H. B. No. 397 As Introduced

(L) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this section,

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the board of education of each school district and the governing

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authority of each chartered nonpublic school may adopt a policy to

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excuse from the high school physical education requirement each

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student who, during high school, has participated in

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interscholastic athletics, marching band, a school-sponsored rugby

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club played as a team sport, or cheerleading for at least two full

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seasons, or in the junior reserve officer training corps for at

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least two full school years. If the board or authority adopts such

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a policy, the board or authority shall not require the student to

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complete any physical education course as a condition to graduate.

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However, the student shall be required to complete one-half unit,

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consisting of at least sixty hours of instruction, in another

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course of study. In the case of a student who has participated in

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the junior reserve officer training corps for at least two full

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school years, credit received for that participation may be used

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to satisfy the requirement to complete one-half unit in another

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course of study.

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(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

(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

(2) Health, one-half unit, which shall include instruction in	48
nutrition and the benefits of nutritious foods and physical	49
activity for overall health;	50

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

(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

(3) Mathematics, four units, which shall include one unit of	51
algebra II or the equivalent of algebra II;	52

(5) Science, three units with inquiry-based laboratory	54
experience that engages students in asking valid scientific	55
questions and gathering and analyzing information, which shall	56
include the following, or their equivalent:	57

(c) Advanced study in one or more of the following sciences,	60
one unit:	61

(iii) Astronomy, physical geology, or other earth or space	64
science.	65

Each school shall integrate the study of economics and	70
financial literacy, as expressed in the social studies academic	71
content standards adopted by the state board of education under	72
division (A)(1) of section 3301.079 of the Revised Code and the	73
academic content standards for financial literacy and	74
entrepreneurship adopted under division (A)(2) of that section,	75
into one or more existing social studies credits required under	76
division (C)(6) of this section, or into the content of another	77
class, so that every high school student receives instruction in	78
those concepts. In developing the curriculum required by this	79
paragraph, schools shall use available public-private partnerships	80
and resources and materials that exist in business, industry, and	81
through the centers for economics education at institutions of	82
higher education in the state.	83

(7) Five units consisting of one or any combination of	84
foreign language, fine arts, business, career-technical education,	85
family and consumer sciences, technology, agricultural education,	86
a junior reserve officer training corps (JROTC) program approved	87
by the congress of the United States under title 10 of the United	88
States Code, or English language arts, mathematics, science, or	89
social studies courses not otherwise required under division (C)	90
of this section.	91

Ohioans must be prepared to apply increased knowledge and	92
skills in the workplace and to adapt their knowledge and skills	93
quickly to meet the rapidly changing conditions of the	94
twenty-first century. National studies indicate that all high	95
school graduates need the same academic foundation, regardless of	96
the opportunities they pursue after graduation. The goal of Ohio's	97
system of elementary and secondary education is to prepare all	98
students for and seamlessly connect all students to success in	99
life beyond high school graduation, regardless of whether the next	100
step is entering the workforce, beginning an apprenticeship,	101
engaging in post-secondary training, serving in the military, or	102
pursuing a college degree.	103

The Ohio core curriculum is the standard expectation for all	104
students entering ninth grade for the first time at a public or	105
chartered nonpublic high school on or after July 1, 2010. A	106
student may satisfy this expectation through a variety of methods,	107
including, but not limited to, integrated, applied,	108
career-technical, and traditional coursework.	109

Whereas teacher quality is essential for student success in	110
completing the Ohio core curriculum, the general assembly shall	111
appropriate funds for strategic initiatives designed to strengthen	112
schools' capacities to hire and retain highly qualified teachers	113
in the subject areas required by the curriculum. Such initiatives	114
are expected to require an investment of $120,000,000 over five	115
years.	116

Stronger coordination between high schools and institutions	117
of higher education is necessary to prepare students for more	118
challenging academic endeavors and to lessen the need for academic	119
remediation in college, thereby reducing the costs of higher	120
education for Ohio's students, families, and the state. The state	121
board and the chancellor of the Ohio board of regents shall	122
develop policies to ensure that only in rare instances will	123
students who complete the Ohio core curriculum require academic	124
remediation after high school.	125

School districts, community schools, and chartered nonpublic	126
schools shall integrate technology into learning experiences	127
across the curriculum in order to maximize efficiency, enhance	128
learning, and prepare students for success in the	129
technology-driven twenty-first century. Districts and schools	130
shall use distance and web-based course delivery as a method of	131
providing or augmenting all instruction required under this	132
division, including laboratory experience in science. Districts	133
and schools shall utilize technology access and electronic	134
learning opportunities provided by the eTech Ohio commission, the	135
Ohio learning network, education technology centers, public	136
television stations, and other public and private providers.	137

(D) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, a	138
student who enters ninth grade on or after July 1, 2010, and	139
before July 1, 2014, may qualify for graduation from a public or	140
chartered nonpublic high school even though the student has not	141
completed the Ohio core curriculum prescribed in division (C) of	142
this section if all of the following conditions are satisfied:	143

(1) After the student has attended high school for two years,	144
as determined by the school, the student and the student's parent,	145
guardian, or custodian sign and file with the school a written	146
statement asserting the parent's, guardian's, or custodian's	147
consent to the student's graduating without completing the Ohio	148
core curriculum and acknowledging that one consequence of not	149
completing the Ohio core curriculum is ineligibility to enroll in	150
most state universities in Ohio without further coursework.	151

(2) The student and parent, guardian, or custodian fulfill	152
any procedural requirements the school stipulates to ensure the	153
student's and parent's, guardian's, or custodian's informed	154
consent and to facilitate orderly filing of statements under	155
division (D)(1) of this section.	156

(3) The student and the student's parent, guardian, or	157
custodian and a representative of the student's high school	158
jointly develop an individual career plan for the student that	159
specifies the student matriculating to a two-year degree program,	160
acquiring a business and industry credential, or entering an	161
apprenticeship.	162

(4) The student's high school provides counseling and support	163
for the student related to the plan developed under division	164
(D)(3) of this section during the remainder of the student's high	165
school experience.	166

(5) The student successfully completes, at a minimum, the	167
curriculum prescribed in division (B) of this section.	168

The department of education, in collaboration with the	169
chancellor, shall analyze student performance data to determine if	170
there are mitigating factors that warrant extending the exception	171
permitted by division (D) of this section to high school classes	172
beyond those entering ninth grade before July 1, 2014. The	173
department shall submit its findings and any recommendations not	174
later than August 1, 2014, to the speaker and minority leader of	175
the house of representatives, the president and minority leader of	176
the senate, the chairpersons and ranking minority members of the	177
standing committees of the house of representatives and the senate	178
that consider education legislation, the state board of education,	179
and 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
may qualify for graduation from high school by successfully	200
completing a competency-based instructional program administered	201
by the dropout prevention and recovery program in lieu of	202
completing the Ohio core curriculum prescribed in division (C) of	203
this section. The department shall grant a waiver to a dropout	204
prevention and recovery program, within sixty days after the	205
program applies for the waiver, if the program meets all of the	206
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