As Passed by the Senate

130th General Assembly
Regular Session
2013-2014
Am. Sub. S. B. No. 96


Senator LaRose 

Cosponsors: Senators Cafaro, Hite, Lehner, Eklund, Hughes, Obhof, Peterson, Sawyer, Schiavoni, Smith, Tavares, Turner, Uecker 

A BILL
To amend section 3313.603 of the Revised Code to 1
require one unit of world history in the high 2
school social studies curriculum.3


BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

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

       Sec. 3313.603.  (A) As used in this section:6

       (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

       (1) English language arts, four units;20

       (2) Health, one-half unit;21

       (3) Mathematics, three units;22

       (4) Physical education, one-half unit;23

       (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

       (a) Biological sciences, one unit;27

       (b) Physical sciences, one unit.28

       (6) History and government, one unit, which shall comply with 29
division (M) of this section and shall include both of the 30
following:31

       (a) American history, one-half unit;32

       (b) American government, one-half unit.33

       (7) Social studies, two units.34

       Beginning with students who enter ninth grade for the first 35
time on or after the first day of July that next succeeds the 36
effective date of this amendment, the two units of instruction 37
prescribed by division (B)(7) of this section shall include at 38
least one unit of instruction in the study of world history and 39
civilizations.40

       (8) Elective units, seven units until September 15, 2003, and 41
six units thereafter.42

       Each student's electives shall include at least one unit, or 43
two half units, chosen from among the areas of 44
business/technology, fine arts, and/or foreign language.45

       (C) Beginning with students who enter ninth grade for the 46
first time on or after July 1, 2010, except as provided in 47
divisions (D) to (F) of this section, the requirements for 48
graduation from every public and chartered nonpublic high school 49
shall include twenty units that are designed to prepare students 50
for the workforce and college. The units shall be distributed as 51
follows:52

       (1) English language arts, four units;53

       (2) Health, one-half unit, which shall include instruction in 54
nutrition and the benefits of nutritious foods and physical 55
activity for overall health;56

       (3) Mathematics, four units, which shall include one unit of 57
algebra II or the equivalent of algebra II;58

       (4) Physical education, one-half unit;59

       (5) Science, three units with inquiry-based laboratory 60
experience that engages students in asking valid scientific 61
questions and gathering and analyzing information, which shall 62
include the following, or their equivalent:63

       (a) Physical sciences, one unit;64

       (b) Life sciences, one unit;65

       (c) Advanced study in one or more of the following sciences, 66
one unit:67

       (i) Chemistry, physics, or other physical science;68

       (ii) Advanced biology or other life science;69

       (iii) Astronomy, physical geology, or other earth or space 70
science.71

       (6) History and government, one unit, which shall comply with 72
division (M) of this section and shall include both of the 73
following:74

       (a) American history, one-half unit;75

       (b) American government, one-half unit.76

       (7) Social studies, two units.77

       Each school shall integrate the study of economics and 78
financial literacy, as expressed in the social studies academic 79
content standards adopted by the state board of education under 80
division (A)(1) of section 3301.079 of the Revised Code and the 81
academic content standards for financial literacy and 82
entrepreneurship adopted under division (A)(2) of that section, 83
into one or more existing social studies credits required under 84
division (C)(7) of this section, or into the content of another 85
class, so that every high school student receives instruction in 86
those concepts. In developing the curriculum required by this 87
paragraph, schools shall use available public-private partnerships 88
and resources and materials that exist in business, industry, and 89
through the centers for economics education at institutions of 90
higher education in the state.91

       Beginning with students who enter ninth grade for the first 92
time on or after the first day of July that next succeeds the 93
effective date of this amendment, the two units of instruction 94
prescribed by division (C)(7) of this section shall include at 95
least one unit of instruction in the study of world history and 96
civilizations.97

       (8) Five units consisting of one or any combination of 98
foreign language, fine arts, business, career-technical education, 99
family and consumer sciences, technology, agricultural education, 100
a junior reserve officer training corps (JROTC) program approved 101
by the congress of the United States under title 10 of the United 102
States Code, or English language arts, mathematics, science, or 103
social studies courses not otherwise required under division (C) 104
of this section.105

       Ohioans must be prepared to apply increased knowledge and 106
skills in the workplace and to adapt their knowledge and skills 107
quickly to meet the rapidly changing conditions of the 108
twenty-first century. National studies indicate that all high 109
school graduates need the same academic foundation, regardless of 110
the opportunities they pursue after graduation. The goal of Ohio's 111
system of elementary and secondary education is to prepare all 112
students for and seamlessly connect all students to success in 113
life beyond high school graduation, regardless of whether the next 114
step is entering the workforce, beginning an apprenticeship, 115
engaging in post-secondary training, serving in the military, or 116
pursuing a college degree.117

        The Ohio core curriculum is the standard expectation for all 118
students entering ninth grade for the first time at a public or 119
chartered nonpublic high school on or after July 1, 2010. A 120
student may satisfy this expectation through a variety of methods, 121
including, but not limited to, integrated, applied, 122
career-technical, and traditional coursework.123

       Whereas teacher quality is essential for student success in 124
completing the Ohio core curriculum, the general assembly shall 125
appropriate funds for strategic initiatives designed to strengthen 126
schools' capacities to hire and retain highly qualified teachers 127
in the subject areas required by the curriculum. Such initiatives 128
are expected to require an investment of $120,000,000 over five 129
years.130

       Stronger coordination between high schools and institutions 131
of higher education is necessary to prepare students for more 132
challenging academic endeavors and to lessen the need for academic 133
remediation in college, thereby reducing the costs of higher 134
education for Ohio's students, families, and the state. The state 135
board and the chancellor of the Ohio board of regents shall 136
develop policies to ensure that only in rare instances will 137
students who complete the Ohio core curriculum require academic 138
remediation after high school.139

       School districts, community schools, and chartered nonpublic 140
schools shall integrate technology into learning experiences 141
across the curriculum in order to maximize efficiency, enhance 142
learning, and prepare students for success in the 143
technology-driven twenty-first century. Districts and schools 144
shall use distance and web-based course delivery as a method of 145
providing or augmenting all instruction required under this 146
division, including laboratory experience in science. Districts 147
and schools shall utilize technology access and electronic 148
learning opportunities provided by the eTech Ohio commission, the 149
Ohio learning network, education technology centers, public 150
television stations, and other public and private providers.151

       (D) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, a 152
student who enters ninth grade on or after July 1, 2010, and 153
before July 1, 2014, may qualify for graduation from a public or 154
chartered nonpublic high school even though the student has not 155
completed the Ohio core curriculum prescribed in division (C) of 156
this section if all of the following conditions are satisfied:157

       (1) After the student has attended high school for two years, 158
as determined by the school, the student and the student's parent, 159
guardian, or custodian sign and file with the school a written 160
statement asserting the parent's, guardian's, or custodian's 161
consent to the student's graduating without completing the Ohio 162
core curriculum and acknowledging that one consequence of not 163
completing the Ohio core curriculum is ineligibility to enroll in 164
most state universities in Ohio without further coursework.165

       (2) The student and parent, guardian, or custodian fulfill 166
any procedural requirements the school stipulates to ensure the 167
student's and parent's, guardian's, or custodian's informed 168
consent and to facilitate orderly filing of statements under 169
division (D)(1) of this section.170

       (3) The student and the student's parent, guardian, or 171
custodian and a representative of the student's high school 172
jointly develop an individual career plan for the student that 173
specifies the student matriculating to a two-year degree program, 174
acquiring a business and industry credential, or entering an 175
apprenticeship.176

       (4) The student's high school provides counseling and support 177
for the student related to the plan developed under division 178
(D)(3) of this section during the remainder of the student's high 179
school experience.180

       (5) The student successfully completes, at a minimum, the 181
curriculum prescribed in division (B) of this section.182

       The department of education, in collaboration with the 183
chancellor, shall analyze student performance data to determine if 184
there are mitigating factors that warrant extending the exception 185
permitted by division (D) of this section to high school classes 186
beyond those entering ninth grade before July 1, 2014. The 187
department shall submit its findings and any recommendations not 188
later than August 1, 2014, to the speaker and minority leader of 189
the house of representatives, the president and minority leader of 190
the senate, the chairpersons and ranking minority members of the 191
standing committees of the house of representatives and the senate 192
that consider education legislation, the state board of education, 193
and the superintendent of public instruction.194

       (E) Each school district and chartered nonpublic school 195
retains the authority to require an even more rigorous minimum 196
curriculum for high school graduation than specified in division 197
(B) or (C) of this section. A school district board of education, 198
through the adoption of a resolution, or the governing authority 199
of a chartered nonpublic school may stipulate any of the 200
following:201

        (1) A minimum high school curriculum that requires more than 202
twenty units of academic credit to graduate;203

        (2) An exception to the district's or school's minimum high 204
school curriculum that is comparable to the exception provided in 205
division (D) of this section but with additional requirements, 206
which may include a requirement that the student successfully 207
complete more than the minimum curriculum prescribed in division 208
(B) of this section;209

        (3) That no exception comparable to that provided in division 210
(D) of this section is available.211

       (F) A student enrolled in a dropout prevention and recovery 212
program, which program has received a waiver from the department, 213
may qualify for graduation from high school by successfully 214
completing a competency-based instructional program administered 215
by the dropout prevention and recovery program in lieu of 216
completing the Ohio core curriculum prescribed in division (C) of 217
this section. The department shall grant a waiver to a dropout 218
prevention and recovery program, within sixty days after the 219
program applies for the waiver, if the program meets all of the 220
following conditions:221

       (1) The program serves only students not younger than sixteen 222
years of age and not older than twenty-one years of age.223

       (2) The program enrolls students who, at the time of their 224
initial enrollment, either, or both, are at least one grade level 225
behind their cohort age groups or experience crises that 226
significantly interfere with their academic progress such that 227
they are prevented from continuing their traditional programs.228

       (3) The program requires students to attain at least the 229
applicable score designated for each of the assessments prescribed 230
under division (B)(1) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code or, 231
to the extent prescribed by rule of the state board under division 232
(D)(6) of section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code, division (B)(2) 233
of that section.234

       (4) The program develops an individual career plan for the 235
student that specifies the student's matriculating to a two-year 236
degree program, acquiring a business and industry credential, or 237
entering an apprenticeship.238

       (5) The program provides counseling and support for the 239
student related to the plan developed under division (F)(4) of 240
this section during the remainder of the student's high school 241
experience.242

       (6) The program requires the student and the student's 243
parent, guardian, or custodian to sign and file, in accordance 244
with procedural requirements stipulated by the program, a written 245
statement asserting the parent's, guardian's, or custodian's 246
consent to the student's graduating without completing the Ohio 247
core curriculum and acknowledging that one consequence of not 248
completing the Ohio core curriculum is ineligibility to enroll in 249
most state universities in Ohio without further coursework.250

       (7) Prior to receiving the waiver, the program has submitted 251
to the department an instructional plan that demonstrates how the 252
academic content standards adopted by the state board under 253
section 3301.079 of the Revised Code will be taught and assessed.254

       If the department does not act either to grant the waiver or 255
to reject the program application for the waiver within sixty days 256
as required under this section, the waiver shall be considered to 257
be granted.258

       (G) Every high school may permit students below the ninth 259
grade to take advanced work. If a high school so permits, it shall 260
award high school credit for successful completion of the advanced 261
work and shall count such advanced work toward the graduation 262
requirements of division (B) or (C) of this section if the 263
advanced work was both:264

       (1) Taught by a person who possesses a license or certificate 265
issued under section 3301.071, 3319.22, or 3319.222 of the Revised 266
Code that is valid for teaching high school;267

       (2) Designated by the board of education of the city, local, 268
or exempted village school district, the board of the cooperative 269
education school district, or the governing authority of the 270
chartered nonpublic school as meeting the high school curriculum 271
requirements.272

        Each high school shall record on the student's high school 273
transcript all high school credit awarded under division (G) of 274
this section. In addition, if the student completed a seventh- or 275
eighth-grade fine arts course described in division (K) of this 276
section and the course qualified for high school credit under that 277
division, the high school shall record that course on the 278
student's high school transcript.279

       (H) The department shall make its individual academic career 280
plan available through its Ohio career information system web site 281
for districts and schools to use as a tool for communicating with 282
and providing guidance to students and families in selecting high 283
school courses.284

        (I) Units earned in English language arts, mathematics, 285
science, and social studies that are delivered through integrated 286
academic and career-technical instruction are eligible to meet the 287
graduation requirements of division (B) or (C) of this section.288

       (J) The state board, in consultation with the chancellor, 289
shall adopt a statewide plan implementing methods for students to 290
earn units of high school credit based on a demonstration of 291
subject area competency, instead of or in combination with 292
completing hours of classroom instruction. The state board shall 293
adopt the plan not later than March 31, 2009, and commence phasing 294
in the plan during the 2009-2010 school year. The plan shall 295
include a standard method for recording demonstrated proficiency 296
on high school transcripts. Each school district and community 297
school shall comply with the state board's plan adopted under this 298
division and award units of high school credit in accordance with 299
the plan. The state board may adopt existing methods for earning 300
high school credit based on a demonstration of subject area 301
competency as necessary prior to the 2009-2010 school year.302

       (K) This division does not apply to students who qualify for 303
graduation from high school under division (D) or (F) of this 304
section, or to students pursuing a career-technical instructional 305
track as determined by the school district board of education or 306
the chartered nonpublic school's governing authority. 307
Nevertheless, the general assembly encourages such students to 308
consider enrolling in a fine arts course as an elective.309

       Beginning with students who enter ninth grade for the first 310
time on or after July 1, 2010, each student enrolled in a public 311
or chartered nonpublic high school shall complete two semesters or 312
the equivalent of fine arts to graduate from high school. The 313
coursework may be completed in any of grades seven to twelve. Each 314
student who completes a fine arts course in grade seven or eight 315
may elect to count that course toward the five units of electives 316
required for graduation under division (C)(8) of this section, if 317
the course satisfied the requirements of division (G) of this 318
section. In that case, the high school shall award the student 319
high school credit for the course and count the course toward the 320
five units required under division (C)(8) of this section. If the 321
course in grade seven or eight did not satisfy the requirements of 322
division (G) of this section, the high school shall not award the 323
student high school credit for the course but shall count the 324
course toward the two semesters or the equivalent of fine arts 325
required by this division.326

       (L) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this section, 327
the board of education of each school district and the governing 328
authority of each chartered nonpublic school may adopt a policy to 329
excuse from the high school physical education requirement each 330
student who, during high school, has participated in 331
interscholastic athletics, marching band, or cheerleading for at 332
least two full seasons or in the junior reserve officer training 333
corps for at least two full school years. If the board or 334
authority adopts such a policy, the board or authority shall not 335
require the student to complete any physical education course as a 336
condition to graduate. However, the student shall be required to 337
complete one-half unit, consisting of at least sixty hours of 338
instruction, in another course of study. In the case of a student 339
who has participated in the junior reserve officer training corps 340
for at least two full school years, credit received for that 341
participation may be used to satisfy the requirement to complete 342
one-half unit in another course of study.343

       (M) It is important that high school students learn and 344
understand United States history and the governments of both the 345
United States and the state of Ohio. Therefore, beginning with 346
students who enter ninth grade for the first time on or after July 347
1, 2012, the study of American history and American government 348
required by divisions (B)(6) and (C)(6) of this section shall 349
include the study of all of the following documents:350

        (1) The Declaration of Independence;351

        (2) The Northwest Ordinance;352

        (3) The Constitution of the United States with emphasis on 353
the Bill of Rights;354

        (4) The Ohio Constitution.355

        The study of each of the documents prescribed in divisions 356
(M)(1) to (4) of this section shall include study of that document 357
in its original context.358

        The study of American history and government required by 359
divisions (B)(6) and (C)(6) of this section shall include the 360
historical evidence of the role of documents such as the 361
Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalist Papers to firmly 362
establish the historical background leading to the establishment 363
of the provisions of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.364

       Section 2. That existing section 3313.603 of the Revised Code 365
is hereby repealed.366