S. B. No. 190 As Introduced

Beginning with students who enter ninth grade for the first

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time on or after July 1, 2010, each student enrolled in a public

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or chartered nonpublic high school shall complete two semesters or

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the equivalent of fine arts to graduate from high school. The

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coursework may be completed in any of grades seven to twelve. Each

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student who completes a fine arts course in grade seven or eight

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may elect to count that course toward the five units of electives

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required for graduation under division (C)(7) of this section, if

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the course satisfied the requirements of division (G) of this

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section. In that case, the high school shall award the student

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high school credit for the course and count the course toward the

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five units required under division (C)(7) of this section. If the

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course in grade seven or eight did not satisfy the requirements of

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division (G) of this section, the high school shall not award the

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student high school credit for the course but shall count the

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course toward the two semesters or the equivalent of fine arts

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required by this division.

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(1) "One unit" means a minimum of one hundred twenty hours of	7
course instruction, except that for a laboratory course, "one	8
unit" means a minimum of one hundred fifty hours of course	9
instruction.	10

(2) "One-half unit" means a minimum of sixty hours of course	11
instruction, except that for physical education courses, "one-half	12
unit" means a minimum of one hundred twenty hours of course	13
instruction.	14

(B) Beginning September 15, 2001, except as required in	15
division (C) of this section and division (C) of section 3313.614	16
of the Revised Code, the requirements for graduation from every	17
high school shall include twenty units earned in grades nine	18
through twelve and shall be distributed as follows:	19

(5) Science, two units until September 15, 2003, and three	24
units thereafter, which at all times shall include both of the	25
following:	26

(7) Elective units, seven units until September 15, 2003, and	33
six units thereafter.	34

Section 1. That section 3313.603 of the Revised Code be	4
amended to read as follows:	5

(6) Social studies, three units, which shall include both of	29
the following:	30

Each student's electives shall include at least one unit, or	35
two half units, chosen from among the areas of	36
business/technology, fine arts, and/or foreign language.	37

(C) Beginning with students who enter ninth grade for the	38
first time on or after July 1, 2010, except as provided in	39
divisions (D) to (F) of this section, the requirements for	40
graduation from every public and chartered nonpublic high school	41
shall include twenty units that are designed to prepare students	42
for the workforce and college. The units shall be distributed as	43
follows:	44

(3) Mathematics, four units, which shall include one unit of	47
algebra II or the equivalent of algebra II;	48

(5) Science, three units with inquiry-based laboratory	50
experience that engages students in asking valid scientific	51
questions and gathering and analyzing information, which shall	52
include the following, or their equivalent:	53

(c) Advanced study in one or more of the following sciences,	56
one unit:	57

(iii) Astronomy, physical geology, or other earth or space	60
science.	61

Each school shall integrate the study of economics and	66
financial literacy, as expressed in the social studies academic	67
content standards adopted by the state board of education under	68
division (A)(1) of section 3301.079 of the Revised Code and the	69
academic content standards for financial literacy and	70
entrepreneurship adopted under division (A)(2) of that section,	71
into one or more existing social studies credits required under	72
division (C)(6) of this section, or into the content of another	73
class, so that every high school student receives instruction in	74
those concepts. In developing the curriculum required by this	75
paragraph, schools shall use available public-private	76
partnerships and resources and materials that exist in business,	77
industry, and through the centers for economics education at	78
institutions of higher education in the state.	79

(7) Five units consisting of one or any combination of	80
foreign language, fine arts, business, career-technical education,	81
family and consumer sciences, technology, agricultural education,	82
a junior reserve officer training corps (JROTC) program approved	83
by the congress of the United States under title 10 of the United	84
States Code, or English language arts, mathematics, science, or	85
social studies courses not otherwise required under division (C)	86
of this section.	87

Ohioans must be prepared to apply increased knowledge and	88
skills in the workplace and to adapt their knowledge and skills	89
quickly to meet the rapidly changing conditions of the	90
twenty-first century. National studies indicate that all high	91
school graduates need the same academic foundation, regardless of	92
the opportunities they pursue after graduation. The goal of Ohio's	93
system of elementary and secondary education is to prepare all	94
students for and seamlessly connect all students to success in	95
life beyond high school graduation, regardless of whether the next	96
step is entering the workforce, beginning an apprenticeship,	97
engaging in post-secondary training, serving in the military, or	98
pursuing a college degree.	99

The Ohio core curriculum is the standard expectation for all	100
students entering ninth grade for the first time at a public or	101
chartered nonpublic high school on or after July 1, 2010. A	102
student may satisfy this expectation through a variety of methods,	103
including, but not limited to, integrated, applied,	104
career-technical, and traditional coursework.	105

Whereas teacher quality is essential for student success in	106
completing the Ohio core curriculum, the general assembly shall	107
appropriate funds for strategic initiatives designed to strengthen	108
schools' capacities to hire and retain highly qualified teachers	109
in the subject areas required by the curriculum. Such initiatives	110
are expected to require an investment of $120,000,000 over five	111
years.	112

Stronger coordination between high schools and institutions	113
of higher education is necessary to prepare students for more	114
challenging academic endeavors and to lessen the need for academic	115
remediation in college, thereby reducing the costs of higher	116
education for Ohio's students, families, and the state. The state	117
board of education and the chancellor of the Ohio board of	118
regents shall develop policies to ensure that only in rare	119
instances will students who complete the Ohio core curriculum	120
require academic remediation after high school.	121

School districts, community schools, and chartered nonpublic	122
schools shall integrate technology into learning experiences	123
whenever practicable across the curriculum in order to maximize	124
efficiency, enhance learning, and prepare students for success in	125
the technology-driven twenty-first century. Districts and schools	126
may use distance and web-based course delivery as a method of	127
providing or augmenting all instruction required under this	128
division, including laboratory experience in science. Districts	129
and schools shall whenever practicable utilize technology access	130
and electronic learning opportunities provided by the eTech Ohio	131
commission, the Ohio learning network, education technology	132
centers, public television stations, and other public and private	133
providers.	134

(D) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, a	135
student who enters ninth grade on or after July 1, 2010, and	136
before July 1, 2014, may qualify for graduation from a public or	137
chartered nonpublic high school even though the student has not	138
completed the Ohio core curriculum prescribed in division (C) of	139
this section if all of the following conditions are satisfied:	140

(1) After the student has attended high school for two years,	141
as determined by the school, the student and the student's parent,	142
guardian, or custodian sign and file with the school a written	143
statement asserting the parent's, guardian's, or custodian's	144
consent to the student's graduating without completing the Ohio	145
core curriculum and acknowledging that one consequence of not	146
completing the Ohio core curriculum is ineligibility to enroll in	147
most state universities in Ohio without further coursework.	148

(2) The student and parent, guardian, or custodian fulfill	149
any procedural requirements the school stipulates to ensure the	150
student's and parent's, guardian's, or custodian's informed	151
consent and to facilitate orderly filing of statements under	152
division (D)(1) of this section.	153

(3) The student and the student's parent, guardian, or	154
custodian and a representative of the student's high school	155
jointly develop an individual career plan for the student that	156
specifies the student matriculating to a two-year degree program,	157
acquiring a business and industry credential, or entering an	158
apprenticeship.	159

(4) The student's high school provides counseling and support	160
for the student related to the plan developed under division	161
(D)(3) of this section during the remainder of the student's high	162
school experience.	163

(5) The student successfully completes, at a minimum, the	164
curriculum prescribed in division (B) of this section.	165

The department of education, in collaboration with the ~~the~~	166
chancellor of the Ohio board of regents, shall analyze student	167
performance data to determine if there are mitigating factors	168
that warrant extending the exception permitted by division (D)	169
of this section to high school classes beyond those entering	170
ninth grade before July 1, 2014. The department shall submit its	171
findings and any recommendations not later than August 1, 2014,	172
to the speaker and minority leader of the house of	173
representatives, the president and minority leader of the senate,	174
the chairpersons and ranking minority members of the standing	175
committees of the house of representatives and the senate that	176
consider education legislation, the state board of education, and	177
the superintendent of public instruction.	178

(E) Each school district and chartered nonpublic school	179
retains the authority to require an even more rigorous minimum	180
curriculum for high school graduation than specified in division	181
(B) or (C) of this section. A school district board of education,	182
through the adoption of a resolution, or the governing authority	183
of a chartered nonpublic school may stipulate any of the	184
following:	185

(1) A minimum high school curriculum that requires more than	186
twenty units of academic credit to graduate;	187

(2) An exception to the district's or school's minimum high	188
school curriculum that is comparable to the exception provided in	189
division (D) of this section but with additional requirements,	190
which may include a requirement that the student successfully	191
complete more than the minimum curriculum prescribed in division	192
(B) of this section;	193

(3) That no exception comparable to that provided in division	194
(D) of this section is available.	195

(F) A student enrolled in a dropout prevention and recovery	196
program, which program has received a waiver from the department	197
of education, may qualify for graduation from high school by	198
successfully completing a competency-based instructional program	199
administered by the dropout prevention and recovery program in	200
lieu of completing the Ohio core curriculum prescribed in division	201
(C) of this section. The department shall grant a waiver to a	202
dropout prevention and recovery program, within sixty days after	203
the program applies for the waiver, if the program meets all of	204
the following conditions:	205

(1) The program serves only students not younger than sixteen	206
years of age and not older than twenty-one years of age.	207

(2) The program enrolls students who, at the time of their	208
initial enrollment, either, or both, are at least one grade level	209
behind their cohort age groups or experience crises that	210
significantly interfere with their academic progress such that	211
they are prevented from continuing their traditional programs.	212

(3) The program requires students to attain at least the	213
applicable score designated for each of the assessments prescribed	214
under division (B)(1) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code	215
or, to the extent prescribed by rule of the state board of	216
education under division (E)(6) of section 3301.0712 of the	217
Revised Code, division (B)(2) of that section.	218