To enact section 3313.603 of the Revised Code to codify the minimum requirements for graduation from high school; to increase the total number of units of credit necessary for graduation from eighteen to twenty; to increase each of the number of units of credit for English language arts, mathematics, and social studies from three to four; to increase the number of units of credit for science from one to three; to reduce the number of elective units of credit from nine to six; and to require two units of credit in a single foreign language to be a part of the six elective units of credit for a student who pursues a college preparatory core curriculum.

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

Sec. 3313.603. (A) AS USED IN THIS SECTION:

(1) "ONE UNIT" MEANS A MINIMUM OF ONE HUNDRED TWENTY HOURS OF COURSE INSTRUCTION, EXCEPT THAT FOR A LABORATORY COURSE, "ONE UNIT" MEANS A MINIMUM OF ONE HUNDRED FIFTY HOURS OF COURSE INSTRUCTION.

(2) "ONE-HALF UNIT" MEANS A MINIMUM OF SIXTY HOURS OF COURSE INSTRUCTION, EXCEPT THAT FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION COURSES, "ONE-HALF UNIT" MEANS A MINIMUM OF ONE HUNDRED TWENTY HOURS OF COURSE INSTRUCTION.

(B) THE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION FROM EVERY HIGH SCHOOL SHALL INCLUDE TWENTY UNITS EARNED IN GRADES NINE THROUGH TWELVE AND SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED AS FOLLOWS:

(1) ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, FOUR UNITS;

(2) HEALTH, ONE-HALF UNIT;

(3) MATHEMATICS, THREE UNITS;

(4) PHYSICAL EDUCATION, ONE-HALF UNIT;

(5) SCIENCE, THREE UNITS, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING:

(a) BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, ONE UNIT;

(b) PHYSICAL SCIENCES, ONE UNIT.

(6) SOCIAL STUDIES, THREE UNITS, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING:

(a) AMERICAN HISTORY, ONE-HALF UNIT;

(b) AMERICAN GOVERNMENT, ONE-HALF UNIT.

(7) ELECTIVE UNITS, SIX UNITS, WHICH IF A STUDENT IS ENROLLED IN A COLLEGE PREPARATORY CORE CURRICULUM SHALL INCLUDE TWO UNITS IN A SINGLE FOREIGN LANGUAGE.

(C) EVERY HIGH SCHOOL MAY PERMIT STUDENTS BELOW THE NINTH GRADE TO TAKE ADVANCED WORK FOR CREDIT, BUT SUCH CREDIT MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED IN CALCULATING THE TWENTY UNITS REQUIRED FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION AS DESIGNATED IN DIVISION (B) OF THIS SECTION.