student performance data to determine if there are mitigating factors that warrant extending the exception permitted by division (D) of this section to high school classes beyond those entering ninth grade before July 1, 2014. The department shall submit its findings and any recommendations not later than August 1, 2014, to the speaker and minority leader of the house of representatives, the president and minority leader of the senate, the chairpersons and ranking minority members of the standing committees of the house of representatives and the senate that consider education legislation, the state board of education, and the superintendent of public instruction.

(E) Each school district and chartered nonpublic school retains the authority to require an even more rigorous minimum curriculum for high school graduation than specified in division (B) or (C) of this section. A school district board of education, through the adoption of a resolution, or the governing authority of a chartered nonpublic school may stipulate any of the following:

(1) A minimum high school curriculum that requires more than twenty units of academic credit to graduate;

(2) An exception to the district's or school's minimum high school curriculum that is comparable to the exception provided in division (D) of this section but with additional requirements, which may include a requirement that the student successfully complete more than the minimum curriculum prescribed in division (B) of this section;

(3) That no exception comparable to that provided in division (D) of this section is available.

(F) A student enrolled in a dropout prevention and recovery program, which program has received a waiver from the department of education, may qualify for graduation from high school by successfully completing a competency-based instructional program administered by the dropout prevention and recovery program in lieu of completing the Ohio core curriculum prescribed in division (C) of this section. The department shall grant a waiver to a dropout prevention and recovery program, within sixty days after the program applies for the waiver, if the program meets all of the following conditions:

(1) The program serves only students not younger than sixteen years of age and not older than twenty-one years of age.

(2) The program enrolls students who, at the time of their initial enrollment, either, or both, are at least one grade level behind their cohort age groups or experience crises that significantly interfere with their academic progress such that they are prevented from continuing their traditional programs.

(3) The program requires students to attain at least the applicable score designated for each of the assessments prescribed under division (B)(1) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code or, to the extent prescribed by rule of the state board of education under division (E)(6) of section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code, division (B)(2) of that section.

(4) The program develops an individual career plan for the student that specifies the student's matriculating to a two-year degree program, acquiring a business and industry credential, or entering an apprenticeship.

(5) The program provides counseling and support for the student related to the plan developed under division (F)(4) of this section during the remainder of the student's high school experience.

(6) The program requires the student and the student's parent, guardian, or custodian to sign and file, in accordance with procedural requirements stipulated by the program, a written statement asserting the parent's, guardian's, or custodian's consent to the student's graduating without completing the Ohio core curriculum and acknowledging that one consequence of not completing the Ohio core curriculum is ineligibility to enroll in most state universities in Ohio without further coursework.

(7) Prior to receiving the waiver, the program has submitted to the department an instructional plan that demonstrates how the academic content standards adopted by the state board of education under section 3301.079 of the Revised Code will be taught and assessed.

If the department does not act either to grant the waiver or to reject the program application for the waiver within sixty days as required under this section, the waiver shall be considered to be granted.

(G) Every high school may permit students below the ninth grade to take advanced work. If a high school so permits, it shall award high school credit for successful completion of the advanced work and shall count such advanced work toward the graduation requirements of division (B) or (C) of this section if the advanced work was both:

(1) Taught by a person who possesses a license or certificate issued under section 3301.071, 3319.22, or 3319.222 of the Revised Code that is valid for teaching high school;

(2) Designated by the board of education of the city, local, or exempted village school district, the board of the cooperative education school district, or the governing authority of the chartered nonpublic school as meeting the high school curriculum requirements.

Each high school shall record on the student's high school transcript all high school credit awarded under division (G) of this section. In addition, if the student completed a seventh- or eighth-grade fine arts course described in division (K) of this section and the course qualified for high school credit under that division, the high school shall record that course on the student's high school transcript.

(H) The department shall make its individual academic career plan available through its Ohio career information system web site for districts and schools to use as a tool for communicating with and providing guidance to students and families in selecting high school courses.

(I) Units earned in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies that are delivered through integrated academic and career-technical instruction are eligible to meet the graduation requirements of division (B) or (C) of this section.

(J) The state board of education, in consultation with the chancellor of the Ohio board of regents, shall adopt a statewide plan implementing methods for students to earn units of high school credit based on a demonstration of subject area competency, instead of or in combination with completing hours of classroom instruction. The state board shall adopt the plan not later than March 31, 2009, and commence phasing in the plan during the 2009-2010 school year. The plan shall include a standard method for recording demonstrated proficiency on high school transcripts. Each school district, community school, and chartered nonpublic school shall comply with the state board's plan adopted under this division and award units of high school credit in accordance with the plan. The state board may adopt existing methods for earning high school credit based on a demonstration of subject area competency as necessary prior to the 2009-2010 school year.

(K) This division does not apply to students who qualify for graduation from high school under division (D) or (F) of this section, or to students pursuing a career-technical instructional track as determined by the school district board of education or the chartered nonpublic school's governing authority. Nevertheless, the general assembly encourages such students to consider enrolling in a fine arts course as an elective.

Beginning with students who enter ninth grade for the first time on or after July 1, 2010, each student enrolled in a public or chartered nonpublic high school shall complete two semesters or the equivalent of fine arts to graduate from high school. The coursework may be completed in any of grades seven to twelve. Each student who completes a fine arts course in grade seven or eight may elect to count that course toward the five units of electives required for graduation under division (C)(7) of this section, if the course satisfied the requirements of division (G) of this section. In that case, the high school shall award the student high school credit for the course and count the course toward the five units required under division (C)(7) of this section. If the course in grade seven or eight did not satisfy the requirements of division (G) of this section, the high school shall not award the student high school credit for the course but shall count the course toward the two semesters or the equivalent of fine arts required by this division.

(L) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this section, the board of education of each school district and the governing authority of each chartered nonpublic school may adopt a policy to excuse from the high school physical education requirement each student who, during high school, has participated in interscholastic athletics, marching band, or cheerleading for at least two full seasons or in the junior reserve officer training corps for at least two full school years. If the board or authority adopts such a policy, the board or authority shall not require the student to complete any physical education course as a condition to graduate. However, the student shall be required to complete one-half unit, consisting of at least sixty hours of instruction, in another course of study. In the case of a student who has participated in the junior reserve officer training corps for at least two full school years, credit received for that participation may be used to satisfy the requirement to complete one-half unit in another course of study.

Sec. 3314.028. (A) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, a community school that meets the following conditions may operate from the facility in which the school was located in the 2008-2009 school year and shall not be required to locate to another school district:

(A)(1) The school was located in the facility for at least the three school years prior to the 2009-2010 school year.

(B)(2) The school's sponsor is a school district that is adjacent to the school district in which the school is located.

(C)(3) The school's education program emphasizes serving students identified as gifted under Chapter 3324. of the Revised Code.

(D)(4) The school has been rated in need of continuous improvement or higher under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for the previous three school years.

(B) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, a community school described in division (A) of this section may operate as a conversion school.

(C) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, in accordance with section 3314.03 of the Revised Code, the governing authority of a community school described in division (A) of this section may enter into a contract for the 2010-2011 school year and later with a different sponsor that is one of the following entities, provided the school was rated in need of continuous improvement or better under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for the 2008-2009 school year and the sponsor described in division (A)(2) of this section approves the change in sponsorship:

(1) The board of education of a city, exempted village, local, or joint vocational school district;

(2) The governing board of an educational service center;

(3) A sponsoring authority designated by the board of trustees of a state university listed in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code or the board of trustees itself.

Sec. 3314.35.  (A)(1) Except as provided in division (A)(3) of this section, this section applies to any community school that meets one of the following criteria after July 1, 2008, but before July 1, 2009:

(a) The school does not offer a grade level higher than three and has been declared to be in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for four consecutive school years.

(b) The school satisfies all of the following conditions:

(i) The school offers any of grade levels four to eight but does not offer a grade level higher than nine.

(ii) The school has been declared to be in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for three consecutive school years.

(iii) For two of those school years, the school showed less than one standard year of academic growth in either reading or mathematics, as determined by the department of education in accordance with rules adopted under division (A) of section 3302.021 of the Revised Code.

(c) The school satisfies all of the following conditions:

(i) The school offers any of grade levels ten to twelve.

(ii) The school has been declared to be in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for three consecutive school years.

(iii) For two of those school years, the school showed less than two standard years of academic growth in either reading or mathematics, as determined by the department in accordance with rules adopted under division (A) of section 3302.021 of the Revised Code.

(2) Except as provided in division (A)(3) of this section, this section applies to any community school that meets one of the following criteria after July 1, 2009:

(a) The school does not offer a grade level higher than three and has been declared to be in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for three of the four most recent school years.

(b) The school satisfies all of the following conditions:

(i) The school offers any of grade levels four to eight but does not offer a grade level higher than nine.

(ii) The school has been declared to be in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for two of the three most recent school years.

(iii) In at least two of the three most recent school years, the school showed less than one standard year of academic growth in either reading or mathematics, as determined by the department in accordance with rules adopted under division (A) of section 3302.021 of the Revised Code.

(c) The school offers any of grade levels ten to twelve and has been declared to be in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for three of the four most recent school years.

(3) This section does not apply to either of the following:

(a) Any community school in which a majority of the students are enrolled in a dropout prevention and recovery program that is operated by the school and that has been granted a waiver under section 3314.36 of the Revised Code;

(b) Any community school in which a majority of the enrolled students are children with disabilities receiving special education and related services in accordance with Chapter 3323. of the Revised Code.

(B) Any community school to which this section applies shall permanently close at the conclusion of the school year in which the school first becomes subject to this section. The sponsor and governing authority of the school shall comply with all procedures for closing a community school adopted by the department under division (E) of section 3314.015 of the Revised Code. The governing authority of the school shall not enter into a contract with any other sponsor under section 3314.03 of the Revised Code after the school closes.

(C) Not later than July 1, 2008, the department shall determine the feasibility of using the value-added progress dimension, as defined in section 3302.01 of the Revised Code, as a factor in evaluating the academic performance of community schools described in division (A)(1)(c)(i) of this section. Notwithstanding divisions (A)(1)(c)(ii) and (iii) of this section, if the department determines that using the value-added progress dimension to evaluate community schools described in division (A)(1)(c)(i) of this section is not feasible, a community school described in that division shall be required to permanently close under this section only if it has been declared to be in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for four consecutive school years.

(D) In accordance with division (B) of section 3314.012 of the Revised Code, the department shall not consider the performance ratings assigned to a community school for its first two years of operation when determining whether the school meets the criteria prescribed by division (A)(2) of this section. The department shall reevaluate each community school that the department directed to close at the conclusion of the 2009-2010 school year to determine if the school still meets the criteria prescribed by division (A)(2) of this section when the school's performance ratings for its first two years of operation are not considered and, if the school no longer meets those criteria, the department shall not require the school to close at the conclusion of that school year.

Sec. 3333.0410.  The chancellor of the Ohio board of regents shall require each state institution of higher education, as defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code, when reporting student data to the chancellor under any provision of law, to use the student's data verification code assigned under division (D)(2) of section 3301.0714 of the Revised Code, if that code was included in the student's records submitted to the institution by the student's high school or by another state institution of higher education.

SECTION 2. That existing sections 3301.0714, 3306.51, 3306.53, 3306.54, 3306.55, 3306.58, 3313.603, 3314.028, and 3314.35 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.

SECTION 3. (A) This section applies to any school district for which the following conditions are satisfied:

(1) In 2009, the Ohio School Facilities Commission allocated to the district a share of qualified school construction bonds under Division B, Title I, Subtitle F, Part III, Section 1521 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, 26 U.S.C. 54F, in the group of districts designated by the Commission as "Pool B."

(2) The district is undertaking a classroom facilities project under sections 3318.01 to 3318.20 of the Revised Code, which project was conditionally approved by the Commission between July 1, 2008, and July 31, 2009.

(3) The district requested approval for the issuance of bonds and related tax levies to pay the district's portion of the cost of the project described in division (A)(2) of this section in a question submitted to the district's electors at an election held on November 3, 2009, and the electors disapproved the issuance of those bonds and the related tax levies by a margin of less than three per cent of the total votes cast on that question.

(B) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in section 3318.05 of the Revised Code, and notwithstanding Section 385.70 of Am. Sub. H.B. 1 of the 128th General Assembly, for each school district to which this section applies and whose project was conditionally approved in July 2008, the conditional approval of the district's project described in division (A)(2) of this section shall lapse and the amount reserved and encumbered for the project shall be released on June 30, 2010, unless the district electors prior to that date approve the issuance of bonds and the related tax levies to pay the district's portion of the cost of the district's project. If the project lapses under Section 385.70 of Am. Sub. H.B. 1 of the 128th General Assembly prior to the effective date of this section, the Commission shall treat that project as if it had not lapsed. Thereafter, the project shall be subject to the lapse provision prescribed in this division.

(C) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in section 3318.05 of the Revised Code, for each school district to which this section applies and whose project was conditionally approved between August 1, 2008, and July 31, 2009, the conditional approval of the district's project described in division (A)(2) of this section shall lapse and the amount reserved and encumbered for the project shall be released on December 31, 2010, unless the district electors prior to that date approve the issuance of bonds and the related tax levies to pay the district's portion of the cost of the district's project. If the project lapses under section 3318.05 of the Revised Code prior to the effective date of this section, the Commission shall treat that project as if it had not lapsed. Thereafter, the project shall be subject to the lapse provision prescribed in this division.

(D) If the conditional approval for a district's project under sections 3318.01 to 3318.20 of the Revised Code lapses and the amount reserved and encumbered for the project is released on the applicable date prescribed by this section, after that date, the district shall be given first priority for project funding as such funding becomes available in accordance with section 3318.05 of the Revised Code.

SECTION 4. This act is hereby declared to be an emergency measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety. The reason for such necessity is to provide school districts using federally qualified school construction bonds additional time to secure voter approval for state-assisted classroom facilities projects without an intervening lapse of project conditional approval. Therefore, this act shall go into immediate effect.