Sec. 3301.079. (A)(1) Not later than June 30, 2010, and at | 8 |
least once every five years thereafter, the state board of | 9 |
education shall adopt statewide academic standards with emphasis | 10 |
on coherence, focus, and rigor for each of grades kindergarten | 11 |
through twelve in English language arts, mathematics, science, and | 12 |
social studies. | 13 |
(b) Not later than July 1, 2012, the state board shall | 29 |
incorporate into the social studies standards academic content | 30 |
regarding the original texts of the Declaration of Independence, | 31 |
the Northwest Ordinance, the Constitution of the United States | 32 |
with emphasis on the Bill of Rights, and the Ohio Constitution, | 33 |
and their historical context. The state board shall revise the | 34 |
model curricula and achievement assessments adopted under | 35 |
divisions (B) and (C) of this section as necessary to reflect the | 36 |
additional academic content. | 37 |
The department shall employ a full-time physical education | 50 |
coordinator to provide guidance and technical assistance to | 51 |
districts, community schools, and STEM schools in implementing the | 52 |
physical education standards adopted under this division. The | 53 |
superintendent of public instruction shall determine that the | 54 |
person employed as coordinator is qualified for the position, as | 55 |
demonstrated by possessing an adequate combination of education, | 56 |
license, and experience. | 57 |
(4) When academic standards have been completed for any | 58 |
subject area required by this section, the state board shall | 59 |
inform all school districts, all community schools established | 60 |
under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code, all STEM schools | 61 |
established under Chapter 3326. of the Revised Code, and all | 62 |
nonpublic schools required to administer the assessments | 63 |
prescribed by sections 3301.0710 and 3301.0712 of the Revised Code | 64 |
of the content of those standards. | 65 |
(B) Not later than March 31, 2011, the state board shall | 66 |
adopt a model curriculum for instruction in each subject area for | 67 |
which updated academic standards are required by division (A)(1) | 68 |
of this section and for each of grades kindergarten through twelve | 69 |
that is sufficient to meet the needs of students in every | 70 |
community. The model curriculum shall be aligned with the | 71 |
standards, to ensure that the academic content and skills | 72 |
specified for each grade level are taught to students, and shall | 73 |
demonstrate vertical articulation and emphasize coherence, focus, | 74 |
and rigor. When any model curriculum has been completed, the state | 75 |
board shall inform all school districts, community schools, and | 76 |
STEM schools of the content of that model curriculum. | 77 |
All school districts, community schools, and STEM schools may | 78 |
utilize the state standards and the model curriculum established | 79 |
by the state board, together with other relevant resources, | 80 |
examples, or models to ensure that students have the opportunity | 81 |
to attain the academic standards. Upon request, the department of | 82 |
education shall provide technical assistance to any district, | 83 |
community school, or STEM school in implementing the model | 84 |
curriculum. | 85 |
(D)(1) The state board shall adopt a diagnostic assessment | 99 |
aligned with the academic standards and model curriculum for each | 100 |
of grades kindergarten through two in English language arts and | 101 |
mathematics and for grade three in English language arts. The | 102 |
diagnostic assessment shall be designed to measure student | 103 |
comprehension of academic content and mastery of related skills | 104 |
for the relevant subject area and grade level. Any diagnostic | 105 |
assessment shall not include components to identify gifted | 106 |
students. Blank copies of diagnostic assessments shall be public | 107 |
records. | 108 |
(F) Whenever the state board or the department of education | 119 |
consults with persons for the purpose of drafting or reviewing any | 120 |
standards, diagnostic assessments, achievement assessments, or | 121 |
model curriculum required under this section, the state board or | 122 |
the department shall first consult with parents of students in | 123 |
kindergarten through twelfth grade and with active Ohio classroom | 124 |
teachers, other school personnel, and administrators with | 125 |
expertise in the appropriate subject area. Whenever practicable, | 126 |
the state board and department shall consult with teachers | 127 |
recognized as outstanding in their fields. | 128 |
(G) The fairness sensitivity review committee, established by | 133 |
rule of the state board of education, shall not allow any question | 134 |
on any achievement or diagnostic assessment developed under this | 135 |
section or any proficiency test prescribed by former section | 136 |
3301.0710 of the Revised Code, as it existed prior to September | 137 |
11, 2001, to include, be written to promote, or inquire as to | 138 |
individual moral or social values or beliefs. The decision of the | 139 |
committee shall be final. This section does not create a private | 140 |
cause of action. | 141 |
(H) Not later than forty-five days prior to the initial | 142 |
deadline established under division (A)(1) of this section and the | 143 |
deadline established under division (B) of this section, the | 144 |
superintendent of public instruction shall present the academic | 145 |
standards or model curricula, as applicable, to the respective | 146 |
committees of the house of representatives and senate that | 147 |
consider education legislation. | 148 |
(A) The board of education of each city and exempted village | 167 |
school district, the governing board of each educational service | 168 |
center, and the board of each cooperative education school | 169 |
district established pursuant to section 3311.521 of the Revised | 170 |
Code shall prescribe a curriculum for all schools under their | 171 |
control. Except as provided in division (E) of this section, in | 172 |
any such curriculum there shall be included the study of the | 173 |
following subjects: | 174 |
(2) Geography, the history of the United States and of Ohio, | 177 |
and national, state, and local government in the United States, | 178 |
including a balanced presentation of the relevant contributions to | 179 |
society of men and women of African, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and | 180 |
American Indian descent as well as other ethnic and racial groups | 181 |
in Ohio and the United States; | 182 |
(B) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, every | 221 |
school or school district shall include in the requirements for | 222 |
promotion from the eighth grade to the ninth grade one year's | 223 |
course of study of American history. A board may waive this | 224 |
requirement for academically accelerated students who, in | 225 |
accordance with procedures adopted by the board, are able to | 226 |
demonstrate mastery of essential concepts and skills of the eighth | 227 |
grade American history course of study. | 228 |
(D) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, basic | 235 |
instruction in geography, United States history, the government of | 236 |
the United States, the government of the state of Ohio, local | 237 |
government in Ohio, the Declaration of Independence, the United | 238 |
States Constitution, and the Constitution of the state of Ohio | 239 |
shall be required before pupils may participate in courses | 240 |
involving the study of social problems, economics, foreign | 241 |
affairs, United Nations, world government, socialism and | 242 |
communism. | 243 |
(E) For each cooperative education school district | 244 |
established pursuant to section 3311.521 of the Revised Code and | 245 |
each city, exempted village, and local school district that has | 246 |
territory within such a cooperative district, the curriculum | 247 |
adopted pursuant to divisions (A) to (D) of this section shall | 248 |
only include the study of the subjects that apply to the grades | 249 |
operated by each such school district. The curriculums for such | 250 |
schools, when combined, shall provide to each student of these | 251 |
districts all of the subjects required under divisions (A) to (D) | 252 |
of this section. | 253 |
Each school shall integrate the study of economics and | 338 |
financial literacy, as expressed in the social studies academic | 339 |
content standards adopted by the state board of education under | 340 |
division (A)(1) of section 3301.079 of the Revised Code and the | 341 |
academic content standards for financial literacy and | 342 |
entrepreneurship adopted under division (A)(2) of that section, | 343 |
into one or more existing social studies credits required under | 344 |
division (C)(6) of this section, or into the content of another | 345 |
class, so that every high school student receives instruction in | 346 |
those concepts. In developing the curriculum required by this | 347 |
paragraph, schools shall use available public-private partnerships | 348 |
and resources and materials that exist in business, industry, and | 349 |
through the centers for economics education at institutions of | 350 |
higher education in the state. | 351 |
(7) Five units consisting of one or any combination of | 352 |
foreign language, fine arts, business, career-technical education, | 353 |
family and consumer sciences, technology, agricultural education, | 354 |
a junior reserve officer training corps (JROTC) program approved | 355 |
by the congress of the United States under title 10 of the United | 356 |
States Code, or English language arts, mathematics, science, or | 357 |
social studies courses not otherwise required under division (C) | 358 |
of this section. | 359 |
Ohioans must be prepared to apply increased knowledge and | 360 |
skills in the workplace and to adapt their knowledge and skills | 361 |
quickly to meet the rapidly changing conditions of the | 362 |
twenty-first century. National studies indicate that all high | 363 |
school graduates need the same academic foundation, regardless of | 364 |
the opportunities they pursue after graduation. The goal of Ohio's | 365 |
system of elementary and secondary education is to prepare all | 366 |
students for and seamlessly connect all students to success in | 367 |
life beyond high school graduation, regardless of whether the next | 368 |
step is entering the workforce, beginning an apprenticeship, | 369 |
engaging in post-secondary training, serving in the military, or | 370 |
pursuing a college degree. | 371 |
The Ohio core curriculum is the standard expectation for all | 372 |
students entering ninth grade for the first time at a public or | 373 |
chartered nonpublic high school on or after July 1, 2010. A | 374 |
student may satisfy this expectation through a variety of methods, | 375 |
including, but not limited to, integrated, applied, | 376 |
career-technical, and traditional coursework. | 377 |
Stronger coordination between high schools and institutions | 385 |
of higher education is necessary to prepare students for more | 386 |
challenging academic endeavors and to lessen the need for academic | 387 |
remediation in college, thereby reducing the costs of higher | 388 |
education for Ohio's students, families, and the state. The state | 389 |
board and the chancellor of the Ohio board of regents shall | 390 |
develop policies to ensure that only in rare instances will | 391 |
students who complete the Ohio core curriculum require academic | 392 |
remediation after high school. | 393 |
School districts, community schools, and chartered nonpublic | 394 |
schools shall integrate technology into learning experiences | 395 |
whenever practicable across the curriculum in order to maximize | 396 |
efficiency, enhance learning, and prepare students for success in | 397 |
the technology-driven twenty-first century. Districts and schools | 398 |
may use distance and web-based course delivery as a method of | 399 |
providing or augmenting all instruction required under this | 400 |
division, including laboratory experience in science. Districts | 401 |
and schools shall whenever practicable utilize technology access | 402 |
and electronic learning opportunities provided by the eTech Ohio | 403 |
commission, the Ohio learning network, education technology | 404 |
centers, public television stations, and other public and private | 405 |
providers. | 406 |
(D) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, a | 407 |
student who enters ninth grade on or after July 1, 2010, and | 408 |
before July 1, 2014, may qualify for graduation from a public or | 409 |
chartered nonpublic high school even though the student has not | 410 |
completed the Ohio core curriculum prescribed in division (C) of | 411 |
this section if all of the following conditions are satisfied: | 412 |
(1) After the student has attended high school for two years, | 413 |
as determined by the school, the student and the student's parent, | 414 |
guardian, or custodian sign and file with the school a written | 415 |
statement asserting the parent's, guardian's, or custodian's | 416 |
consent to the student's graduating without completing the Ohio | 417 |
core curriculum and acknowledging that one consequence of not | 418 |
completing the Ohio core curriculum is ineligibility to enroll in | 419 |
most state universities in Ohio without further coursework. | 420 |
The department of education, in collaboration with the | 438 |
chancellor, shall analyze student performance data to determine if | 439 |
there are mitigating factors that warrant extending the exception | 440 |
permitted by division (D) of this section to high school classes | 441 |
beyond those entering ninth grade before July 1, 2014. The | 442 |
department shall submit its findings and any recommendations not | 443 |
later than August 1, 2014, to the speaker and minority leader of | 444 |
the house of representatives, the president and minority leader of | 445 |
the senate, the chairpersons and ranking minority members of the | 446 |
standing committees of the house of representatives and the senate | 447 |
that consider education legislation, the state board of education, | 448 |
and the superintendent of public instruction. | 449 |
(F) A student enrolled in a dropout prevention and recovery | 467 |
program, which program has received a waiver from the department, | 468 |
may qualify for graduation from high school by successfully | 469 |
completing a competency-based instructional program administered | 470 |
by the dropout prevention and recovery program in lieu of | 471 |
completing the Ohio core curriculum prescribed in division (C) of | 472 |
this section. The department shall grant a waiver to a dropout | 473 |
prevention and recovery program, within sixty days after the | 474 |
program applies for the waiver, if the program meets all of the | 475 |
following conditions: | 476 |
(6) The program requires the student and the student's | 498 |
parent, guardian, or custodian to sign and file, in accordance | 499 |
with procedural requirements stipulated by the program, a written | 500 |
statement asserting the parent's, guardian's, or custodian's | 501 |
consent to the student's graduating without completing the Ohio | 502 |
core curriculum and acknowledging that one consequence of not | 503 |
completing the Ohio core curriculum is ineligibility to enroll in | 504 |
most state universities in Ohio without further coursework. | 505 |
Each high school shall record on the student's high school | 528 |
transcript all high school credit awarded under division (G) of | 529 |
this section. In addition, if the student completed a seventh- or | 530 |
eighth-grade fine arts course described in division (K) of this | 531 |
section and the course qualified for high school credit under that | 532 |
division, the high school shall record that course on the | 533 |
student's high school transcript. | 534 |
(J) The state board, in consultation with the chancellor, | 544 |
shall adopt a statewide plan implementing methods for students to | 545 |
earn units of high school credit based on a demonstration of | 546 |
subject area competency, instead of or in combination with | 547 |
completing hours of classroom instruction. The state board shall | 548 |
adopt the plan not later than March 31, 2009, and commence phasing | 549 |
in the plan during the 2009-2010 school year. The plan shall | 550 |
include a standard method for recording demonstrated proficiency | 551 |
on high school transcripts. Each school district, community | 552 |
school, and chartered nonpublic school shall comply with the state | 553 |
board's plan adopted under this division and award units of high | 554 |
school credit in accordance with the plan. The state board may | 555 |
adopt existing methods for earning high school credit based on a | 556 |
demonstration of subject area competency as necessary prior to the | 557 |
2009-2010 school year. | 558 |
(K) This division does not apply to students who qualify for | 559 |
graduation from high school under division (D) or (F) of this | 560 |
section, or to students pursuing a career-technical instructional | 561 |
track as determined by the school district board of education or | 562 |
the chartered nonpublic school's governing authority. | 563 |
Nevertheless, the general assembly encourages such students to | 564 |
consider enrolling in a fine arts course as an elective. | 565 |
Beginning with students who enter ninth grade for the first | 566 |
time on or after July 1, 2010, each student enrolled in a public | 567 |
or chartered nonpublic high school shall complete two semesters or | 568 |
the equivalent of fine arts to graduate from high school. The | 569 |
coursework may be completed in any of grades seven to twelve. Each | 570 |
student who completes a fine arts course in grade seven or eight | 571 |
may elect to count that course toward the five units of electives | 572 |
required for graduation under division (C)(7) of this section, if | 573 |
the course satisfied the requirements of division (G) of this | 574 |
section. In that case, the high school shall award the student | 575 |
high school credit for the course and count the course toward the | 576 |
five units required under division (C)(7) of this section. If the | 577 |
course in grade seven or eight did not satisfy the requirements of | 578 |
division (G) of this section, the high school shall not award the | 579 |
student high school credit for the course but shall count the | 580 |
course toward the two semesters or the equivalent of fine arts | 581 |
required by this division. | 582 |
(L) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this section, | 583 |
the board of education of each school district and the governing | 584 |
authority of each chartered nonpublic school may adopt a policy to | 585 |
excuse from the high school physical education requirement each | 586 |
student who, during high school, has participated in | 587 |
interscholastic athletics, marching band, or cheerleading for at | 588 |
least two full seasons or in the junior reserve officer training | 589 |
corps for at least two full school years. If the board or | 590 |
authority adopts such a policy, the board or authority shall not | 591 |
require the student to complete any physical education course as a | 592 |
condition to graduate. However, the student shall be required to | 593 |
complete one-half unit, consisting of at least sixty hours of | 594 |
instruction, in another course of study. In the case of a student | 595 |
who has participated in the junior reserve officer training corps | 596 |
for at least two full school years, credit received for that | 597 |
participation may be used to satisfy the requirement to complete | 598 |
one-half unit in another course of study. | 599 |
(M) It is important that high school students learn and | 600 |
understand United States history and the governments of both the | 601 |
United States and the state of Ohio. Therefore, beginning with | 602 |
students who enter ninth grade for the first time on or after July | 603 |
1, 2012, the study of American history and American government | 604 |
required by divisions (B)(6) and (C)(6) of this section shall | 605 |
include the study of all of the following documents: | 606 |