H. B. No. 290 As Introduced

Cosponsors: Representatives Adams, J., Adams, R., Balderson, Blair, Burke, Daniels, Derickson, Domenick, Fende, Gardner, Grossman, Hackett, Huffman, Jordan, Lehner, Letson, Luckie, Maag, Martin, McGregor, Mecklenborg, Morgan, Murray, Okey, Pillich, Ruhl, Sears, Snitchler, Stebelton, Uecker, Wagner, Williams, B., Yuko

(1) "One unit" means a minimum of one hundred twenty hours of	9
course instruction, except that for a laboratory course, "one	10
unit" means a minimum of one hundred fifty hours of course	11
instruction.	12

(2) "One-half unit" means a minimum of sixty hours of course	13
instruction, except that for physical education courses, "one-half	14
unit" means a minimum of one hundred twenty hours of course	15
instruction.	16

(B) Beginning September 15, 2001, except as required in	17
division (C) of this section and division (C) of section 3313.614	18
of the Revised Code, the requirements for graduation from every	19
high school shall include twenty units earned in grades nine	20
through twelve and shall be distributed as follows:	21

(5) Science, two units until September 15, 2003, and three	26
units thereafter, which at all times shall include both of the	27
following:	28

(6) Social studies, three units, which shall include both of	31
the following:	32

Section 1. That section 3313.603 of the Revised Code be	6
amended to read as follows:	7

(7) Elective units, seven units until September 15, 2003, and	35
six units thereafter.	36

Each student's electives shall include at least one unit, or	37
two half units, chosen from among the areas of	38
business/technology, fine arts, and/or foreign language.	39

(C) Beginning with students who enter ninth grade for the	40
first time on or after July 1, 2010, except as provided in	41
divisions (D) to (F) of this section, the requirements for	42
graduation from every public and chartered nonpublic high school	43
shall include twenty units that are designed to prepare students	44
for the workforce and college. The units shall be distributed as	45
follows:	46

(3) Mathematics, four units, which shall include one unit of	49
algebra II or the equivalent of algebra II;	50

(5) Science, three units with inquiry-based laboratory	52
experience that engages students in asking valid scientific	53
questions and gathering and analyzing information, which shall	54
include the following, or their equivalent:	55

(c) Advanced study in one or more of the following sciences,	58
one unit:	59

(iii) Astronomy, physical geology, or other earth or space	62
science.	63

Each school shall integrate the study of economics and	68
financial literacy, as expressed in the social studies academic	69
content standards adopted by the state board of education under	70
division (A)(1) of section 3301.079 of the Revised Code and the	71
academic content standards for financial literacy and	72
entrepreneurship adopted under division (A)(2) of that section,	73
into one or more existing social studies credits required under	74
division (C)(6) of this section, or into the content of another	75
class, so that every high school student receives instruction in	76
those concepts. In developing the curriculum required by this	77
paragraph, schools shall use available public-private	78
partnerships and resources and materials that exist in business,	79
industry, and through the centers for economics education at	80
institutions of higher education in the state.	81

(7) Five units consisting of one or any combination of	82
foreign language, fine arts, business, career-technical education,	83
family and consumer sciences, technology, agricultural education,	84
a junior reserve officer training corps (JROTC) program approved	85
by the congress of the United States under title 10 of the United	86
States Code, or English language arts, mathematics, science, or	87
social studies courses not otherwise required under division (C)	88
of this section.	89

Ohioans must be prepared to apply increased knowledge and	90
skills in the workplace and to adapt their knowledge and skills	91
quickly to meet the rapidly changing conditions of the	92
twenty-first century. National studies indicate that all high	93
school graduates need the same academic foundation, regardless of	94
the opportunities they pursue after graduation. The goal of Ohio's	95
system of elementary and secondary education is to prepare all	96
students for and seamlessly connect all students to success in	97
life beyond high school graduation, regardless of whether the next	98
step is entering the workforce, beginning an apprenticeship,	99
engaging in post-secondary training, serving in the military, or	100
pursuing a college degree.	101

The Ohio core curriculum is the standard expectation for all	102
students entering ninth grade for the first time at a public or	103
chartered nonpublic high school on or after July 1, 2010. A	104
student may satisfy this expectation through a variety of methods,	105
including, but not limited to, integrated, applied,	106
career-technical, and traditional coursework.	107

Whereas teacher quality is essential for student success in	108
completing the Ohio core curriculum, the general assembly shall	109
appropriate funds for strategic initiatives designed to strengthen	110
schools' capacities to hire and retain highly qualified teachers	111
in the subject areas required by the curriculum. Such initiatives	112
are expected to require an investment of $120,000,000 over five	113
years.	114

Stronger coordination between high schools and institutions	115
of higher education is necessary to prepare students for more	116
challenging academic endeavors and to lessen the need for academic	117
remediation in college, thereby reducing the costs of higher	118
education for Ohio's students, families, and the state. The state	119
board of education and the chancellor of the Ohio board of	120
regents shall develop policies to ensure that only in rare	121
instances will students who complete the Ohio core curriculum	122
require academic remediation after high school.	123

School districts, community schools, and chartered nonpublic	124
schools shall integrate technology into learning experiences	125
whenever practicable across the curriculum in order to maximize	126
efficiency, enhance learning, and prepare students for success in	127
the technology-driven twenty-first century. Districts and schools	128
may use distance and web-based course delivery as a method of	129
providing or augmenting all instruction required under this	130
division, including laboratory experience in science. Districts	131
and schools shall whenever practicable utilize technology access	132
and electronic learning opportunities provided by the eTech Ohio	133
commission, the Ohio learning network, education technology	134
centers, public television stations, and other public and private	135
providers.	136

(D) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, a	137
student who enters ninth grade on or after July 1, 2010, and	138
before July 1, 2014, may qualify for graduation from a public or	139
chartered nonpublic high school even though the student has not	140
completed the Ohio core curriculum prescribed in division (C) of	141
this section if all of the following conditions are satisfied:	142

(1) After the student has attended high school for two years,	143
as determined by the school, the student and the student's parent,	144
guardian, or custodian sign and file with the school a written	145
statement asserting the parent's, guardian's, or custodian's	146
consent to the student's graduating without completing the Ohio	147
core curriculum and acknowledging that one consequence of not	148
completing the Ohio core curriculum is ineligibility to enroll in	149
most state universities in Ohio without further coursework.	150

(2) The student and parent, guardian, or custodian fulfill	151
any procedural requirements the school stipulates to ensure the	152
student's and parent's, guardian's, or custodian's informed	153
consent and to facilitate orderly filing of statements under	154
division (D)(1) of this section.	155

(3) The student and the student's parent, guardian, or	156
custodian and a representative of the student's high school	157
jointly develop an individual career plan for the student that	158
specifies the student matriculating to a two-year degree program,	159
acquiring a business and industry credential, or entering an	160
apprenticeship.	161

(4) The student's high school provides counseling and support	162
for the student related to the plan developed under division	163
(D)(3) of this section during the remainder of the student's high	164
school experience.	165

(5) The student successfully completes, at a minimum, the	166
curriculum prescribed in division (B) of this section.	167

The department of education, in collaboration with the ~~the~~	168
chancellor of the Ohio board of regents, shall analyze student	169
performance data to determine if there are mitigating factors	170
that warrant extending the exception permitted by division (D)	171
of this section to high school classes beyond those entering	172
ninth grade before July 1, 2014. The department shall submit its	173
findings and any recommendations not later than August 1, 2014,	174
to the speaker and minority leader of the house of	175
representatives, the president and minority leader of the senate,	176
the chairpersons and ranking minority members of the standing	177
committees of the house of representatives and the senate that	178
consider education legislation, the state board of education, and	179
the superintendent of public instruction.	180

(E) Each school district and chartered nonpublic school	181
retains the authority to require an even more rigorous minimum	182
curriculum for high school graduation than specified in division	183
(B) or (C) of this section. A school district board of education,	184
through the adoption of a resolution, or the governing authority	185
of a chartered nonpublic school may stipulate any of the	186
following:	187

(1) A minimum high school curriculum that requires more than	188
twenty units of academic credit to graduate;	189

(2) An exception to the district's or school's minimum high	190
school curriculum that is comparable to the exception provided in	191
division (D) of this section but with additional requirements,	192
which may include a requirement that the student successfully	193
complete more than the minimum curriculum prescribed in division	194
(B) of this section;	195

(3) That no exception comparable to that provided in division	196
(D) of this section is available.	197

(F) A student enrolled in a dropout prevention and recovery	198
program, which program has received a waiver from the department	199
of education, may qualify for graduation from high school by	200
successfully completing a competency-based instructional program	201
administered by the dropout prevention and recovery program in	202
lieu of completing the Ohio core curriculum prescribed in division	203
(C) of this section. The department shall grant a waiver to a	204
dropout prevention and recovery program, within sixty days after	205
the program applies for the waiver, if the program meets all of	206
the following conditions:	207

(1) The program serves only students not younger than sixteen	208
years of age and not older than twenty-one years of age.	209

(2) The program enrolls students who, at the time of their	210
initial enrollment, either, or both, are at least one grade level	211
behind their cohort age groups or experience crises that	212
significantly interfere with their academic progress such that	213
they are prevented from continuing their traditional programs.	214

(3) The program requires students to attain at least the	215
applicable score designated for each of the assessments prescribed	216
under division (B)(1) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code	217
or, to the extent prescribed by rule of the state board of	218
education under division (E)(6) of section 3301.0712 of the	219
Revised Code, division (B)(2) of that section.	220