130th Ohio General Assembly
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(125th General Assembly)
(Amended Substitute House Bill Number 3)



AN ACT
To amend sections 3301.079, 3301.0710, 3301.0711, 3301.0712, 3301.0714, 3301.0715, 3301.801, 3301.91, 3302.01, 3302.02, 3302.03, 3302.031, 3302.04, 3302.05, 3313.532, 3313.608, 3313.6010, 3313.6012, 3313.61, 3313.611, 3313.612, 3313.64, 3313.65, 3313.97, 3314.012, 3314.02, 3314.03, 3314.20, 3317.023, 3317.04, 3317.08, 3334.01, 3334.12, 3334.17, 3334.19, and 5705.412; to enact sections 3302.021 and 3314.033, and to repeal sections 3301.0713 and 3365.15 of the Revised Code to comply with the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" by revising the system of statewide achievement testing to include annual achievement tests in reading and math in grades three through eight; requiring the State Board of Education to designate five ranges of scores on the achievement tests; requiring an annual determination of a district's progress toward meeting a "proficient" level of achievement (AYP); requiring school districts to provide intervention services to students scoring below the "proficient" level on achievement tests; prohibiting exemptions from taking achievement tests for limited English proficient students; making the administration of diagnostic assessments to certain students in grades three through eight voluntary; adding calculations of a performance index score to determinations of school district and building performance ratings; directing the Department of Education to implement a value-added progress dimension and to incorporate it into the district and building report cards by July 1, 2007; creating the Ohio Accountability Task Force to examine the implementation of the value-added factor and to make recommendations regarding the state's accountability system; requiring the inclusion of "highly qualified" teacher data on the report cards; requiring the disaggregation of student performance data according to disability, limited English proficient status, and migrant status and eliminating disaggregation of data by vocational education status; specifying the sanctions for school districts and buildings, including community schools, that fail to meet performance standards; to require the State Board of Education to recommend standards for the operation of Internet- and computer-based community schools; to make other changes to the Community School Law; to make changes in the authority of the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority to administer its programs; to specify that school districts need not attach a certificate of available resources to current payrolls and employment contracts for all district employees and officers; to eliminate the requirement that certain rules proposed by the State Board of Education be approved by the General Assembly before taking effect; to permit a student who relocates or whose parent relocates outside of the school district in which the student is entitled to attend school after the end of the first full week in October and who is enrolled in a school of that district prior to that time to continue to attend school in that district free of tuition for the balance of the school year; to require school district aid payments to reflect biannual ADM; to define tuition calculations for purposes of tuition caps for certain state colleges and universities; to supersede provisions of Section 41.06 of Am. Sub. H.B. 95 of the 125th General Assembly prescribing terms for earmarked funds for training of community school sponsors; to clarify that the reappraisal guarantee calculation does not include the charge-off supplement; to clarify that reappraisal guarantee calculations for fiscal year 2005 include fiscal year 2004 transitional aid payments; to amend the version of section 3313.65 of the Revised Code that is scheduled to take effect January 1, 2004, to continue the provisions of this act on and after that effective date, and to declare an emergency.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio:

SECTION 1. That sections 3301.079, 3301.0710, 3301.0711, 3301.0712, 3301.0714, 3301.0715, 3301.801, 3301.91, 3302.01, 3302.02, 3302.03, 3302.031, 3302.04, 3302.05, 3313.532, 3313.6010, 3313.6012, 3313.61, 3313.611, 3313.612, 3313.64, 3313.65, 3313.97, 3314.012, 3314.02, 3314.03, 3314.20, 3317.023, 3317.04, 3317.08, 3334.01, 3334.12, 3334.17, 3334.19, and 5705.412 be amended and sections 3302.021 and 3314.033 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 3301.079.  (A)(1) Not later than December 31, 2001, the state board of education shall adopt statewide academic standards for each of grades kindergarten through twelve in reading, writing, and mathematics. Not later than December 31, 2002, the state board shall adopt statewide academic standards for each of grades kindergarten through twelve in science and social studies. The standards shall specify the academic content and skills that students are expected to know and be able to do at each grade level.

(2) When academic standards have been completed for any subject area required by this division, the state board shall inform all school districts of the content of those standards.

(B) Not later than eighteen months after the completion of academic standards for any subject area required by division (A) of this section, the state board shall adopt a model curriculum for instruction in that subject area for each of grades kindergarten through twelve that is sufficient to meet the needs of students in every community. The model curriculum shall be aligned with the standards to ensure that the academic content and skills specified for each grade level are taught to students. When any model curriculum has been completed, the state board shall inform all school districts of the content of that model curriculum.

All school districts may utilize the state standards and the model curriculum established by the state board, together with other relevant resources, examples, or models to ensure that students have the opportunity to attain the academic standards. Upon request, the department of education shall provide technical assistance to any district in implementing the model curriculum.

Nothing in this section requires any school district to utilize all or any part of a model curriculum developed under this division.

(C) The state board shall develop achievement tests aligned with the academic standards and model curriculum for each of the subject areas and grade levels required by section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code.

When any achievement test has been completed, the state board shall inform all school districts of its completion, and the department of education shall make the achievement test available to the districts. School districts shall administer the achievement test beginning in the school year indicated in section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code.

(D)(1) Not later than July 1, 2007, and except as provided in division (D)(3) of this section, the state board shall adopt a diagnostic assessment aligned with the academic standards and model curriculum for each of grades kindergarten through two in reading, writing, and mathematics and for each of grades three through eight in reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies. The diagnostic assessment shall be designed to measure student comprehension of academic content and mastery of related skills for the relevant subject area and grade level. Any diagnostic assessment shall not include components to identify gifted students. Blank copies of diagnostic tests shall be public records.

(2) When each diagnostic assessment has been completed, the state board shall inform all school districts of its completion and the department of education shall make the diagnostic assessment available to the districts at no cost to the district. School districts shall administer the diagnostic assessment pursuant to section 3301.0715 of the Revised Code beginning the first school year following the development of the assessment.

(3) The state board shall not adopt a diagnostic assessment for any subject area and grade level for which the state board develops an achievement test under division (C) of this section.

(E) Whenever the state board or the department of education consults with persons for the purpose of drafting or reviewing any standards, diagnostic assessments, achievement tests, or model curriculum required under this section, the state board or the department shall first consult with parents of students in kindergarten through twelfth grade and with active Ohio classroom teachers, other school personnel, and administrators with expertise in the appropriate subject area. Whenever practicable, the state board and department shall consult with teachers recognized as outstanding in their fields.

If the department contracts with more than one outside entity for the development of the achievement tests required by this section, the department shall ensure the interchangeability of those tests.

(F) Not later than forty-five days prior to any deadline established under division (A) or (B) of this section for the adoption of academic standards or model curricula, the superintendent of public instruction shall present the relevant academic standards or curricula to a joint meeting of the house of representatives and senate committees with jurisdiction over education legislation.

(G) The fairness sensitivity review committee, established by rule of the state board of education, shall not allow any question on any achievement test or diagnostic assessment developed under this section or any proficiency test prescribed by former section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code, as it existed prior to the effective date of this section September 11, 2001, to include, be written to promote, or inquire as to individual moral or social values or beliefs. The decision of the committee shall be final. This section does not create a private cause of action.

Sec. 3301.0710.  The state board of education shall adopt rules establishing a statewide program to test student achievement. The state board shall ensure that all tests administered under the testing program are aligned with the academic standards and model curricula adopted by the state board and are created with input from Ohio parents, Ohio classroom teachers, Ohio school administrators, and other Ohio school personnel pursuant to section 3301.079 of the Revised Code.

The testing program shall be designed to ensure that students who receive a high school diploma demonstrate at least high school levels of achievement in reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies.

(A)(1) The state board shall prescribe all of the following:

(a) A Two statewide achievement test tests, one each designed to measure the level of reading and mathematics skill expected at the end of third grade;

(b) Two Three statewide achievement tests, one each designed to measure the level of reading, writing, and mathematics skill expected at the end of fourth grade;

(c) Two Four statewide achievement tests, one each designed to measure the level of reading, mathematics, science, and social studies skill expected at the end of fifth grade;

(d) Two statewide achievement tests, one each designed to measure the level of reading and mathematics skill expected at the end of sixth grade;

(e) Three statewide achievement tests, one each designed to measure the level of reading, writing, and mathematics skill expected at the end of seventh grade;

(e) Two (f) Four statewide achievement tests, one each designed to measure the level of reading, mathematics, science, and social studies skill expected at the end of eighth grade.

(2) The state board shall determine and designate at least four five ranges of scores on each of the achievement tests described in division divisions (A)(1) and (B) of this section. Each range of scores shall be deemed to demonstrate a level of achievement so that any student attaining a score within such range has achieved one of the following:

(a) An advanced level of skill;

(b) An accelerated level of skill;

(c) A proficient level of skill;

(c)(d) A basic level of skill;

(d)(e) A below basic limited level of skill.

(B) The tests prescribed under this division shall collectively be known as the Ohio graduation tests. The state board shall prescribe five statewide high school achievement tests, one each designed to measure the level of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies skill expected at the end of tenth grade, and shall determine and designate the score on each such test that shall be deemed to demonstrate that any student attaining such score has achieved at least a proficient level of skill appropriate for tenth grade. The state board shall designate a score in at least the range designated under division (A)(2)(c) of this section on each such test that shall be deemed to be a passing score on the test as a condition toward granting high school diplomas under sections 3313.61, 3313.611, 3313.612, and 3325.08 of the Revised Code.

The state board may enter into a reciprocal agreement with the appropriate body or agency of any other state that has similar statewide achievement testing requirements for receiving high school diplomas, under which any student who has met an achievement testing requirement of one state is recognized as having met the similar achievement testing requirement of the other state for purposes of receiving a high school diploma. For purposes of this section and sections 3301.0711 and 3313.61 of the Revised Code, any student enrolled in any public high school in this state who has met an achievement testing requirement specified in a reciprocal agreement entered into under this division shall be deemed to have attained at least the applicable score designated under this division on each test required by this division that is specified in the agreement.

(C) The state board shall annually designate as follows the dates on which the tests prescribed under this section shall be administered:

(1) For the reading test prescribed under division (A)(1)(a) of this section, as follows:

(a) One date prior to the thirty-first day of December each school year;

(b) At least one date of each school year that is not earlier than Monday of the week containing the eighth day of March;

(c) One date during the summer for students receiving summer remediation services under section 3313.608 of the Revised Code.

(2) For the mathematics test prescribed under division (A)(1)(a) of this section and the tests prescribed under divisions (A)(1)(b), (c), (d), and (e), and (f) of this section, at least one date of each school year that is not earlier than Monday of the week containing the eighth day of March;

(3) For the tests prescribed under division (B) of this section, at least one date in each school year that is not earlier than Monday of the week containing the fifteenth day of March for all tenth grade students and at least one date prior to the thirty-first day of December and at least one date subsequent to that date but prior to the thirty-first day of March of each school year for eleventh and twelfth grade students.

(D) In prescribing test dates pursuant to division (C)(3) of this section, the state board shall, to the greatest extent practicable, provide options to school districts in the case of tests administered under that division to eleventh and twelfth grade students and in the case of tests administered to students pursuant to division (C)(2) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code. Such options shall include at least an opportunity for school districts to give such tests outside of regular school hours.

(E) In prescribing test dates pursuant to this section, the state board of education shall designate the dates in such a way as to allow a reasonable length of time between the administration of tests prescribed under this section and any administration of the National Assessment of Education Progress Test given to students in the same grade level pursuant to section 3301.27 of the Revised Code or federal law.

(F) Any committee established by the department of education for the purpose of making recommendations to the state board regarding the state board's designation of scores on the tests described by this section shall inform the state board of the probable percentage of students who would score in each of the ranges established under division (A)(2) of this section on the tests if the committee's recommendations are adopted by the state board. To the extent possible, these percentages shall be disaggregated by gender, major racial and ethnic groups, limited English proficient students, economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and migrant students.

If the state board intends to make any change to the committee's recommendations, the state board shall explain the intended change to the Ohio accountability task force established by section 3302.021 of the Revised Code. The task force shall recommend whether the state board should proceed to adopt the intended change. Nothing in this division shall require the state board to designate test scores based upon the recommendations of the task force.

Sec. 3301.0711.  (A) The department of education shall:

(1) Annually furnish to, grade, and score all tests required by section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code to be administered by city, local, exempted village, and joint vocational school districts. In awarding contracts for grading tests, the department shall give preference to Ohio-based entities employing Ohio residents.

(2) Adopt rules for the ethical use of tests and prescribing the manner in which the tests prescribed by section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code shall be administered to students.

(B) Except as provided in divisions (C) and (J) of this section, the board of education of each city, local, and exempted village school district shall, in accordance with rules adopted under division (A) of this section:

(1) Administer the reading test prescribed under division (A)(1)(a) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code twice annually to all students in the third grade who have not attained the score designated for that test under division (A)(2)(b)(c) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code and once each summer to students receiving summer remediation services under section 3313.608 of the Revised Code.

(2) Administer the mathematics test prescribed under division (A)(1)(a) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code at least once annually to all students in the third grade.

(3) Administer the tests prescribed under division (A)(1)(b) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code at least once annually to all students in the fourth grade.

(3)(4) Administer the tests prescribed under division (A)(1)(c) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code at least once annually to all students in the fifth grade.

(4)(5) Administer the tests prescribed under division (A)(1)(d) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code at least once annually to all students in the sixth grade.

(6) Administer the tests prescribed under division (A)(1)(d)(e) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code at least once annually to all students in the seventh grade.

(5)(7) Administer the tests prescribed under division (A)(1)(e)(f) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code at least once annually to all students in the eighth grade.

(6)(8) Except as provided in division (B)(7)(9) of this sections section, administer any test prescribed under division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code as follows:

(a) At least once annually to all tenth grade students and at least twice annually to all students in eleventh or twelfth grade who have not yet attained the score on that test designated under that division;

(b) To any person who has successfully completed the curriculum in any high school or the individualized education program developed for the person by any high school pursuant to section 3323.08 of the Revised Code but has not received a high school diploma and who requests to take such test, at any time such test is administered in the district.

(7)(9) In lieu of the board of education of any city, local, or exempted village school district in which the student is also enrolled, the board of a joint vocational school district shall administer any test prescribed under division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code at least twice annually to any student enrolled in the joint vocational school district who has not yet attained the score on that test designated under that division. A board of a joint vocational school district may also administer such a test to any student described in division (B)(6)(8)(b) of this section.

(C)(1)(a) Any student receiving special education services under Chapter 3323. of the Revised Code may be excused from taking any particular test required to be administered under this section if the individualized education program developed for the student pursuant to section 3323.08 of the Revised Code excuses the student from taking that test and instead specifies an alternate assessment method approved by the department of education as conforming to requirements of federal law for receipt of federal funds for disadvantaged pupils. To the extent possible, the individualized education program shall not excuse the student from taking a test unless no reasonable accommodation can be made to enable the student to take the test.

(b) Any alternate assessment approved by the department for a student under this division shall produce measurable results comparable to those produced by the tests which the alternate assessments are replacing in order to allow for the student's assessment results to be included in the data compiled for a school district or building under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code.

(c) Any student enrolled in a chartered nonpublic school who has been identified, based on an evaluation conducted in accordance with section 3323.03 of the Revised Code or section 504 of the "Rehabilitation Act of 1973," 87 Stat. 355, 29 U.S.C.A. 794, as amended, as a child with a disability shall be excused from taking any particular test required to be administered under this section if a plan developed for the student pursuant to rules adopted by the state board excuses the student from taking that test. In the case of any student so excused from taking a test, the chartered nonpublic school shall not prohibit the student from taking the test.

(2) A district board may, for medical reasons or other good cause, excuse a student from taking a test administered under this section on the date scheduled, but any such test shall be administered to such excused student not later than nine days following the scheduled date. The board shall annually report the number of students who have not taken one or more of the tests required by this section to the state board of education not later than the thirtieth day of June.

(3) As used in this division, "English-limited limited English proficient student" means a student whose primary language is not English, who has been enrolled in United States schools for less than three full school years, and who within the school year has been identified, in accordance with criteria provided by the department of education, as lacking adequate proficiency in English for a test under this section to produce valid results with respect to that student's academic progress has the same meaning as in 20 U.S.C. 7801.

A No school district board or governing authority of a nonpublic school may grant a temporary, one-year exemption from any test administered under this section to an English-limited student. Not more than three temporary one-year exemptions may be granted to any student shall excuse any limited English proficient student from taking any particular test required to be administered under this section, but a board may permit any limited English proficient student to take the test with appropriate accommodations, as determined by the department. During any school year in which a For each limited English proficient student is excused from taking one or more tests administered under this section, the each school district shall annually assess that student's progress in learning English, in accordance with procedures approved by the department.

No district board or The governing authority of a chartered nonpublic school may excuse a limited English proficient student from taking any test administered under this section. However, no governing authority shall prohibit an English-limited a limited English proficient student from taking a the test under this section.

(D) In the school year next succeeding the school year in which the tests prescribed by division (A)(1) or (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code or former division (A)(1), (A)(2), or (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code as it existed prior to the effective date of this amendment September 11, 2001, are administered to any student, the board of education of any school district in which the student is enrolled in that year shall provide to the student intervention services commensurate with the student's test performance, including any intensive intervention required under section 3313.608 of the Revised Code, in any skill in which the student failed to demonstrate at least a score at the proficient level on a proficiency the test or a score in the basic range on an achievement test. This division does not apply to any student receiving services pursuant to an individualized education program developed for the student pursuant to section 3323.08 of the Revised Code.

(E) Except as provided in section 3313.608 of the Revised Code and division (M) of this section, no school district board of education shall utilize any student's failure to attain a specified score on any test administered under this section as a factor in any decision to deny the student promotion to a higher grade level. However, a district board may choose not to promote to the next grade level any student who does not take any test administered under this section or make up such test as provided by division (C)(2) of this section and who is not exempted from the requirement to take the test under division (C)(1) or (3) of this section.

(F) No person shall be charged a fee for taking any test administered under this section.

(G) Not later than sixty days after any administration of any test prescribed by section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code, the department shall send to each school district board a list of the individual test scores of all persons taking the test. For any tests administered under this section by a joint vocational school district, the department shall also send to each city, local, or exempted village school district a list of the individual test scores of any students of such city, local, or exempted village school district who are attending school in the joint vocational school district.

(H) Individual test scores on any tests administered under this section shall be released by a district board only in accordance with section 3319.321 of the Revised Code and the rules adopted under division (A) of this section. No district board or its employees shall utilize individual or aggregate test results in any manner that conflicts with rules for the ethical use of tests adopted pursuant to division (A) of this section.

(I) Except as provided in division (G) of this section, the department shall not release any individual test scores on any test administered under this section and shall adopt rules to ensure the protection of student confidentiality at all times.

(J) Notwithstanding division (D) of section 3311.52 of the Revised Code, this section does not apply to the board of education of any cooperative education school district except as provided under rules adopted pursuant to this division.

(1) In accordance with rules that the state board of education shall adopt, the board of education of any city, exempted village, or local school district with territory in a cooperative education school district established pursuant to divisions (A) to (C) of section 3311.52 of the Revised Code may enter into an agreement with the board of education of the cooperative education school district for administering any test prescribed under this section to students of the city, exempted village, or local school district who are attending school in the cooperative education school district.

(2) In accordance with rules that the state board of education shall adopt, the board of education of any city, exempted village, or local school district with territory in a cooperative education school district established pursuant to section 3311.521 of the Revised Code shall enter into an agreement with the cooperative district that provides for the administration of any test prescribed under this section to both of the following:

(a) Students who are attending school in the cooperative district and who, if the cooperative district were not established, would be entitled to attend school in the city, local, or exempted village school district pursuant to section 3313.64 or 3313.65 of the Revised Code;

(b) Persons described in division (B)(6)(8)(b) of this section.

Any testing of students pursuant to such an agreement shall be in lieu of any testing of such students or persons pursuant to this section.

(K)(1) Any chartered nonpublic school may participate in the testing program by administering any of the tests prescribed by section 3301.0710 or 3301.0712 of the Revised Code if the chief administrator of the school specifies which tests the school wishes to administer. Such specification shall be made in writing to the superintendent of public instruction prior to the first day of August of any school year in which tests are administered and shall include a pledge that the nonpublic school will administer the specified tests in the same manner as public schools are required to do under this section and rules adopted by the department.

(2) The department of education shall furnish the tests prescribed by section 3301.0710 or 3301.0712 of the Revised Code to any chartered nonpublic school electing to participate under this division.

(L)(1) The superintendent of the state school for the blind and the superintendent of the state school for the deaf shall administer the tests described by section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code. Each superintendent shall administer the tests in the same manner as district boards are required to do under this section and rules adopted by the department of education and in conformity with division (C)(1)(a) of this section.

(2) The department of education shall furnish the tests described by section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code to each superintendent.

(M) Notwithstanding division (E) of this section, a school district may use a student's failure to attain a score in at least the basic range on the mathematics test described by division (A)(1)(a) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code or on any of the tests described by division (A)(1)(b), (c), (d), or (e), or (f) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code as a factor in retaining that student in the current grade level.

(N)(1) All tests required by section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code shall become public records pursuant to section 149.43 of the Revised Code on the first day of July following the school year that the test was administered.

(2) The department may field test proposed test questions with samples of students to determine the validity, reliability, or appropriateness of test questions for possible inclusion in a future year's test. The department also may use anchor questions on tests to ensure that different versions of the same test are of comparable difficulty.

Field test questions and anchor questions shall not be considered in computing test scores for individual students. Field test questions and anchor questions may be included as part of the administration of any test required by section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code.

(3) Any field test question or anchor question administered under division (N)(2) of this section shall not be a public record. Such field test questions and anchor questions shall be redacted from any tests which are released as a public record pursuant to division (N)(1) of this section.

Sec. 3301.0712. (A) Notwithstanding sections 3301.0710 and 3301.0711 of the Revised Code, the state board of education shall continue to prescribe and the department of education and each school district shall continue to administer any proficiency test as required by in accordance with those former sections, as they existed prior to September 11, 2001, until the applicable test is no longer required to be administered as indicated on the chart below. When any achievement test, as indicated on the chart below, has been developed and made available in accordance with section 3301.079 of the Revised Code. Thereafter, such achievement test shall be administered to students under sections 3301.0710 and 3301.0711 of the Revised Code beginning in the school year indicated on the chart below. School districts shall continue to provide intervention services as required under former division (D) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code, as it existed prior to September 11, 2001, to students who fail to attain a score in the proficient range on a fourth grade proficiency test.


First administration
ProficiencyAchievementin school year
TestTestbeginning July 1 of


4th grade reading3rd grade reading
testtest2003
4th grade writing4th grade writing
testtest2004
4th grade mathematics 4th grade mathematics
testtest2004
4th grade science5th grade science
testtest2005
4th grade citizenship5th grade social
teststudies test2005
6th grade reading7th grade reading
testtest2006
6th grade writing7th grade writing
testtest2006
6th grade mathematics7th grade mathematics
testtest2006
6th grade science 8th grade science
testtest2006
6th grade citizenship8th grade social
teststudies test2006
9th grade reading testOhio graduation test in reading2004
9th grade writing testOhio graduation test in writing2004
9th grade mathematics testOhio graduation test in mathematics2004
9th grade science testOhio graduation test in science2004
9th grade citizenship testOhio graduation test in social studies 2004


Proficiency Test Last administration in school year beginning July 1 of Achievement Test First administration in school year beginning July 1 of
3rd grade reading test 2003
3rd grade mathematics test 2004
4th grade reading test 2003 4th grade reading test 2004
4th grade mathematics test 2004 4th grade mathematics test 2005
4th grade writing test 2003 4th grade writing test 2004
4th grade science test 2004 5th grade science test 2006
4th grade citizenship test 2004 5th grade social studies test 2006
5th grade reading test 2004
5th grade mathematics test 2005
6th grade reading test 2004 6th grade reading test 2005
6th grade mathematics test 2004 6th grade mathematics test 2005
6th grade writing test 2004 7th grade writing test 2006
7th grade reading test 2005
7th grade mathematics test 2004
6th grade science test 2004 8th grade science test 2006
6th grade citizenship test 2004 8th grade social studies test 2007
8th grade reading test 2004
8th grade mathematics test 2004
9th grade reading test 2002, except as provided in division (B) of this section Ohio graduation test in reading 2002
9th grade mathematics test 2002, except as provided in division (B) of this section Ohio graduation test in mathematics 2002
9th grade writing test 2002, except as provided in division (B) of this section Ohio graduation test in writing 2004
9th grade science test 2002, except as provided in division (B) of this section Ohio graduation test in science 2004
9th grade citizenship test 2002, except as provided in division (B) of this section Ohio graduation test in social studies 2004

(B) The Notwithstanding division (A) of this section, the state board shall continue to prescribe and school districts and chartered nonpublic schools shall continue to administer ninth grade proficiency tests in reading, writing, mathematics, science, and citizenship to students who enter ninth grade prior to July 1, 2003, for as long as those students remain eligible under section 3313.614 of the Revised Code to receive their high school diplomas based on passage of those ninth grade proficiency tests. No student who enters ninth grade prior to July 1, 2003, is required to take any Ohio graduation test, even if any are administered to the student's grade level, until the student is required by section 3313.614 of the Revised Code to pass Ohio graduation tests to receive a high school diploma.

Sec. 3301.0714.  (A) The state board of education shall adopt rules for a statewide education management information system. The rules shall require the state board to establish guidelines for the establishment and maintenance of the system in accordance with this section and the rules adopted under this section. The guidelines shall include:

(1) Standards identifying and defining the types of data in the system in accordance with divisions (B) and (C) of this section;

(2) Procedures for annually collecting and reporting the data to the state board in accordance with division (D) of this section;

(3) Procedures for annually compiling the data in accordance with division (G) of this section;

(4) Procedures for annually reporting the data to the public in accordance with division (H) of this section.

(B) The guidelines adopted under this section shall require the data maintained in the education management information system to include at least the following:

(1) Student participation and performance data, for each grade in each school district as a whole and for each grade in each school building in each school district, that includes:

(a) The numbers of students receiving each category of instructional service offered by the school district, such as regular education instruction, vocational education instruction, specialized instruction programs or enrichment instruction that is part of the educational curriculum, instruction for gifted students, instruction for handicapped students, and remedial instruction. The guidelines shall require instructional services under this division to be divided into discrete categories if an instructional service is limited to a specific subject, a specific type of student, or both, such as regular instructional services in mathematics, remedial reading instructional services, instructional services specifically for students gifted in mathematics or some other subject area, or instructional services for students with a specific type of handicap. The categories of instructional services required by the guidelines under this division shall be the same as the categories of instructional services used in determining cost units pursuant to division (C)(3) of this section.

(b) The numbers of students receiving support or extracurricular services for each of the support services or extracurricular programs offered by the school district, such as counseling services, health services, and extracurricular sports and fine arts programs. The categories of services required by the guidelines under this division shall be the same as the categories of services used in determining cost units pursuant to division (C)(4)(a) of this section.

(c) Average student grades in each subject in grades nine through twelve;

(d) Academic achievement levels as assessed by the testing of student achievement under sections 3301.0710 and 3301.0711 of the Revised Code;

(e) The number of students designated as having a handicapping condition pursuant to division (C)(1) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code;

(f) The numbers of students reported to the state board pursuant to division (C)(2) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code;

(g) Attendance rates and the average daily attendance for the year. For purposes of this division, a student shall be counted as present for any field trip that is approved by the school administration.

(h) Expulsion rates;

(i) Suspension rates;

(j) The percentage of students receiving corporal punishment;

(k) Dropout rates;

(l) Rates of retention in grade;

(m) For pupils in grades nine through twelve, the average number of carnegie units, as calculated in accordance with state board of education rules;

(n) Graduation rates, to be calculated in a manner specified by the department of education that reflects the rate at which students who were in the ninth grade three years prior to the current year complete school and that is consistent with nationally accepted reporting requirements;

(o) Results of diagnostic assessments administered to kindergarten students as required under section 3301.0715 of the Revised Code to permit a comparison of the academic readiness of kindergarten students. However, no district shall be required to report to the department the results of any diagnostic assessment administered to a kindergarten student if the parent of that student requests the district not to report those results.

(2) Personnel and classroom enrollment data for each school district, including:

(a) The total numbers of licensed employees and nonlicensed employees and the numbers of full-time equivalent licensed employees and nonlicensed employees providing each category of instructional service, instructional support service, and administrative support service used pursuant to division (C)(3) of this section. The guidelines adopted under this section shall require these categories of data to be maintained for the school district as a whole and, wherever applicable, for each grade in the school district as a whole, for each school building as a whole, and for each grade in each school building.

(b) The total number of employees and the number of full-time equivalent employees providing each category of service used pursuant to divisions (C)(4)(a) and (b) of this section, and the total numbers of licensed employees and nonlicensed employees and the numbers of full-time equivalent licensed employees and nonlicensed employees providing each category used pursuant to division (C)(4)(c) of this section. The guidelines adopted under this section shall require these categories of data to be maintained for the school district as a whole and, wherever applicable, for each grade in the school district as a whole, for each school building as a whole, and for each grade in each school building.

(c) The total number of regular classroom teachers teaching classes of regular education and the average number of pupils enrolled in each such class, in each of grades kindergarten through five in the district as a whole and in each school building in the school district.

(3)(a) Student demographic data for each school district, including information regarding the gender ratio of the school district's pupils, the racial make-up of the school district's pupils, the number of limited English proficient students in the district, and an appropriate measure of the number of the school district's pupils who reside in economically disadvantaged households. The demographic data shall be collected in a manner to allow correlation with data collected under division (B)(1) of this section. Categories for data collected pursuant to division (B)(3) of this section shall conform, where appropriate, to standard practices of agencies of the federal government.

(b) With respect to each student entering kindergarten, whether the student previously participated in a public preschool program, a private preschool program, or a head start program, and the number of years the student participated in each of these programs.

(4) Any data required to be collected pursuant to federal law.

(C) The education management information system shall include cost accounting data for each district as a whole and for each school building in each school district. The guidelines adopted under this section shall require the cost data for each school district to be maintained in a system of mutually exclusive cost units and shall require all of the costs of each school district to be divided among the cost units. The guidelines shall require the system of mutually exclusive cost units to include at least the following:

(1) Administrative costs for the school district as a whole. The guidelines shall require the cost units under this division (C)(1) to be designed so that each of them may be compiled and reported in terms of average expenditure per pupil in formula ADM in the school district, as determined pursuant to section 3317.03 of the Revised Code.

(2) Administrative costs for each school building in the school district. The guidelines shall require the cost units under this division (C)(2) to be designed so that each of them may be compiled and reported in terms of average expenditure per full-time equivalent pupil receiving instructional or support services in each building.

(3) Instructional services costs for each category of instructional service provided directly to students and required by guidelines adopted pursuant to division (B)(1)(a) of this section. The guidelines shall require the cost units under division (C)(3) of this section to be designed so that each of them may be compiled and reported in terms of average expenditure per pupil receiving the service in the school district as a whole and average expenditure per pupil receiving the service in each building in the school district and in terms of a total cost for each category of service and, as a breakdown of the total cost, a cost for each of the following components:

(a) The cost of each instructional services category required by guidelines adopted under division (B)(1)(a) of this section that is provided directly to students by a classroom teacher;

(b) The cost of the instructional support services, such as services provided by a speech-language pathologist, classroom aide, multimedia aide, or librarian, provided directly to students in conjunction with each instructional services category;

(c) The cost of the administrative support services related to each instructional services category, such as the cost of personnel that develop the curriculum for the instructional services category and the cost of personnel supervising or coordinating the delivery of the instructional services category.

(4) Support or extracurricular services costs for each category of service directly provided to students and required by guidelines adopted pursuant to division (B)(1)(b) of this section. The guidelines shall require the cost units under division (C)(4) of this section to be designed so that each of them may be compiled and reported in terms of average expenditure per pupil receiving the service in the school district as a whole and average expenditure per pupil receiving the service in each building in the school district and in terms of a total cost for each category of service and, as a breakdown of the total cost, a cost for each of the following components:

(a) The cost of each support or extracurricular services category required by guidelines adopted under division (B)(1)(b) of this section that is provided directly to students by a licensed employee, such as services provided by a guidance counselor or any services provided by a licensed employee under a supplemental contract;

(b) The cost of each such services category provided directly to students by a nonlicensed employee, such as janitorial services, cafeteria services, or services of a sports trainer;

(c) The cost of the administrative services related to each services category in division (C)(4)(a) or (b) of this section, such as the cost of any licensed or nonlicensed employees that develop, supervise, coordinate, or otherwise are involved in administering or aiding the delivery of each services category.

(D)(1) The guidelines adopted under this section shall require school districts to collect information about individual students, staff members, or both in connection with any data required by division (B) or (C) of this section or other reporting requirements established in the Revised Code. The guidelines may also require school districts to report information about individual staff members in connection with any data required by division (B) or (C) of this section or other reporting requirements established in the Revised Code. The guidelines shall not authorize school districts to request social security numbers of individual students. The guidelines shall prohibit the reporting under this section of a student's name, address, and social security number to the state board of education or the department of education. The guidelines shall also prohibit the reporting under this section of any personally identifiable information about any student, except for the purpose of assigning the data verification code required by division (D)(2) of this section, to any other person unless such person is employed by the school district or the data acquisition site operated under section 3301.075 of the Revised Code and is authorized by the district or acquisition site to have access to such information. The guidelines may require school districts to provide the social security numbers of individual staff members.

(2) The guidelines shall provide for each school district or community school to assign a data verification code that is unique on a statewide basis over time to each student whose initial Ohio enrollment is in that district or school and to report all required individual student data for that student utilizing such code. The guidelines shall also provide for assigning data verification codes to all students enrolled in districts or community schools on the effective date of the guidelines established under this section.

Individual student data shall be reported to the department through the data acquisition sites utilizing the code but at no time shall the state board or the department have access to information that would enable any data verification code to be matched to personally identifiable student data.

Each school district shall ensure that the data verification code is included in the student's records reported to any subsequent school district or community school in which the student enrolls and shall remove all references to the code in any records retained in the district or school that pertain to any student no longer enrolled. Any such subsequent district or school shall utilize the same identifier in its reporting of data under this section.

(E) The guidelines adopted under this section may require school districts to collect and report data, information, or reports other than that described in divisions (A), (B), and (C) of this section for the purpose of complying with other reporting requirements established in the Revised Code. The other data, information, or reports may be maintained in the education management information system but are not required to be compiled as part of the profile formats required under division (G) of this section or the annual statewide report required under division (H) of this section.

(F) Beginning with the school year that begins July 1, 1991, the board of education of each school district shall annually collect and report to the state board, in accordance with the guidelines established by the board, the data required pursuant to this section. A school district may collect and report these data notwithstanding section 2151.358 or 3319.321 of the Revised Code.

(G) The state board shall, in accordance with the procedures it adopts, annually compile the data reported by each school district pursuant to division (D) of this section. The state board shall design formats for profiling each school district as a whole and each school building within each district and shall compile the data in accordance with these formats. These profile formats shall:

(1) Include all of the data gathered under this section in a manner that facilitates comparison among school districts and among school buildings within each school district;

(2) Present the data on academic achievement levels as assessed by the testing of student achievement maintained pursuant to division (B)(1)(e)(d) of this section so that the academic achievement levels of students who are excused from taking any such test pursuant to division (C)(1) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code are distinguished from the academic achievement levels of students who are not so excused.

(H)(1) The state board shall, in accordance with the procedures it adopts, annually prepare a statewide report for all school districts and the general public that includes the profile of each of the school districts developed pursuant to division (G) of this section. Copies of the report shall be sent to each school district.

(2) The state board shall, in accordance with the procedures it adopts, annually prepare an individual report for each school district and the general public that includes the profiles of each of the school buildings in that school district developed pursuant to division (G) of this section. Copies of the report shall be sent to the superintendent of the district and to each member of the district board of education.

(3) Copies of the reports received from the state board under divisions (H)(1) and (2) of this section shall be made available to the general public at each school district's offices. Each district board of education shall make copies of each report available to any person upon request and payment of a reasonable fee for the cost of reproducing the report. The board shall annually publish in a newspaper of general circulation in the school district, at least twice during the two weeks prior to the week in which the reports will first be available, a notice containing the address where the reports are available and the date on which the reports will be available.

(I) Any data that is collected or maintained pursuant to this section and that identifies an individual pupil is not a public record for the purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(J) As used in this section:

(1) "School district" means any city, local, exempted village, or joint vocational school district.

(2) "Cost" means any expenditure for operating expenses made by a school district excluding any expenditures for debt retirement except for payments made to any commercial lending institution for any loan approved pursuant to section 3313.483 of the Revised Code.

(K) Any person who removes data from the information system established under this section for the purpose of releasing it to any person not entitled under law to have access to such information is subject to section 2913.42 of the Revised Code prohibiting tampering with data.

(L) Any time the department of education determines that a school district has taken any of the actions described under division (L)(1), (2), or (3) of this section, it shall make a report of the actions of the district, send a copy of the report to the superintendent of such school district, and maintain a copy of the report in its files:

(1) The school district fails to meet any deadline established pursuant to this section for the reporting of any data to the education management information system;

(2) The school district fails to meet any deadline established pursuant to this section for the correction of any data reported to the education management information system;

(3) The school district reports data to the education management information system in a condition, as determined by the department, that indicates that the district did not make a good faith effort in reporting the data to the system.

Any report made under this division shall include recommendations for corrective action by the school district.

Upon making a report for the first time in a fiscal year, the department shall withhold ten per cent of the total amount due during that fiscal year under Chapter 3317. of the Revised Code to the school district to which the report applies. Upon making a second report in a fiscal year, the department shall withhold an additional twenty per cent of such total amount due during that fiscal year to the school district to which the report applies. The department shall not release such funds unless it determines that the district has taken corrective action. However, no such release of funds shall occur if the district fails to take corrective action within forty-five days of the date upon which the report was made by the department.

(M) The department of education, after consultation with the Ohio education computer network, may provide at no cost to school districts uniform computer software for use in reporting data to the education management information system, provided that no school district shall be required to utilize such software to report data to the education management information system if such district is so reporting data in an accurate, complete, and timely manner in a format compatible with that required by the education management information system.

(N) The state board of education, in accordance with sections 3319.31 and 3319.311 of the Revised Code, may suspend or revoke a license as defined under division (A) of section 3319.31 of the Revised Code that has been issued to any school district employee found to have willfully reported erroneous, inaccurate, or incomplete data to the education management information system.

(O) No person shall release or maintain any information about any student in violation of this section. Whoever violates this division is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

(P) The department shall disaggregate the data collected under division (B)(1)(o) of this section according to the race and socioeconomic status of the students assessed. No data collected under that division shall be included on the report cards required by section 3302.03 of the Revised Code.

(Q) If the department cannot compile any of the information required by division (D)(C)(5) of section 3302.03 of the Revised Code based upon the data collected under this section, the department shall develop a plan and a reasonable timeline for the collection of any data necessary to comply with that division.

Sec. 3301.0715.  (A) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, the board of education of each city, local, and exempted village school district shall administer each applicable diagnostic assessment developed and provided to the district in accordance with section 3301.079 of the Revised Code to measure student progress toward the attainment of academic standards for grades kindergarten through two in reading, writing, and mathematics and for grades three through eight in reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies the following:

(1) Each student enrolled in a building subject to division (E) of section 3302.04 of the Revised Code;

(2) Any student who transfers into the district or to a different school within the district, within thirty days after the date of transfer;

(3) Each kindergarten student, within six weeks after the first day of school. For the purpose of division (A)(3) of this section, the district shall administer the kindergarten readiness assessment provided by the department of education.

(4) Each student enrolled in first or second grade.

(B) Each district board shall administer each diagnostic assessment as the board deems appropriate. However, the board shall administer any diagnostic assessment at least once annually to all students in the appropriate grade level. A district board may administer any diagnostic assessment in the fall and spring of a school year to measure the "value added" amount of academic growth attributable to the instruction received by students during that school year.

(C) Each district board shall utilize and score any diagnostic assessment administered under division (A) of this section in accordance with rules established by the department of education. Except as required by division (B)(1)(o) of section 3301.0714 of the Revised Code, neither the state board of education nor the department shall require school districts to report the results of diagnostic assessments for any students to the department or to make any such results available in any form to the public. After the administration of any diagnostic assessment, each district shall provide a student's completed diagnostic assessment, the results of such assessment, and any other accompanying documents used during the administration of the assessment to the parent of that student upon the parent's request.

(D) Each district board shall provide intervention services to students whose diagnostic assessments show that they are failing to make satisfactory progress toward attaining the academic standards for their grade level.

(E) Any district declared excellent under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code that made adequate yearly progress, as defined in section 3302.01 of the Revised Code, in the immediately preceding school year may assess student progress in grades one through eight using a diagnostic assessment other than the diagnostic assessment required by division (A) of this section.

(F) Within thirty days after a student transfers into a school district or to a different school within the same district, the district shall administer each diagnostic assessment required under division (A) of this section to the student A district board may administer any diagnostic assessment provided to the district in accordance with section 3301.079 of the Revised Code to any student enrolled in a building that is not subject to division (A)(1) of this section. Any district electing to administer diagnostic assessments to students under this division shall provide intervention services to any such student whose diagnostic assessment shows unsatisfactory progress toward attaining the academic standards for the student's grade level.

Sec. 3301.801. (A) The Ohio SchoolNet commission shall create and maintain a clearinghouse for classroom teachers, including any classroom teachers employed by community schools established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code, to easily obtain lesson plans and materials and other practical resources for use in classroom teaching. The commission shall develop a method of obtaining submissions, from classroom teachers and others, of such plans, materials, and other resources that have been used in the classroom and that can be readily used and implemented by classroom teachers in their regular teaching activities. The commission also shall develop methods of informing classroom teachers of both the availability of such plans, materials, and other resources, and of the opportunity to submit such plans, materials, and other resources and other classroom teaching ideas to the clearinghouse.

The department of education shall regularly identify research-based practices concerned with scheduling and allotting instructional time and submit such practices to the commission for inclusion in the clearinghouse.

The commission shall periodically report to the speaker and minority leader of the house of representatives, the president and minority leader of the senate, and the chairpersons and ranking minority members of the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives regarding the clearinghouse and make recommendations for changes in state law or administrative rules that may facilitate the usefulness of the clearinghouse.

(B) Not later than one year after the effective date of this amendment, the department of education shall identify research studies on academic intervention and prevention practices that have been successful in improving the academic performance of students from different ethnic and socioeconomic groups, develop an annotated bibliography of such studies, and provide that bibliography to the Ohio SchoolNet commission. The commission shall promptly make the bibliography available to school districts as a part of the clearinghouse established under this section.

Sec. 3301.91.  (A) The OhioReads council's responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) Advising and consenting to the superintendent of public instruction's appointments to the position of executive director of the OhioReads office;

(2) Evaluating the effectiveness of the OhioReads initiative established by this section and sections 3301.86 and 3301.87 of the Revised Code and conducting annual evaluations beginning in fiscal year 2002;

(3) Developing a strategic plan for identifying, recruiting, training, qualifying, and placing volunteers for the OhioReads initiative;

(4) Establishing standards for the awarding of classroom reading grants under section 3301.86 of the Revised Code and community reading grants under section 3301.87 of the Revised Code, including eligibility criteria, grant amounts, purposes for which grants may be used, and administrative, programmatic, and reporting requirements;

(5) Awarding classroom reading grants and community reading grants to be paid by the OhioReads office under sections 3301.86 and 3301.87 of the Revised Code;

(6) Establishing guidelines for and overseeing the general responsibilities and mission of the executive director of the OhioReads office;

(7) Adopting rules pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to establish standards required under sections 3301.86 and 3301.87 of the Revised Code.

(B) In performing its duties, the council shall, to the extent practicable:

(1) Give primary consideration to the safety and well-being of children participating in the OhioReads initiative;

(2) Maximize the use of resources to improve reading outcomes, especially the fourth grade reading proficiency test established under former division (A)(1) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code, as it existed prior to September 11, 2001, and the third grade reading achievement test established under division (A)(1)(a) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code;

(3) Identify and maximize relevant federal and state resources to leverage OhioReads resources and related programs;

(4) Focus on early reading intervention strategies, professional development, and parental involvement;

(5) Give priority to programs recognized as promising educational practices for accelerating student achievement, including, but not limited to, programs primarily using volunteers and programs that may have been reviewed by the education commission of the states.

Sec. 3302.01.  As used in this chapter:

(A) "Dropout" means a student who withdraws from school before completing course requirements for graduation and who is not enrolled in an education program approved by the state board of education or an education program outside the state. "Dropout" does not include a student who has departed the country.

(B) "Graduation rate" means a calculation of the percentage of ninth grade students who graduate by the end of the summer following their twelfth grade year. The graduation rate is the ratio of the students receiving a diploma to the number of students who entered ninth grade four years earlier. Students who transfer into the district are added to the calculation. Students who transfer out of the district for reasons other than dropout are subtracted from the calculation. Students who do not graduate within four years but who continue their high school education in the following year in the same school district are removed from the calculation for the year in which they would have graduated and are added to the calculation for the following year's graduating class as if the student had entered ninth grade four years before the intended graduation date of that class. In each subsequent year that such students do not graduate but continue their high school education uninterrupted in the same school district, such students shall be reassigned to the district's graduation rate for that year by assuming that the students entered ninth grade four years before the date of the intended graduation. If a student who was a dropout in any previous year returns to the same school district, that student shall be entered into the calculation as if the student had entered ninth grade four years before the graduation year of the graduating class that the student joins.

(C) "Attendance rate" means the ratio of the number of students actually in attendance over the course of a school year to the number of students who were required to be in attendance that school year, as calculated pursuant to rules of the superintendent of public instruction.

(D) "Three-year average" means the average of the most recent consecutive three school years of data.

(E) "Required level of improvement" means at least one standard unit of improvement on at least the percentage of performance standards required to demonstrate overall improvement, in accordance with the rule approved under division (A) of section 3302.04 of the Revised Code "Performance index score" means the average of the totals derived from calculations for each subject area of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies of the weighted proportion of untested students and students scoring at each level of skill described in division (A)(2) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code on the tests prescribed by divisions (A) and (B) of that section. The department of education shall assign weights such that students who do not take a test receive a weight of zero and students who take a test receive progressively larger weights dependent upon the level of skill attained on the test. The department shall also determine the performance index score a school district or building needs to achieve for the purpose of the performance ratings assigned pursuant to section 3302.03 of the Revised Code.

Students shall be included in the "performance index score" in accordance with division (D)(2) of section 3302.03 of the Revised Code.

(F) "Subgroup" means a subset of the entire student population of the state, a school district, or a school building and includes each of the following:

(1) Major racial and ethnic groups;

(2) Students with disabilities;

(3) Economically disadvantaged students;

(4) Limited English proficient students.

(G) "Other academic indicators" means measures of student academic performance other than scores on tests administered under section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code, which shall be the attendance rate for elementary and middle schools and the graduation rate for high schools.

(H) "Annual measurable objective" means the yearly percentage of students, which shall be established by the state board, who must score at or above the proficient level on tests established under section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code in reading and mathematics administered to their grade level for a school district or a school building to be deemed to have made sufficient progress for that school year toward the goal of having all students scoring at or above the proficient level on such tests by June 30, 2014. For the school year that begins July 1, 2003, the state board shall establish an "annual measurable objective" in accordance with the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001," 115 Stat. 1425, 20 U.S.C. 6311. In the school year following the first administration of each test established under section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code, the state board shall use the results from such tests to make any necessary adjustments in the applicable annual measurable objective.

(I) "Adequate yearly progress," as required by the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001," 115 Stat. 1425, 20 U.S.C. 6311, means a measure of annual academic performance. "Adequate yearly progress" is made by a school district or a school building when, in accordance with division (D)(2) of section 3302.03 of the Revised Code, the district or building satisfies either divisions (I)(1) and (2) of this section or divisions (I)(1) and (3) of this section in the applicable school year:

(1) At least ninety-five per cent of the total student population and of each subgroup enrolled in the district or building at the time of the test administration takes each test in reading and mathematics prescribed by section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code that is administered to their grade level, except that this requirement shall not apply to any subgroup in the district or building that contains less than forty students. Those students taking a test with accommodations or an alternate assessment pursuant to division (C) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code shall be counted as taking that test for the purposes of this division.

(2) The total student population and each subgroup in the district or building, as defined in division (D)(2) of section 3302.03 of the Revised Code, meets or exceeds the annual measurable objective for that school year in reading and mathematics based upon data from the current school year or a three-year average of data and the district or building meets or exceeds the minimum threshold or makes progress on the other academic indicators for that school year. In calculating whether a district or building satisfies this division, the department shall include any subgroup in the district or building that contains thirty or more students, except that the department shall not include the subgroup described in division (F)(2) of this section unless such subgroup contains forty-five or more students. The determination of students in the subgroup described in division (F)(2) of this section who are not required to score at or above the proficient level on tests established under section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code for the purpose of determining whether a district or building satisfies this division shall comply with federal statutes, rules, and regulations.

(3) If the performance of the total student population or any subgroup in the district or building results in the failure of the district or building to satisfy division (I)(2) of this section, the district or building shall fulfill both of the following requirements with respect to the total student population or any pertinent subgroup:

(a) The percentage of students scoring below the proficient level on the applicable tests in the total student population or subgroup decreases by at least ten per cent from the percentage of such students in the total student population or subgroup in the preceding school year or from the average percentage of such students in the total student population or subgroup in the two preceding school years.

(b) The total student population or subgroup meets or exceeds the minimum threshold on the other academic indicators for that school year or makes progress toward meeting the minimum threshold on one of the other academic indicators for that school year.

(J) "Supplemental educational services" means additional academic assistance, such as tutoring, remediation, or other educational enrichment activities, that is conducted outside of the regular school day by a provider approved by the department in accordance with the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001," 115 Stat. 1425, 20 U.S.C. 6316.

(K) "Value-added progress dimension" means a measure of academic gain for a student or group of students over a specific period of time that is calculated by applying a statistical methodology to individual student achievement data derived from the achievement tests prescribed by section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3302.02.  The state board of education annually through 2006 2007, and every six years thereafter, shall establish at least seventeen performance indicators for the report cards required by division (D)(C) of section 3302.03 of the Revised Code. In establishing these indicators, the state board shall consider inclusion of student performance on any tests given under section 3301.0710 or 3301.0712 of the Revised Code, rates of student improvement on such tests, student attendance, the breadth of coursework available within the district, and other indicators of student success. The state board shall notify all school districts of the selected performance indicators at least two years before they are included in the report card inform the Ohio accountability task force established under section 3302.021 of the Revised Code of the performance indicators it establishes under this section and the rationale for choosing each indicator and for determining how a school district or building meets that indicator.

The state board shall not establish any performance indicator for passage of the third or fourth grade reading test that is solely based on the test given in the fall for the purpose of determining whether students have met the reading guarantee provisions of section 3313.608 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3302.021. (A) Not earlier than July 1, 2005, and not later than July 1, 2007, the department of education shall implement a value-added progress dimension for school districts and buildings and shall incorporate the value-added progress dimension into the report cards and performance ratings issued for districts and buildings under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code.

The state board of education shall adopt rules, pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, for the implementation of the value-added progress dimension. In adopting rules, the state board shall consult with the Ohio accountability task force established under division (D) of this section. The rules adopted under this division shall specify both of the following:

(1) A scale for describing the levels of academic progress in reading and mathematics relative to a standard year of academic growth in those subjects for each of grades three through eight;

(2) That the department shall maintain the confidentiality of individual student test scores and individual student reports in accordance with sections 3301.0711, 3301.0714, and 3319.321 of the Revised Code and federal law. The department may require school districts to use a unique identifier for each student for this purpose. Individual student test scores and individual student reports shall be made available only to a student's classroom teacher and other appropriate educational personnel and to the student's parent or guardian.

(B) The department shall use a system designed for collecting necessary data, calculating the value-added progress dimension, analyzing data, and generating reports, which system has been used previously by a non-profit organization led by the Ohio business community for at least one year in the operation of a pilot program in cooperation with school districts to collect and report student achievement data via electronic means and to provide information to the districts regarding the academic performance of individual students, grade levels, school buildings, and the districts as a whole.

(C) The department shall not pay more than two dollars per student for data analysis and reporting to implement the value-added progress dimension in the same manner and with the same services as under the pilot program described by division (B) of this section. However, nothing in this section shall preclude the department or any school district from entering into a contract for the provision of more services at a higher fee per student.

(D)(1) There is hereby established the Ohio accountability task force. The task force shall consist of the following thirteen members:

(a) The chairpersons and ranking minority members of the house of representatives and senate standing committees primarily responsible for education legislation, who shall be nonvoting members;

(b) One representative of the governor's office, appointed by the governor;

(c) The superintendent of public instruction, or the superintendent's designee;

(d) One representative of teacher employee organizations formed pursuant to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(e) One representative of school district boards of education, appointed by the president of the senate;

(f) One school district superintendent, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(g) One representative of business, appointed by the president of the senate;

(h) One representative of a non-profit organization led by the Ohio business community, appointed by the governor;

(i) One school building principal, appointed by the president of the senate;

(j) A member of the state board of education, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

Initial appointed members of the task force shall serve until January 1, 2005. Thereafter, terms of office for appointed members shall be for two years, each term ending on the same day of the same month as did the term that it succeeds. Each appointed member shall hold office from the date of appointment until the end of the term for which the member was appointed. Members may be reappointed. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which the member's predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of that term.

The task force shall select from among its members a chairperson. The task force shall meet at least six times each calendar year and at other times upon the call of the chairperson to conduct its business. Members of the task force shall serve without compensation.

(2) The task force shall do all of the following:

(a) Examine the implementation of the value-added progress dimension by the department, including the system described in division (B) of this section, the reporting of performance data to school districts and buildings, and the provision of professional development on the interpretation of the data to classroom teachers and administrators;

(b) Periodically review any fees for data analysis and reporting paid by the department pursuant to division (C) of this section and determine if the fees are appropriate based upon the level of services provided;

(c) Periodically report to the department and the state board on all issues related to the school district and building accountability system established under this chapter;

(d) Not later than seven years after its initial meeting, make recommendations to improve the school district and building accountability system established under this chapter. The task force shall adopt recommendations by a majority vote of its members. Copies of the recommendations shall be provided to the state board, the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the president of the senate.

(e) Determine starting dates for the implementation of the value-added progress dimension and its incorporation into school district and building report cards and performance ratings.

Sec. 3302.03.  (A) Annually the department of education shall report for each school district the and each school building in a district all of the following:

(1) The extent to which it the school district or building meets each of the applicable performance indicators created by the state board of education under section 3302.02 of the Revised Code and shall specify for each such district the number of applicable performance indicators that have been achieved and whether;

(2) The performance index score of the school district or building;

(3) Whether the school district or building has made adequate yearly progress;

(4) Whether the school district or building is an excellent school district, an effective school district, needs continuous improvement, is under an academic watch, or is in a state of academic emergency.

When possible, the department shall also determine for each school building in a district the extent to which it meets any of the performance indicators applicable to the grade levels of the students in that school building and whether the school building is an excellent school, an effective school, needs continuous improvement, is under an academic watch, or is in a state of academic emergency.

(B) If the state board establishes seventeen performance indicators applicable to a school district or building under section 3302.02 of the Revised Code:

(1) A school district or building shall be declared excellent if it fulfills one of the following requirements:

(a) It makes adequate yearly progress and either meets at least sixteen ninety-four per cent of the applicable state performance indicators or has a performance index score established by the department.

(b) It has failed to make adequate yearly progress for not more than two consecutive years and either meets at least ninety-four per cent of the applicable state performance indicators or has a performance index score established by the department.

(2) A school district or building shall be declared effective if it fulfills one of the following requirements:

(a) It makes adequate yearly progress and either meets thirteen through fifteen at least seventy-five per cent but less than ninety-four per cent of the applicable state performance indicators or has a performance index score established by the department.

(b) It does not make adequate yearly progress and either meets at least seventy-five per cent of the applicable state performance indicators or has a performance index score established by the department, except that if it does not make adequate yearly progress for three consecutive years, it shall be declared in need of continuous improvement.

(3) A school district or building shall be declared to be in need of continuous improvement if it fulfills one of the following requirements:

(a) It makes adequate yearly progress, meets more than eight but less than thirteen less than seventy-five per cent of the applicable state performance indicators, and has a performance index score established by the department.

(b) It does not make adequate yearly progress and either meets at least fifty per cent but less than seventy-five per cent of the applicable state performance indicators or has a performance index score established by the department.

(4) A school district or building shall be declared to be under an academic watch if it does not make adequate yearly progress and either meets more than five but not more than eight at least thirty-one per cent but less than fifty per cent of the applicable state performance indicators or has a performance index score established by the department.

(5) A school district or building shall be declared to be in a state of academic emergency if it does not make adequate yearly progress, does not meet more than five at least thirty-one per cent of the applicable state performance indicators, and has a performance index score established by the department.

(C) If the state board establishes more than seventeen performance indicators under section 3302.02 of the Revised Code, or if less than seventeen performance indicators are applicable to a school building, the state board shall establish the number of indicators that must be met in order for a district or building to be designated as excellent, effective, needs continuous improvement, is under an academic watch, or is in a state of academic emergency. The number established for each such category under this division shall bear a similar relationship to the total number of indicators as the number of indicators required for the respective categories stated in division (B) of this section bears to seventeen.

(D)(1) The department shall issue annual report cards for each school district, each building within each district, and for the state as a whole reflecting performance on the indicators created by the state board under section 3302.02 of the Revised Code, the performance index score, and adequate yearly progress.

(2) The department shall include on the report card for each district information pertaining to any change from the previous year made by the school district or school buildings within the district on any performance indicator.

(3) When reporting data on student performance, the department shall disaggregate that data according to the following categories:

(a) Performance of students by age group;

(b) Performance of students by race and ethnic group;

(c) Performance of students by gender;

(d) Performance of students grouped by those who have been enrolled in a district or school for three or more years;

(e) Performance of students grouped by those who have been enrolled in a district or school for more than one year and less than three years;

(f) Performance of students grouped by those who have been enrolled in a district or school for one year or less;

(g) Performance of students grouped by those who are classified as vocational education students pursuant to guidelines adopted by the department for purposes of this division;

(h) Performance of students grouped by those who are economically disadvantaged, to the extent that such data is available from the education management information system established under section 3301.0714 of the Revised Code;

(i)(h) Performance of students grouped by those who are enrolled in a conversion community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code;

(i) Performance of students grouped by those who are classified as limited English proficient;

(j) Performance of students grouped by those who have disabilities;

(k) Performance of students grouped by those who are classified as migrants;

(l) Performance of students grouped by those who are identified as gifted pursuant to Chapter 3324. of the Revised Code.

The department may disaggregate data on student performance according to other categories that the department determines are appropriate. To the extent possible, the department shall disaggregate data on student performance according to any combinations of two or more of the categories listed in divisions (C)(3)(a) to (l) of this section that it deems relevant.

In reporting data pursuant to division (D)(C)(3) of this section, the department shall not include in the report cards any data statistical in nature that is statistically unreliable or that could result in the identification of individual students. For this purpose, the department shall not report student performance data for any group identified in division (C)(3) of this section that contains less than ten students.

(4) The department may include with the report cards any additional education and fiscal performance data it deems valuable.

(5) The department shall include on each report card a list of additional information collected by the department that is available regarding the district or building for which the report card is issued. When available, such additional information shall include student mobility data disaggregated by race and socioeconomic status, college enrollment data, and the reports prepared under section 3302.031 of the Revised Code.

The department shall maintain a site on the world wide web. The report card shall include the address of the site and shall specify that such additional information is available to the public at that site. The department shall also provide a copy of each item on the list to the superintendent of each school district. The district superintendent shall provide a copy of any item on the list to anyone who requests it.

(6) For any district that sponsors a conversion community school under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code, the department shall combine data regarding the academic performance of students enrolled in the community school with comparable data from the schools of the district for the purpose of calculating the performance of the district as a whole on the report card issued for the district.

(E)(7) The department shall include on each report card the percentage of teachers in the district or building who are highly qualified, as defined by the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001," 115 Stat. 1425, 20 U.S.C. 7801, and a comparison of that percentage with the percentages of such teachers in similar districts and buildings.

(D)(1) In calculating reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, or science proficiency or achievement test passage rates used to determine school district or building performance under this section, the department shall include all students taking a test with accommodation or to whom an alternate assessment is administered pursuant to division (C)(1) or (3) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code, but shall not include any student excused from taking a test pursuant to division (C)(3) of that section, whether or not the student chose to take the test voluntarily in spite of the exemption granted in that division.

(2) In calculating performance index scores, rates of achievement on the performance indicators established by the state board under section 3302.02 of the Revised Code, and adequate yearly progress for school districts and buildings under this section, the department shall do both of the following:

(a) Include for each district or building only those students who are included in the ADM certified for the first full school week of October and are continuously enrolled in the district or building through the time of the spring administration of any test prescribed by section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code that is administered to the student's grade level;

(b) Include cumulative totals from both the fall and spring administrations of the third grade reading achievement test.

Sec. 3302.031. In addition to the report cards required under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code, the department of education shall annually prepare the following reports for each school district and make a copy of each report available to the superintendent of each district:

(A) A funding and expenditure accountability report which shall consist of the amount of state aid payments the school district will receive during the fiscal year under Chapter 3317. of the Revised Code and any other fiscal data the department determines is necessary to inform the public about the financial status of the district;

(B) A school safety and discipline report which shall consist of statistical information regarding student safety and discipline in each school building, including the number of suspensions and expulsions disaggregated according to race and gender;

(C) A student equity report which shall consist of at least a description of the status of teacher qualifications, library and media resources, textbooks, classroom materials and supplies, and technology resources for each district. To the extent possible, the information included in the report required under this division shall be disaggregated according to grade level, race, gender, disability, and scores attained on tests required under section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code.

(D) A school enrollment report which shall consist of information about the composition of classes within each district by grade and subject disaggregated according to race, gender, and scores attained on tests required under section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code;

(E) A student retention report which shall consist of the number of students retained in their respective grade levels in the district disaggregated by grade level, subject area, race, gender, and disability;

(F) A school district performance report which shall describe for the district and each building within the district the extent to which the district or building meets each of the applicable performance indicators established under section 3302.02 of the Revised Code, the number of performance indicators that have been achieved, and the performance index score. In calculating the rates of achievement on the performance indicators and the performance index scores for each report, the department shall exclude all students with disabilities.

Sec. 3302.04.  (A) The state board of education shall adopt a rule establishing both of the following:

(1) A standard unit of improvement that any building within a district or school district would be required to achieve on a specific performance indicator that it failed to meet in order to be deemed to have made satisfactory improvement toward meeting that indicator.

(2) The percentage of those performance indicators that a building within a district or a district did not meet, on which a building or district would be required to achieve the standard unit of improvement in order to be deemed to be making overall progress toward becoming an excellent building or district.

The rule shall apply to determinations of school district improvement under division (B) of this section The department of education shall establish a system of intensive, ongoing support for the improvement of school districts and school buildings. The system shall give priority to districts and buildings that have been declared to be under an academic watch or in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code and shall include services provided to districts and buildings through regional service providers, such as educational service centers, regional professional development centers, and special education regional resource centers.

(B) When a school district has been notified by the department pursuant to division (A) of section 3302.03 of the Revised Code that the district or a building within the district needs continuous improvement, is under an academic watch, or is in a state of academic emergency has failed to make adequate yearly progress for two consecutive school years, the district shall develop a three-year continuous improvement plan for the district or building containing an analysis of the reasons for the district's failure as a whole, or the failure of any buildings, to meet any of the indicators not met and specifying the strategies the district will use and the resources it will allocate to address the problem. Copies of the plan shall be made available to the public each of the following:

(1) An analysis of the reasons for the failure of the district or building to meet any of the applicable performance indicators established under section 3302.02 of the Revised Code that it did not meet and an analysis of the reasons for its failure to make adequate yearly progress;

(2) Specific strategies that the district or building will use to address the problems in academic achievement identified in division (B)(1) of this section;

(3) Identification of the resources that the district will allocate toward improving the academic achievement of the district or building;

(4) A description of any progress that the district or building made in the preceding year toward improving its academic achievement.

No three-year continuous improvement plan shall be developed or adopted pursuant to this division unless at least one public hearing is held within the affected school district or building concerning the final draft of the plan. Notice of the hearing shall be given two weeks prior to the hearing by publication in one newspaper of general circulation within the territory of the affected school district or building. Copies of the plan shall be made available to the public.

(C) When a school district or building has been notified by the department pursuant to division (A) of section 3302.03 of the Revised Code that the district or a building within the district is under an academic watch or in a state of academic emergency, the district or building shall be subject to any rules establishing intervention in academic watch or emergency school districts that have been recommended to the general assembly by the department of education and approved by joint resolution of the general assembly or buildings.

(D)(1) Within one hundred twenty days after any school district or building within the district is declared to be in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code, the department shall may initiate a site evaluation of the building or school district.

(2) If any school district that is declared to be in a state of academic emergency or in a state of academic watch under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code or encompasses a building that is declared to be in a state of academic emergency or in a state of academic watch fails to demonstrate to the department satisfactory improvement of the district or applicable buildings or fails to submit to the department any information required under rules established by the state board of education, prior to approving a three-year continuous improvement plan under rules established by the state board of education, the department shall conduct a site evaluation of the school district or applicable buildings to determine whether the school district is in compliance with minimum standards established by law or rule.

(3) Site evaluations conducted under divisions (D)(1) and (2) of this section shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(a) Determining whether teachers are assigned to subject areas for which they are licensed or certified;

(b) Determining pupil-teacher ratios;

(c) Examination of compliance with minimum instruction time requirements for each school day and for each school year;

(d) Determining whether materials and equipment necessary to implement the curriculum approved by the school district board are available.

(E)(1) If, after three years under a continuous improvement plan developed pursuant to division (B) of this section, any school district that is declared to be in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code has any building within the district that is declared to be in a state of academic emergency under that section and that fails to improve on the performance indicators that the building did not meet under that section to make progress toward becoming an excellent building, the district shall implement at least one of the following options with respect to that building:

(a) Replace the building principal;

(b) Examine the factors impeding student success and redesign the building to address those factors, including transferring or reassigning personnel;

(C) Institute a new schoolwide curriculum or educational model that is consistent with the statewide academic standards adopted pursuant to division (A) of section 3301.079 of the Revised Code and alter the structure of the school day or year;

(d) Contract with departments of education at public and private colleges in Ohio, educational service centers, or the state department of education to operate the builiding, including the provision of personnel, supplies, and equipment;

(e) Grant priority over all other applicants to students from the building who apply to attend another building within the district under the intradistrict open enrollment policy adopted by the district pursuant to section 3313.97 of the Revised Code;

(f) Close the building and reassign its students to other buildings within the district;

(g) Develop and implement a comprehensive alternative plan, subject to approval by the department of education, to improve the overall performance of the building.

Any action taken under division (E)(1)(f) of this section may include the establishment of This division applies only to school districts that operate a school building that fails to make adequate yearly progress for two or more consecutive school years.

(1) For any school building that fails to make adequate yearly progress for two consecutive school years, the district shall do all of the following:

(a) Provide written notification of the academic issues that resulted in the building's failure to make adequate yearly progress to the parent or guardian of each student enrolled in the building. The notification shall also describe the actions being taken by the district or building to improve the academic performance of the building and any progress achieved toward that goal in the immediately preceding school year.

(b) If the building receives funds under Title 1, Part A of the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965," 20 U.S.C. 6311 to 6339, from the district, in accordance with section 3313.97 of the Revised Code, offer all students enrolled in the building the opportunity to enroll in an alternative building within the district that is not in school improvement status as defined by the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001," 115 Stat. 1425, 20 U.S.C. 6316. Notwithstanding Chapter 3327. of the Revised Code, the district shall spend twenty per cent of the funds it receives under Title I, Part A of the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965," 20 U.S.C. 6311 to 6339, to provide transportation for students who enroll in alternative buildings under this division, unless the district can satisfy all demand for transportation with a lesser amount. If twenty per cent of the funds the district receives under Title I, Part A of the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965," 20 U.S.C. 6311 to 6339, is insufficient to satisfy all demand for transportation, the district shall grant priority over all other students to the lowest achieving students among the subgroup described in division (F)(3) of section 3302.01 of the Revised Code in providing transportation. Any district that does not receive funds under Title I, Part A of the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965," 20 U.S.C. 6311 to 6339, shall not be required to provide transportation to any student who enrolls in an alternative building under this division.

(2) For any school building that fails to make adequate yearly progress for three consecutive school years, the district shall do both of the following:

(a) If the building receives funds under Title 1, Part A of the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965," 20 U.S.C. 6311 to 6339, from the district, in accordance with section 3313.97 of the Revised Code, provide all students enrolled in the building the opportunity to enroll in an alternative building within the district that is not in school improvement status as defined by the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001," 115 Stat. 1425, 20 U.S.C. 6316. Notwithstanding Chapter 3327. of the Revised Code, the district shall provide transportation for students who enroll in alternative buildings under this division to the extent required under division (E)(2) of this section.

(b) If the building receives funds under Title 1, Part A of the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965," 20 U.S.C. 6311 to 6339, from the district, offer supplemental educational services to students who are enrolled in the building and who are in the subgroup described in division (F)(3) of section 3302.01 of the Revised Code.

The district shall spend a combined total of twenty per cent of the funds it receives under Title I, Part A of the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965," 20 U.S.C. 6311 to 6339, to provide transportation for students who enroll in alternative buildings under division (E)(1)(b) or (E)(2)(a) of this section and to pay the costs of the supplemental educational services provided to students under division (E)(2)(b) of this section, unless the district can satisfy all demand for transportation and pay the costs of supplemental educational services for those students who request them with a lesser amount. In allocating the funds the district receives under Title I, Part A of the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965," 20 U.S.C. 6311 to 6339, between the requirements of divisions (E)(1)(b) and (E)(2)(a) and (b) of this section, the district shall spend at least five per cent of such funds to provide transportation for students who enroll in alternative buildings under division (E)(1)(b) or (E)(2)(a) of this section, unless the district can satisfy all demand for transportation with a lesser amount, and at least five per cent of such funds to pay the costs of the supplemental educational services provided to students under division (E)(2)(b) of this section, unless the district can pay the costs of such services for all students requesting them with a lesser amount. If twenty per cent of the funds the district receives under Title I, Part A of the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965," 20 U.S.C. 6311 to 6339, is insufficient to satisfy all demand for transportation under divisions (E)(1)(b) and (E)(2)(a) of this section and to pay the costs of all of the supplemental educational services provided to students under division (E)(2)(b) of this section, the district shall grant priority over all other students in providing transportation and in paying the costs of supplemental educational services to the lowest achieving students among the subgroup described in division (F)(3) of section 3302.01 of the Revised Code.

Any district that does not receive funds under Title I, Part A of the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965," 20 U.S.C. 6311 to 6339, shall not be required to provide transportation to any student who enrolls in an alternative building under division (E)(2)(a) of this section or to pay the costs of supplemental educational services provided to any student under division (E)(2)(b) of this section.

No student who enrolls in an alternative building under division (E)(2)(a) of this section shall be eligible for supplemental educational services under division (E)(2)(b) of this section.

(3) For any school building that fails to make adequate yearly progress for four consecutive school years, the district shall continue to comply with division (E)(2) of this section and shall implement at least one of the following options with respect to the building:

(a) Institute a new curriculum that is consistent with the statewide academic standards adopted pursuant to division (A) of section 3301.079 of the Revised Code;

(b) Decrease the degree of authority the building has to manage its internal operations;

(c) Appoint an outside expert to make recommendations for improving the academic performance of the building. The district may request the department to establish a state intervention team for this purpose pursuant to division (G) of this section.

(d) Extend the length of the school day or year;

(e) Replace the building principal or other key personnel;

(f) Reorganize the administrative structure of the building.

(4) For any school building that fails to make adequate yearly progress for five consecutive school years, the district shall continue to comply with division (E)(2) of this section and shall develop a plan during the next succeeding school year to improve the academic performance of the building, which shall include at least one of the following options:

(a) Reopen the school as a community school under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code;

(b) Replace personnel;

(c) Contract with a nonprofit or for-profit entity to operate the building;

(d) Turn operation of the building over to the department;

(e) Other significant restructuring of the building's governance.

(5) For any school building that fails to make adequate yearly progress for six consecutive school years, the district shall continue to comply with division (E)(2) of this section and shall implement the plan developed pursuant to division (E)(4) of this section.

(6) A district shall continue to comply with division (E)(1)(b) or (E)(2) of this section, whichever was most recently applicable, with respect to any building formerly subject to one of those divisions until the building makes adequate yearly progress for two consecutive school years.

(F) This division applies only to school districts that fail to make adequate yearly progress for two or more consecutive school years.

(1) If a school district fails to make adequate yearly progress for two consecutive school years, the district shall provide a written description of the continuous improvement plan developed by the district pursuant to division (B) of this section to the parent or guardian of each student enrolled in the district.

(2) If a school district fails to make adequate yearly progress for three consecutive school years, the district shall continue to implement the continuous improvement plan developed by the district pursuant to division (B) of this section.

(3) If a school district fails to make adequate yearly progress for four consecutive school years, the department shall take at least one of the following corrective actions with respect to the district:

(a) Withhold a portion of the funds the district is entitled to receive under Title I, Part A of the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965," 20 U.S.C. 6311 to 6339;

(b) Direct the district to replace key district personnel;

(c) Institute a new curriculum that is consistent with the statewide academic standards adopted pursuant to division (A) of section 3301.079 of the Revised Code;

(d) Establish alternative forms of governance for individual school buildings within the district;

(e) Appoint a trustee to manage the district in place of the district superintendent and board of education.

The department shall conduct individual audits of a sampling of districts subject to this division to determine compliance with the corrective actions taken by the department.

(4) If a school district fails to make adequate yearly progress for five consecutive school years, the department shall continue to monitor implementation of the corrective action taken under division (F)(3) of this section with respect to the district.

(5) If a school district fails to make adequate yearly progress for six consecutive school years, the department shall take at least one of the corrective actions identified in division (F)(3) of this section with respect to the district, provided that the corrective action the department takes is different from the corrective action previously taken under division (F)(3) of this section with respect to the district.

(G) The department may establish a state intervention team to evaluate all aspects of the a school district or building, including management, curriculum, instructional methods, resource allocation, and scheduling. Any such intervention team shall be appointed by the department and shall include teachers and administrators recognized as outstanding in their fields. The intervention team shall make recommendations to the district regarding methods for improving the performance of the district or building. The

The department shall not approve a district's request for an intervention team under division (E)(3) of this section if the department cannot adequately fund the work of the team, unless the district agrees to pay for the expenses of the team.

(2) If any building subject to this division fails to improve on the performance indicators that the building did not meet under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code to make progress toward becoming an excellent building within two years following any action taken by the district under this division, the district shall select another option described by this division and implement such option with respect to the building.

(H) The department shall conduct individual audits of a sampling of community schools established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code to determine compliance with this section.

(I) The state board shall adopt rules for implementing this section.

Sec. 3302.05.  The department state board of education shall recommend adopt rules to the general assembly freeing school districts declared to be excellent under division (B)(1) or effective under division (B)(2) of section 3302.03 of the Revised Code from specified state mandates. Any mandates included in the recommended rules shall be only those statutes or rules pertaining to state education requirements. The rules shall take effect upon their approval through passage of a joint resolution by the general assembly.

Sec. 3313.532.  (A) Any person twenty-two or more years of age and enrolled in an adult high school continuation program established pursuant to section 3313.531 of the Revised Code may request the board of education operating the program to conduct an evaluation in accordance with division (C) of this section.

(B) Any applicant to a board of education for a diploma of adult education under division (B) of section 3313.611 of the Revised Code may request the board to conduct an evaluation in accordance with division (C) of this section.

(C) Upon the request of any person pursuant to division (A) or (B) of this section, the board of education to which the request is made shall evaluate the person to determine whether the person is handicapped, in accordance with rules adopted by the state board of education. If the evaluation indicates that the person is handicapped, the board shall determine whether to excuse the person from taking any of the tests required by division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code as a requirement for receiving a diploma under section 3313.611 of the Revised Code. The determination of whether to excuse the person from any such test shall be made in the same manner as it would be for students enrolled in the district who are receiving special education under Chapter 3323 of the Revised Code The board may require the person to take an alternate assessment in place of any test from which the person is so excused.

Sec. 3313.6010.  By July 1, 1998, the department The state board of education shall recommend adopt rules to the general assembly permitting school districts to contract with public and private providers of academic remediation and intervention in mathematics, science, reading, writing, and social studies for the purpose of assisting pupils in grades one through six outside of regular school hours.

The rules recommended under this section shall take effect upon approval of the general assembly through passage of a joint resolution.

Sec. 3313.6012. (A) The board of education of each city, exempted village, and local school district shall adopt a policy governing the conduct of academic prevention/intervention services for all grades and all schools throughout the district. The board shall update the policy annually. The policy shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(1) Procedures for using diagnostic assessments to measure student progress toward the attainment of academic standards and to identify students who may not attain the academic standards in accordance with section 3301.0715 of the Revised Code;

(2) A plan for the design of classroom-based intervention services to meet the instructional needs of individual students as determined by the results of diagnostic assessments;

(3) Procedures for the regular collection of student performance data;

(4) Procedures for using student performance data to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention services and, if necessary, to modify such services.

The policy shall include any prevention/intervention services required under sections 3301.0711, 3301.0715, and 3313.608 of the Revised Code.

(B) In accordance with the policy adopted under division (A) of this section, each school district shall provide prevention/intervention services in pertinent subject areas to students who score below the proficient level on a reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, or science proficiency or achievement test administered in the fourth, sixth, or ninth grade or below the basic level on any achievement test or who do not demonstrate academic performance at their grade level based on the results of a diagnostic assessment.

Sec. 3313.61.  (A) A diploma shall be granted by the board of education of any city, exempted village, or local school district that operates a high school to any person to whom all of the following apply:

(1) The person has successfully completed the curriculum in any high school or the individualized education program developed for the person by any high school pursuant to section 3323.08 of the Revised Code;

(2) Subject to section 3313.614 of the Revised Code, the person either:

(a) Has attained at least the applicable scores designated under division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code on all the tests required by that division unless the person was excused from taking any such test pursuant to section 3313.532 of the Revised Code or unless division (H) or (L) of this section applies to the person;

(b) Has satisfied the alternative conditions prescribed in section 3313.615 of the Revised Code.

(3) The person is not eligible to receive an honors diploma granted pursuant to division (B) of this section.

Except as provided in divisions (C), (E), (J), and (L) of this section, no diploma shall be granted under this division to anyone except as provided under this division.

(B) In lieu of a diploma granted under division (A) of this section, an honors diploma shall be granted, in accordance with rules of the state board of education, by any such district board to anyone who successfully completes the curriculum in any high school or the individualized education program developed for the person by any high school pursuant to section 3323.08 of the Revised Code, who has attained subject to section 3313.614 of the Revised Code at least the applicable scores designated under division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code on all the tests required by that division, or has satisfied the alternative conditions prescribed in section 3313.615 of the Revised Code, and who has met additional criteria established by the state board for the granting of such a diploma. Except as provided in divisions (C), (E), and (J) of this section, no honors diploma shall be granted to anyone failing to comply with this division and no more than one honors diploma shall be granted to any student under this division.

The state board shall adopt rules prescribing the granting of honors diplomas under this division. These rules may prescribe the granting of honors diplomas that recognize a student's achievement as a whole or that recognize a student's achievement in one or more specific subjects or both. In any case, the rules shall designate two or more criteria for the granting of each type of honors diploma the board establishes under this division and the number of such criteria that must be met for the granting of that type of diploma. The number of such criteria for any type of honors diploma shall be at least one less than the total number of criteria designated for that type and no one or more particular criteria shall be required of all persons who are to be granted that type of diploma.

(C) Any such district board administering any of the tests required by section 3301.0710 or 3301.0712 of the Revised Code to any person requesting to take such test pursuant to division (B)(6)(8)(b) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code shall award a diploma to such person if the person attains at least the applicable scores designated under division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code on all the tests administered and if the person has previously attained the applicable scores on all the other tests required by division (B) of that section or has been exempted or excused from attaining the applicable score on any such test pursuant to division (H) or (L) of this section or from taking any such test pursuant to section 3313.532 of the Revised Code.

(D) Each diploma awarded under this section shall be signed by the president and treasurer of the issuing board, the superintendent of schools, and the principal of the high school. Each diploma shall bear the date of its issue, be in such form as the district board prescribes, and be paid for out of the district's general fund.

(E) A person who is a resident of Ohio and is eligible under state board of education minimum standards to receive a high school diploma based in whole or in part on credits earned while an inmate of a correctional institution operated by the state or any political subdivision thereof, shall be granted such diploma by the correctional institution operating the programs in which such credits were earned, and by the board of education of the school district in which the inmate resided immediately prior to the inmate's placement in the institution. The diploma granted by the correctional institution shall be signed by the director of the institution, and by the person serving as principal of the institution's high school and shall bear the date of issue.

(F) Persons who are not residents of Ohio but who are inmates of correctional institutions operated by the state or any political subdivision thereof, and who are eligible under state board of education minimum standards to receive a high school diploma based in whole or in part on credits earned while an inmate of the correctional institution, shall be granted a diploma by the correctional institution offering the program in which the credits were earned. The diploma granted by the correctional institution shall be signed by the director of the institution and by the person serving as principal of the institution's high school and shall bear the date of issue.

(G) The state board of education shall provide by rule for the administration of the tests required by section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code to inmates of correctional institutions.

(H) Any person to whom all of the following apply shall be exempted from attaining the applicable score on the test in social studies designated under division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code or the test in citizenship designated under former division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code as it existed prior to the effective date of this amendment September 11, 2001:

(1) The person is not a citizen of the United States;

(2) The person is not a permanent resident of the United States;

(3) The person indicates no intention to reside in the United States after the completion of high school.

(I) Notwithstanding division (D) of section 3311.19 and division (D) of section 3311.52 of the Revised Code, this section and section 3311.611 of the Revised Code do not apply to the board of education of any joint vocational school district or any cooperative education school district established pursuant to divisions (A) to (C) of section 3311.52 of the Revised Code.

(J) Upon receipt of a notice under division (D) of section 3325.08 of the Revised Code that a student has received a diploma under that section, the board of education receiving the notice may grant a high school diploma under this section to the student, except that such board shall grant the student a diploma if the student meets the graduation requirements that the student would otherwise have had to meet to receive a diploma from the district. The diploma granted under this section shall be of the same type the notice indicates the student received under section 3325.08 of the Revised Code.

(K) As used in this division, "English-limited limited English proficient student" has the same meaning as in division (C)(3) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code.

Notwithstanding the exemption for English-limited students provided in division (C)(3) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code, no English-limited No limited English proficient student who has not attained the applicable scores designated under division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code on all the tests required by that division shall be awarded a diploma under this section.

(L) Any student described by division (A)(1) of this section may be awarded a diploma without attaining the applicable scores designated on the tests prescribed under division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code provided an individualized education program specifically exempts the student from attaining such scores. This division does not negate the requirement for such a student to take all such tests or alternate assessments required by division (C)(1) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code for the purpose of assessing student progress as required by federal law.

Sec. 3313.611.  (A) The state board of education shall adopt, by rule, standards for awarding high school credit equivalent to credit for completion of high school academic and vocational education courses to applicants for diplomas under this section. The standards may permit high school credit to be granted to an applicant for any of the following:

(1) Work experiences or experiences as a volunteer;

(2) Completion of academic, vocational, or self-improvement courses offered to persons over the age of twenty-one by a chartered public or nonpublic school;

(3) Completion of academic, vocational, or self-improvement courses offered by an organization, individual, or educational institution other than a chartered public or nonpublic school;

(4) Other life experiences considered by the board to provide knowledge and learning experiences comparable to that gained in a classroom setting.

(B) The board of education of any city, exempted village, or local school district that operates a high school shall grant a diploma of adult education to any applicant if all of the following apply:

(1) The applicant is a resident of the district;

(2) The applicant is over the age of twenty-one and has not been issued a diploma as provided in section 3313.61 of the Revised Code;

(3) Subject to section 3313.614 of the Revised Code, the applicant either:

(a) Has attained the applicable scores designated under division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code on all of the tests required by that division or was excused or exempted from any such test pursuant to section 3313.532 or was exempted from attaining the applicable score on any such test pursuant to division (H) or (L) of section 3313.61 of the Revised Code;

(b) Has satisfied the alternative conditions prescribed in section 3313.615 of the Revised Code.

(4) The district board determines, in accordance with the standards adopted under division (A) of this section, that the applicant has attained sufficient high school credits, including equivalent credits awarded under such standards, to qualify as having successfully completed the curriculum required by the district for graduation.

(C) If a district board determines that an applicant is not eligible for a diploma under division (B) of this section, it shall inform the applicant of the reason the applicant is ineligible and shall provide a list of any courses required for the diploma for which the applicant has not received credit. An applicant may reapply for a diploma under this section at any time.

(D) If a district board awards an adult education diploma under this section, the president and treasurer of the board and the superintendent of schools shall sign it. Each diploma shall bear the date of its issuance, be in such form as the district board prescribes, and be paid for from the district's general fund, except that the state board may by rule prescribe standard language to be included on each diploma.

(E) As used in this division, "English-limited limited English proficient student" has the same meaning as in division (C)(3) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code.

Notwithstanding the exemption for English-limited students provided in division (C)(3) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code, no English-limited No limited English proficient student who has not attained the applicable scores designated under division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code on all the tests required by that division shall be awarded a diploma under this section.

Sec. 3313.612.  (A) No nonpublic school chartered by the state board of education shall grant any high school diploma to any person unless the person has attained, subject to section 3313.614 of the Revised Code at least the applicable scores designated under division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code on all the tests required by that division, or has satisfied the alternative conditions prescribed in section 3313.615 of the Revised Code.

(B) This section does not apply to either of the following:

(1) Any person with regard to any test from which the person was excused pursuant to division (C)(1)(c) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code;

(2) Any person with regard to the social studies test or the citizenship test under former division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code as it existed prior to the effective date of this amendment September 11, 2001, if all of the following apply:

(a) The person is not a citizen of the United States;

(b) The person is not a permanent resident of the United States;

(c) The person indicates no intention to reside in the United States after completion of high school.

(C) As used in this division, "English-limited limited English proficient student" has the same meaning as in division (C)(3) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code.

Notwithstanding the exemption for English-limited students provided in division (C)(3) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code, no English-limited No limited English proficient student who has not attained the applicable scores designated under division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code on all the tests required by that division shall be awarded a diploma under this section.

Sec. 3313.64.  (A) As used in this section and in section 3313.65 of the Revised Code:

(1) "Parent" means either parent, unless the parents are separated or divorced or their marriage has been dissolved or annulled, in which case "parent" means the parent who is the residential parent and legal custodian of the child. When a child is in the legal custody of a government agency or a person other than the child's natural or adoptive parent, "parent" means the parent with residual parental rights, privileges, and responsibilities. When a child is in the permanent custody of a government agency or a person other than the child's natural or adoptive parent, "parent" means the parent who was divested of parental rights and responsibilities for the care of the child and the right to have the child live with the parent and be the legal custodian of the child and all residual parental rights, privileges, and responsibilities.

(2) "Legal custody," "permanent custody," and "residual parental rights, privileges, and responsibilities" have the same meanings as in section 2151.011 of the Revised Code.

(3) "School district" or "district" means a city, local, or exempted village school district and excludes any school operated in an institution maintained by the department of youth services.

(4) Except as used in division (C)(2) of this section, "home" means a home, institution, foster home, group home, or other residential facility in this state that receives and cares for children, to which any of the following applies:

(a) The home is licensed, certified, or approved for such purpose by the state or is maintained by the department of youth services.

(b) The home is operated by a person who is licensed, certified, or approved by the state to operate the home for such purpose.

(c) The home accepted the child through a placement by a person licensed, certified, or approved to place a child in such a home by the state.

(d) The home is a children's home created under section 5153.21 or 5153.36 of the Revised Code.

(5) "Agency" means all of the following:

(a) A public children services agency;

(b) An organization that holds a certificate issued by the Ohio department of job and family services in accordance with the requirements of section 5103.03 of the Revised Code and assumes temporary or permanent custody of children through commitment, agreement, or surrender, and places children in family homes for the purpose of adoption;

(c) Comparable agencies of other states or countries that have complied with applicable requirements of section 2151.39, or sections 5103.20 to 5103.28 of the Revised Code.

(6) A child is placed for adoption if either of the following occurs:

(a) An agency to which the child has been permanently committed or surrendered enters into an agreement with a person pursuant to section 5103.16 of the Revised Code for the care and adoption of the child.

(b) The child's natural parent places the child pursuant to section 5103.16 of the Revised Code with a person who will care for and adopt the child.

(7) "Handicapped preschool child" means a handicapped child, as defined by division (A) of section 3323.01 of the Revised Code, who is at least three years of age but is not of compulsory school age, as defined in section 3321.01 of the Revised Code, and who is not currently enrolled in kindergarten.

(8) "Child," unless otherwise indicated, includes handicapped preschool children.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in section 3321.01 of the Revised Code for admittance to kindergarten and first grade, a child who is at least five but under twenty-two years of age and any handicapped preschool child shall be admitted to school as provided in this division.

(1) A child shall be admitted to the schools of the school district in which the child's parent resides.

(2) A child who does not reside in the district where the child's parent resides shall be admitted to the schools of the district in which the child resides if any of the following applies:

(a) The child is in the legal or permanent custody of a government agency or a person other than the child's natural or adoptive parent.

(b) The child resides in a home.

(c) The child requires special education.

(3) A child who is not entitled under division (B)(2) of this section to be admitted to the schools of the district where the child resides and who is residing with a resident of this state with whom the child has been placed for adoption shall be admitted to the schools of the district where the child resides unless either of the following applies:

(a) The placement for adoption has been terminated.

(b) Another school district is required to admit the child under division (B)(1) of this section.

Division (B) of this section does not prohibit the board of education of a school district from placing a handicapped child who resides in the district in a special education program outside of the district or its schools in compliance with Chapter 3323. of the Revised Code.

(C) A district shall not charge tuition for children admitted under division (B)(1) or (3) of this section. If the district admits a child under division (B)(2) of this section, tuition shall be paid to the district that admits the child as follows:

(1) If the child receives special education in accordance with Chapter 3323. of the Revised Code, tuition shall be paid in accordance with section 3323.091, 3323.13, 3323.14, or 3323.141 of the Revised Code regardless of who has custody of the child or whether the child resides in a home.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(2)(d) of this section, if the child is in the permanent or legal custody of a government agency or person other than the child's parent, tuition shall be paid by:

(a) The district in which the child's parent resided at the time the court removed the child from home or at the time the court vested legal or permanent custody of the child in the person or government agency, whichever occurred first;

(b) If the parent's residence at the time the court removed the child from home or placed the child in the legal or permanent custody of the person or government agency is unknown, tuition shall be paid by the district in which the child resided at the time the child was removed from home or placed in legal or permanent custody, whichever occurred first;

(c) If a school district cannot be established under division (C)(2)(a) or (b) of this section, tuition shall be paid by the district determined as required by section 2151.357 of the Revised Code by the court at the time it vests custody of the child in the person or government agency;

(d) If at the time the court removed the child from home or vested legal or permanent custody of the child in the person or government agency, whichever occurred first, one parent was in a residential or correctional facility or a juvenile residential placement and the other parent, if living and not in such a facility or placement, was not known to reside in this state, tuition shall be paid by the district determined under division (D) of section 3313.65 of the Revised Code as the district required to pay any tuition while the parent was in such facility or placement.

(3) If the child is not in the permanent or legal custody of a government agency or person other than the child's parent and the child resides in a home, tuition shall be paid by one of the following:

(a) The school district in which the child's parent resides;

(b) If the child's parent is not a resident of this state, the home in which the child resides.

(D) Tuition required to be paid under divisions (C)(2) and (3)(a) of this section shall be computed in accordance with section 3317.08 of the Revised Code. Tuition required to be paid under division (C)(3)(b) of this section shall be computed in accordance with section 3317.081 of the Revised Code. If a home fails to pay the tuition required by division (C)(3)(b) of this section, the board of education providing the education may recover in a civil action the tuition and the expenses incurred in prosecuting the action, including court costs and reasonable attorney's fees. If the prosecuting attorney or city director of law represents the board in such action, costs and reasonable attorney's fees awarded by the court, based upon the prosecuting attorney's, director's, or one of their designee's time spent preparing and presenting the case, shall be deposited in the county or city general fund.

(E) A board of education may enroll a child free of any tuition obligation for a period not to exceed sixty days, on the sworn statement of an adult resident of the district that the resident has initiated legal proceedings for custody of the child.

(F) In the case of any individual entitled to attend school under this division, no tuition shall be charged by the school district of attendance and no other school district shall be required to pay tuition for the individual's attendance. Notwithstanding division (B), (C), or (E) of this section:

(1) All persons at least eighteen but under twenty-two years of age who live apart from their parents, support themselves by their own labor, and have not successfully completed the high school curriculum or the individualized education program developed for the person by the high school pursuant to section 3323.08 of the Revised Code, are entitled to attend school in the district in which they reside.

(2) Any child under eighteen years of age who is married is entitled to attend school in the child's district of residence.

(3) A child is entitled to attend school in the district in which either of the child's parents is employed if the child has a medical condition that may require emergency medical attention. The parent of a child entitled to attend school under division (F)(3) of this section shall submit to the board of education of the district in which the parent is employed a statement from the child's physician certifying that the child's medical condition may require emergency medical attention. The statement shall be supported by such other evidence as the board may require.

(4) Any child residing with a person other than the child's parent is entitled, for a period not to exceed twelve months, to attend school in the district in which that person resides if the child's parent files an affidavit with the superintendent of the district in which the person with whom the child is living resides stating all of the following:

(a) That the parent is serving outside of the state in the armed services of the United States;

(b) That the parent intends to reside in the district upon returning to this state;

(c) The name and address of the person with whom the child is living while the parent is outside the state.

(5) Any child under the age of twenty-two years who, after the death of a parent, resides in a school district other than the district in which the child attended school at the time of the parent's death is entitled to continue to attend school in the district in which the child attended school at the time of the parent's death for the remainder of the school year, subject to approval of that district board.

(6) A child under the age of twenty-two years who resides with a parent who is having a new house built in a school district outside the district where the parent is residing is entitled to attend school for a period of time in the district where the new house is being built. In order to be entitled to such attendance, the parent shall provide the district superintendent with the following:

(a) A sworn statement explaining the situation, revealing the location of the house being built, and stating the parent's intention to reside there upon its completion;

(b) A statement from the builder confirming that a new house is being built for the parent and that the house is at the location indicated in the parent's statement.

(7) A child under the age of twenty-two years residing with a parent who has a contract to purchase a house in a school district outside the district where the parent is residing and who is waiting upon the date of closing of the mortgage loan for the purchase of such house is entitled to attend school for a period of time in the district where the house is being purchased. In order to be entitled to such attendance, the parent shall provide the district superintendent with the following:

(a) A sworn statement explaining the situation, revealing the location of the house being purchased, and stating the parent's intent to reside there;

(b) A statement from a real estate broker or bank officer confirming that the parent has a contract to purchase the house, that the parent is waiting upon the date of closing of the mortgage loan, and that the house is at the location indicated in the parent's statement.

The district superintendent shall establish a period of time not to exceed ninety days during which the child entitled to attend school under division (F)(6) or (7) of this section may attend without tuition obligation. A student attending a school under division (F)(6) or (7) of this section shall be eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics under the auspices of that school, provided the board of education of the school district where the student's parent resides, by a formal action, releases the student to participate in interscholastic athletics at the school where the student is attending, and provided the student receives any authorization required by a public agency or private organization of which the school district is a member exercising authority over interscholastic sports.

(8) A child whose parent is a full-time employee of a city, local, or exempted village school district, or of an educational service center, may be admitted to the schools of the district where the child's parent is employed, or in the case of a child whose parent is employed by an educational service center, in the district that serves the location where the parent's job is primarily located, provided the district board of education establishes such an admission policy by resolution adopted by a majority of its members. Any such policy shall take effect on the first day of the school year and the effective date of any amendment or repeal may not be prior to the first day of the subsequent school year. The policy shall be uniformly applied to all such children and shall provide for the admission of any such child upon request of the parent. No child may be admitted under this policy after the first day of classes of any school year.

(9) A child who is with the child's parent under the care of a shelter for victims of domestic violence, as defined in section 3113.33 of the Revised Code, is entitled to attend school free in the district in which the child is with the child's parent, and no other school district shall be required to pay tuition for the child's attendance in that school district.

The enrollment of a child in a school district under this division shall not be denied due to a delay in the school district's receipt of any records required under section 3313.672 of the Revised Code or any other records required for enrollment. Any days of attendance and any credits earned by a child while enrolled in a school district under this division shall be transferred to and accepted by any school district in which the child subsequently enrolls. The state board of education shall adopt rules to ensure compliance with this division.

(10) Any child under the age of twenty-two years whose parent has moved out of the school district after the commencement of classes in the child's senior year of high school is entitled, subject to the approval of that district board, to attend school in the district in which the child attended school at the time of the parental move for the remainder of the school year and for one additional semester or equivalent term. A district board may also adopt a policy specifying extenuating circumstances under which a student may continue to attend school under division (F)(10) of this section for an additional period of time in order to successfully complete the high school curriculum for the individualized education program developed for the student by the high school pursuant to section 3323.08 of the Revised Code.

(11) As used in this division, "grandparent" means a parent of a parent of a child. A child under the age of twenty-two years who is in the custody of the child's parent, resides with a grandparent, and does not require special education is entitled to attend the schools of the district in which the child's grandparent resides, provided that, prior to such attendance in any school year, the board of education of the school district in which the child's grandparent resides and the board of education of the school district in which the child's parent resides enter into a written agreement specifying that good cause exists for such attendance, describing the nature of this good cause, and consenting to such attendance.

In lieu of a consent form signed by a parent, a board of education may request the grandparent of a child attending school in the district in which the grandparent resides pursuant to division (F)(11) of this section to complete any consent form required by the district, including any authorization required by sections 3313.712, 3313.713, and 3313.716 of the Revised Code. Upon request, the grandparent shall complete any consent form required by the district. A school district shall not incur any liability solely because of its receipt of a consent form from a grandparent in lieu of a parent.

Division (F)(11) of this section does not create, and shall not be construed as creating, a new cause of action or substantive legal right against a school district, a member of a board of education, or an employee of a school district. This section does not affect, and shall not be construed as affecting, any immunities from defenses to tort liability created or recognized by Chapter 2744. of the Revised Code for a school district, member, or employee.

(12) A child under the age of twenty-two years is entitled to attend school in a school district other than the district in which the child is entitled to attend school under division (B), (C), or (E) of this section provided that, prior to such attendance in any school year, both of the following occur:

(a) The superintendent of the district in which the child is entitled to attend school under division (B), (C), or (E) of this section contacts the superintendent of another district for purposes of this division;

(b) The superintendents of both districts enter into a written agreement that consents to the attendance and specifies that the purpose of such attendance is to protect the student's physical or mental well-being or to deal with other extenuating circumstances deemed appropriate by the superintendents.

While an agreement is in effect under this division for a student who is not receiving special education under Chapter 3323. of the Revised Code and notwithstanding Chapter 3327. of the Revised Code, the board of education of neither school district involved in the agreement is required to provide transportation for the student to and from the school where the student attends.

A student attending a school of a district pursuant to this division shall be allowed to participate in all student activities, including interscholastic athletics, at the school where the student is attending on the same basis as any student who has always attended the schools of that district while of compulsory school age.

(13) All school districts shall comply with the "McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act," 42 U.S.C.A. 11431 et seq., for the education of homeless children. Each city, local, and exempted village school district shall comply with the requirements of that act governing the provision of a free, appropriate public education, including public preschool, to each homeless child.

When a child loses permanent housing and becomes a homeless person, as defined in 42 U.S.C.A. 11481(5), or when a child who is such a homeless person changes temporary living arrangements, the child's parent or guardian shall have the option of enrolling the child in either of the following:

(a) The child's school of origin, as defined in 42 U.S.C.A. 11432(g)(3)(C);

(b) The school that is operated by the school district in which the shelter where the child currently resides is located and that serves the geographic area in which the shelter is located.

(G) A board of education, after approving admission, may waive tuition for students who will temporarily reside in the district and who are either of the following:

(1) Residents or domiciliaries of a foreign nation who request admission as foreign exchange students;

(2) Residents or domiciliaries of the United States but not of Ohio who request admission as participants in an exchange program operated by a student exchange organization.

(H) Pursuant to sections 3311.211, 3313.90, 3319.01, 3323.04, 3327.04, and 3327.06 of the Revised Code, a child may attend school or participate in a special education program in a school district other than in the district where the child is entitled to attend school under division (B) of this section.

(I)(1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this section or section 3313.65 of the Revised Code, a child under twenty-two years of age may attend school in the school district in which the child, at the end of the first full week of October of the school year, was entitled to attend school as otherwise provided under this section or section 3313.65 of the Revised Code, if at that time the child was enrolled in the schools of the district but since that time the child or the child's parent has relocated to a new address located outside of that school district and within the same county as the child's or parent's address immediately prior to the relocation. The child may continue to attend school in the district, and at the school to which the child was assigned at the end of the first full week of October of the current school year, for the balance of the school year. Division (I)(1) of this section applies only if both of the following conditions are satisfied:

(a) The board of education of the school district in which the child was entitled to attend school at the end of the first full week in October and of the district to which the child or child's parent has relocated each has adopted a policy to enroll children described in division (I)(1) of this section.

(b) The child's parent provides written notification of the relocation outside of the school district to the superintendent of each of the two school districts.

(2) At the beginning of the school year following the school year in which the child or the child's parent relocated outside of the school district as described in division (I)(1) of this section, the child is not entitled to attend school in the school district under that division.

(3) Any person or entity owing tuition to the school district on behalf of the child at the end of the first full week in October, as provided in division (C) of this section, shall continue to owe such tuition to the district for the child's attendance under division (I)(1) of this section for the lesser of the balance of the school year or the balance of the time that the child attends school in the district under division (I)(1) of this section.

(4) A pupil who may attend school in the district under division (I)(1) of this section shall be entitled to transportation services pursuant to an agreement between the district and the district in which the child or child's parent has relocated unless the districts have not entered into such agreement, in which case the child shall be entitled to transportation services in the same manner as a pupil attending school in the district under interdistrict open enrollment as described in division (H) of section 3313.981 of the Revised Code, regardless of whether the district has adopted an open enrollment policy as described in division (B)(1)(b) or (c) of section 3313.98 of the Revised Code.

(J) This division does not apply to a child receiving special education.

A school district required to pay tuition pursuant to division (C)(2) or (3) of this section or section 3313.65 of the Revised Code shall have an amount deducted under division (F) of section 3317.023 of the Revised Code equal to its own tuition rate for the same period of attendance. A school district entitled to receive tuition pursuant to division (C)(2) or (3) of this section or section 3313.65 of the Revised Code shall have an amount credited under division (F) of section 3317.023 of the Revised Code equal to its own tuition rate for the same period of attendance. If the tuition rate credited to the district of attendance exceeds the rate deducted from the district required to pay tuition, the department of education shall pay the district of attendance the difference from amounts deducted from all districts' payments under division (F) of section 3317.023 of the Revised Code but not credited to other school districts under such division and from appropriations made for such purpose. The treasurer of each school district shall, by the fifteenth day of January and July, furnish the superintendent of public instruction a report of the names of each child who attended the district's schools under divisions (C)(2) and (3) of this section or section 3313.65 of the Revised Code during the preceding six calendar months, the duration of the attendance of those children, the school district responsible for tuition on behalf of the child, and any other information that the superintendent requires.

Upon receipt of the report the superintendent, pursuant to division (F) of section 3317.023 of the Revised Code, shall deduct each district's tuition obligations under divisions (C)(2) and (3) of this section or section 3313.65 of the Revised Code and pay to the district of attendance that amount plus any amount required to be paid by the state.

(J)(K) In the event of a disagreement, the superintendent of public instruction shall determine the school district in which the parent resides.

(K)(L) Nothing in this section requires or authorizes, or shall be construed to require or authorize, the admission to a public school in this state of a pupil who has been permanently excluded from public school attendance by the superintendent of public instruction pursuant to sections 3301.121 and 3313.662 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3313.65.  (A) As used in this section and section 3313.64 of the Revised Code:

(1) A person is "in a residential facility" if the person is a resident or a resident patient of an institution, home, or other residential facility that is:

(a) Licensed as a nursing home, residential care facility, or home for the aging by the director of health under section 3721.02 of the Revised Code or licensed as a community alternative home by the director of health under section 3724.03 of the Revised Code;

(b) Licensed as an adult care facility by the director of health under Chapter 3722. of the Revised Code;

(c) Maintained as a county home or district home by the board of county commissioners or a joint board of county commissioners under Chapter 5155. of the Revised Code;

(d) Operated or administered by a board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services under section 340.03 or 340.06 of the Revised Code, or provides residential care pursuant to contracts made under section 340.03 or 340.033 of the Revised Code;

(e) Maintained as a state institution for the mentally ill under Chapter 5119. of the Revised Code;

(f) Licensed by the department of mental health under section 5119.20 or 5119.22 of the Revised Code;

(g) Licensed as a residential facility by the department of mental retardation and developmental disabilities under section 5123.19 of the Revised Code;

(h) Operated by the veteran's administration or another agency of the United States government;

(i) The Ohio soldiers' and sailors' home.

(2) A person is "in a correctional facility" if any of the following apply:

(a) The person is an Ohio resident and is:

(i) Imprisoned, as defined in section 1.05 of the Revised Code;

(ii) Serving a term in a community-based correctional facility or a district community-based correctional facility;

(iii) Required, as a condition of parole, probation, transitional control, or early release from imprisonment, as a condition of shock parole or shock probation granted under the law in effect prior to July 1, 1996, or as a condition of a furlough granted under the version of section 2967.26 of the Revised Code in effect prior to the effective date of this amendment March 17, 1998, to reside in a halfway house or other community residential center licensed under section 2967.14 of the Revised Code or a similar facility designated by the common pleas court that established the condition or by the adult parole authority.

(b) The person is imprisoned in a state correctional institution of another state or a federal correctional institution but was an Ohio resident at the time the sentence was imposed for the crime for which the person is imprisoned.

(3) A person is "in a juvenile residential placement" if the person is an Ohio resident who is under twenty-one years of age and has been removed, by the order of a juvenile court, from the place the person resided at the time the person became subject to the court's jurisdiction in the matter that resulted in the person's removal.

(B) If the circumstances described in division (C) of this section apply, the determination of what school district must admit a child to its schools and what district, if any, is liable for tuition shall be made in accordance with this section, rather than section 3313.64 of the Revised Code.

(C) A child who does not reside in the school district in which the child's parent resides and for whom a tuition obligation previously has not been established under division (C)(2) of section 3313.64 of the Revised Code shall be admitted to the schools of the district in which the child resides if at least one of the child's parents is in a residential or correctional facility or a juvenile residential placement and the other parent, if living and not in such a facility or placement, is not known to reside in this state.

(D) Regardless of who has custody or care of the child, whether the child resides in a home, or whether the child receives special education, if a district admits a child under division (C) of this section, tuition shall be paid to that district as follows:

(1) If the child's parent is in a juvenile residential placement, by the district in which the child's parent resided at the time the parent became subject to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court;

(2) If the child's parent is in a correctional facility, by the district in which the child's parent resided at the time the sentence was imposed;

(3) If the child's parent is in a residential facility, by the district in which the parent resided at the time the parent was admitted to the residential facility, except that if the parent was transferred from another residential facility, tuition shall be paid by the district in which the parent resided at the time the parent was admitted to the facility from which the parent first was transferred;

(4) In the event of a disagreement as to which school district is liable for tuition under division (C)(1), (2), or (3) of this section, the superintendent of public instruction shall determine which district shall pay tuition.

(E) If a child covered by division (D) of this section receives special education in accordance with Chapter 3323. of the Revised Code, the tuition shall be paid in accordance with section 3323.13 or 3323.14 of the Revised Code. Tuition for children who do not receive special education shall be paid in accordance with division (I)(J) of section 3313.64 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3313.97.  Notwithstanding division (D) of section 3311.19 and division (D) of section 3311.52 of the Revised Code, this section does not apply to any joint vocational or cooperative education school district.

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Parent" has the same meaning as in section 3313.64 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Alternative school" means a school building other than the one to which a student is assigned by the district superintendent.

(3) "IEP" means an individualized education program defined by division (E) of section 3323.01 of the Revised Code.

(B) The board of education of each city, local, and exempted village school district shall adopt an open enrollment policy allowing students entitled to attend school in the district pursuant to section 3313.64 or 3313.65 of the Revised Code, effective with the school year that begins July 1, 1993, to enroll in an alternative school. Each policy shall provide for the following:

(1) Application procedures, including deadlines for application and for notification of students and principals of alternative schools whenever a student's application is accepted. The policy shall require a student to apply only if he the student wishes to attend an alternative school.

(2) Procedures for admitting applicants to alternative schools, including but not limited to:

(a) The establishment of district capacity limits by grade level, school building, and education program;

(b)(3) A requirement that students enrolled in a school building or living in any attendance area of the school building established by the superintendent or board be given preference over applicants;

(c)(4) Procedures to ensure that an appropriate racial balance is maintained in the district schools.

(C) Except as provided in section 3313.982 of the Revised Code, the procedures for admitting applicants to alternative schools shall not include:

(1) Any requirement of academic ability, or any level of athletic, artistic, or other extracurricular skills;

(2) Limitations on admitting applicants because of handicapping conditions, except that a board may require a student receiving services under Chapter 3323. of the Revised Code to attend school where the services described in the student's IEP are available;

(3) A requirement that the student be proficient in the English language;

(4) Rejection of any applicant because the student has been subject to disciplinary proceedings, except that if an applicant has been suspended or expelled for ten consecutive days or more in the term for which admission is sought or in the term immediately preceding the term for which admission is sought, the procedures may include a provision denying admission of such applicant to an alternative school.

(D)(1) Notwithstanding Chapter 3327. of the Revised Code, and except as provided in division (D)(2) of this section, a district board is not required to provide transportation to a nonhandicapped student enrolled in an alternative school unless such student can be picked up and dropped off at a regular school bus stop designated in accordance with the board's transportation policy or unless the board is required to provide additional transportation to the student in accordance with a court-approved desegregation plan.

(2) A district board shall provide transportation to any student enrolled in an alternative school pursuant to division (E) of section 3302.04 of the Revised Code to the extent required by that division, except that no district board shall be required to provide transportation to any student enrolled in an alternative school pursuant to division (E) of section 3302.04 of the Revised Code after the date the school in which the student was enrolled immediately prior to enrolling in the alternative school ceases to be subject to that division.

(E) Each school board shall provide information about the policy adopted under this section and the application procedures and deadlines to the parent of each student in the district and to the general public.

(F) The state board of education shall monitor school districts to ensure compliance with this section and the districts' policies.

Sec. 3314.012.  (A) Within ninety days of the effective date of this section September 28, 1999, the superintendent of public instruction shall appoint representatives of the department of education, including employees who work with the education management information system and employees of the office of school options community schools established by section 3314.11 of the Revised Code, to a committee to develop report card models for community schools. The director of the legislative office of education oversight shall also appoint representatives to the committee. The committee shall design model report cards appropriate for the various types of community schools approved to operate in the state. Sufficient models shall be developed to reflect the variety of grade levels served and the missions of the state's community schools. All models shall include both financial and academic data. The initial models shall be developed by March 31, 2000.

(B) The department of education shall issue an annual report card for each community school. The report card shall report the academic and financial performance of the school utilizing one of the models developed under division (A) of this section. The report card shall include all information applicable to school buildings under division (A) of section 3302.03 of the Revised Code.

(C) Upon receipt of a copy of a contract between a sponsor and a community school entered into under this chapter, the department of education shall notify the community school of the specific model report card that will be used for that school.

(D) Report cards shall be distributed to the parents of all students in the community school, to the members of the board of education of the school district in which the community school is located, and to any person who requests one from the department.

(E) No report card shall be issued for any community school under this section until the school has been open for instruction for two full school years.

Sec. 3314.02.  (A) As used in this chapter:

(1) "Sponsor" means an entity listed in division (C)(1) of this section, which has been approved by the department of education to sponsor community schools and with which the governing authority of the proposed community school enters into a contract pursuant to this section.

(2) "Pilot project area" means the school districts included in the territory of the former community school pilot project established by former Section 50.52 of Am. Sub. H.B. No. 215 of the 122nd general assembly.

(3) "Challenged school district" means any of the following:

(a) A school district that is part of the pilot project area;

(b) A school district that is either in a state of academic emergency or in a state of academic watch under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code;

(c) A big eight school district;

(d) An urban school district.

(4) "Big eight school district" means a school district that for fiscal year 1997 had both of the following:

(a) A percentage of children residing in the district and participating in the predecessor of Ohio works first greater than thirty per cent, as reported pursuant to section 3317.10 of the Revised Code;

(b) An average daily membership greater than twelve thousand, as reported pursuant to former division (A) of section 3317.03 of the Revised Code.

(5) "New start-up school" means a community school other than one created by converting all or part of an existing public school, as designated in the school's contract pursuant to division (A)(17) of section 3314.03 of the Revised Code.

(6) "Urban school district" means one of the state's twenty-one urban school districts as defined in division (O) of section 3317.02 of the Revised Code as that section existed prior to July 1, 1998.

(7) "Internet- or computer-based community school" means a community school established under this chapter in which the enrolled students work primarily from their residences on assignments in nonclassroom-based learning opportunities provided via an internet- or other computer-based instructional method that does not rely on regular classroom instruction or via comprehensive instructional methods that include internet-based, other computer-based, and noncomputer-based learning opportunities.

(B) Any person or group of individuals may initially propose under this division the conversion of all or a portion of a public school to a community school. The proposal shall be made to the board of education of the city, local, or exempted village school district in which the public school is proposed to be converted. Upon receipt of a proposal, a board may enter into a preliminary agreement with the person or group proposing the conversion of the public school, indicating the intention of the board of education to support the conversion to a community school. A proposing person or group that has a preliminary agreement under this division may proceed to finalize plans for the school, establish a governing authority for the school, and negotiate a contract with the board of education. Provided the proposing person or group adheres to the preliminary agreement and all provisions of this chapter, the board of education shall negotiate in good faith to enter into a contract in accordance with section 3314.03 of the Revised Code and division (C) of this section.

(C)(1) Any person or group of individuals may propose under this division the establishment of a new start-up school to be located in a challenged school district. The proposal may be made to any of the following entities:

(a) The board of education of the district in which the school is proposed to be located;

(b) The board of education of any joint vocational school district with territory in the county in which is located the majority of the territory of the district in which the school is proposed to be located;

(c) The board of education of any other city, local, or exempted village school district having territory in the same county where the district in which the school is proposed to be located has the major portion of its territory;

(d) The governing board of any educational service center as long as the proposed school will be located in a county within the territory of the service center or in a county contiguous to such county;

(e) A sponsoring authority designated by the board of trustees of any of the thirteen state universities listed in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code or the board of trustees itself as long as a mission of the proposed school to be specified in the contract under division (A)(2) of section 3314.03 of the Revised Code and as approved by the department of education under division (B)(2) of section 3314.015 of the Revised Code will be the practical demonstration of teaching methods, educational technology, or other teaching practices that are included in the curriculum of the university's teacher preparation program approved by the state board of education;

(f) Any qualified tax-exempt entity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as long as all of the following conditions are satisfied:

(i) The entity has been in operation for at least five years prior to applying to be a community school sponsor.

(ii) The entity has assets of at least five hundred thousand dollars.

(iii) The department of education has determined that the entity is an education-oriented entity under division (B)(3) of section 3314.015 of the Revised Code.

Until July 1, 2005, any entity described in division (C)(1)(f) of this section may sponsor only schools that formerly were sponsored by the state board of education under division (C)(1)(d) of this section, as it existed prior to April 8, 2003. After July 1, 2005, such entity may sponsor any new or existing school.

Any entity described in division (C)(1) of this section may enter into a preliminary agreement pursuant to division (C)(2) of this section with the proposing person or group.

(2) A preliminary agreement indicates the intention of an entity described in division (C)(1) of this section to sponsor the community school. A proposing person or group that has such a preliminary agreement may proceed to finalize plans for the school, establish a governing authority as described in division (E) of this section for the school, and negotiate a contract with the entity. Provided the proposing person or group adheres to the preliminary agreement and all provisions of this chapter, the entity shall negotiate in good faith to enter into a contract in accordance with section 3314.03 of the Revised Code.

(3) A new start-up school that is established in a school district while that district is either in a state of academic emergency or in a state of academic watch under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code may continue in existence once the school district is no longer in a state of academic emergency or academic watch, provided there is a valid contract between the school and a sponsor.

(4) A copy of every preliminary agreement entered into under this division shall be filed with the superintendent of public instruction.

(D) A majority vote of the board of a sponsoring entity and a majority vote of the members of the governing authority of a community school shall be required to adopt a contract and convert the public school to a community school or establish the new start-up school. Up to the statewide limit prescribed in section 3314.013 of the Revised Code, an unlimited number of community schools may be established in any school district provided that a contract is entered into for each community school pursuant to this chapter.

(E) As used in this division, "immediate relatives" are limited to spouses, children, parents, grandparents, siblings, and in-laws.

Each new start-up community school established under this chapter shall be under the direction of a governing authority which shall consist of a board of not less than five individuals who are not owners or employees, or immediate relatives of owners or employees, of any for-profit firm that operates or manages a school for the governing authority.

No person shall serve on the governing authority or operate the community school under contract with the governing authority so long as the person owes the state any money or is in a dispute over whether the person owes the state any money concerning the operation of a community school that has closed.

(F) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to permit the establishment of a community school in more than one school district under the same contract.

(G) A new start-up school that is established prior to the effective date of this amendment in an urban school district that is not also a big-eight school district may continue to operate after the effective date of this amendment and the contract between the school's governing authority and the school's sponsor may be renewed, as provided under this chapter, after the effective date of this amendment, but no additional new start-up schools may be established in such a district unless the district is a challenged school district as defined in this section as it exists on and after the effective date of this amendment.

Sec. 3314.03.  A copy of every contract entered into under this section shall be filed with the superintendent of public instruction.

(A) Each contract entered into between a sponsor and the governing authority of a community school shall specify the following:

(1) That the school shall be established as either of the following:

(a) A nonprofit corporation established under Chapter 1702. of the Revised Code, if established prior to the effective date of this amendment April 8, 2003;

(b) A public benefit corporation established under Chapter 1702. of the Revised Code, if established after the effective date of this amendment April 8, 2003;

(2) The education program of the school, including the school's mission, the characteristics of the students the school is expected to attract, the ages and grades of students, and the focus of the curriculum;

(3) The academic goals to be achieved and the method of measurement that will be used to determine progress toward those goals, which shall include the statewide achievement tests;

(4) Performance standards by which the success of the school will be evaluated by the sponsor;

(5) The admission standards of section 3314.06 of the Revised Code;

(6)(a) Dismissal procedures;

(b) A requirement that the governing authority adopt an attendance policy that includes a procedure for automatically withdrawing a student from the school if the student without a legitimate excuse fails to participate in one hundred five cumulative hours of the learning opportunities offered to the student. Such a policy shall provide for withdrawing the student by the end of the thirtieth day after the student has failed to participate as required under this division.

(7) The ways by which the school will achieve racial and ethnic balance reflective of the community it serves;

(8) Requirements for financial audits by the auditor of state. The contract shall require financial records of the school to be maintained in the same manner as are financial records of school districts, pursuant to rules of the auditor of state, and the audits shall be conducted in accordance with section 117.10 of the Revised Code.

(9) The facilities to be used and their locations;

(10) Qualifications of teachers, including a requirement that the school's classroom teachers be licensed in accordance with sections 3319.22 to 3319.31 of the Revised Code, except that a community school may engage noncertificated persons to teach up to twelve hours per week pursuant to section 3319.301 of the Revised Code;

(11) That the school will comply with the following requirements:

(a) The school will provide learning opportunities to a minimum of twenty-five students for a minimum of nine hundred twenty hours per school year;

(b) The governing authority will purchase liability insurance, or otherwise provide for the potential liability of the school;

(c) The school will be nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations, and will not be operated by a sectarian school or religious institution;

(d) The school will comply with sections 9.90, 9.91, 109.65, 121.22, 149.43, 2151.358, 2151.421, 2313.18, 3301.0710, 3301.0711, 3301.0712, 3301.0715, 3313.50, 3313.608, 3313.6012, 3313.643, 3313.648, 3313.66, 3313.661, 3313.662, 3313.67, 3313.671, 3313.672, 3313.673, 3313.69, 3313.71, 3313.716, 3313.80, 3313.96, 3319.073, 3319.321, 3319.39, 3321.01, 3321.13, 3321.14, 3321.17, 3321.18, 3321.19, 3321.191, 3327.10, 4111.17, 4113.52, and 5705.391 and Chapters 117., 1347., 2744., 3365., 3742., 4112., 4123., 4141., and 4167. of the Revised Code as if it were a school district and will comply with section 3301.0714 of the Revised Code in the manner specified in section 3314.17 of the Revised Code;

(e) The school shall comply with Chapter 102. of the Revised Code except that nothing in that chapter shall prohibit a member of the school's governing board from also being an employee of the school and nothing in that chapter or section 2921.42 of the Revised Code shall prohibit a member of the school's governing board from having an interest in a contract into which the governing board enters that is not a contract with a for-profit firm for the operation or management of a school under the auspices of the governing authority;

(f) The school will comply with sections 3313.61, 3313.611, and 3313.614 of the Revised Code, except that the requirement in sections 3313.61 and 3313.611 of the Revised Code that a person must successfully complete the curriculum in any high school prior to receiving a high school diploma may be met by completing the curriculum adopted by the governing authority of the community school rather than the curriculum specified in Title XXXIII of the Revised Code or any rules of the state board of education;

(g) The school governing authority will submit within four months after the end of each school year a report of its activities and progress in meeting the goals and standards of divisions (A)(3) and (4) of this section and its financial status to the sponsor, the parents of all students enrolled in the school, and the legislative office of education oversight. The school will collect and provide any data that the legislative office of education oversight requests in furtherance of any study or research that the general assembly requires the office to conduct, including the studies required under Section 50.39 of Am. Sub. H.B. 215 of the 122nd general assembly and Section 50.52.2 of Am. Sub. H.B. 215 of the 122nd general assembly, as amended.

(12) Arrangements for providing health and other benefits to employees;

(13) The length of the contract, which shall begin at the beginning of an academic year. No contract shall exceed five years unless such contract has been renewed pursuant to division (E) of this section.

(14) The governing authority of the school, which shall be responsible for carrying out the provisions of the contract;

(15) A financial plan detailing an estimated school budget for each year of the period of the contract and specifying the total estimated per pupil expenditure amount for each such year. The plan shall specify for each year the base formula amount that will be used for purposes of funding calculations under section 3314.08 of the Revised Code. This base formula amount for any year shall not exceed the formula amount defined under section 3317.02 of the Revised Code. The plan may also specify for any year a percentage figure to be used for reducing the per pupil amount of disadvantaged pupil impact aid calculated pursuant to section 3317.029 of the Revised Code the school is to receive that year under section 3314.08 of the Revised Code.

(16) Requirements and procedures regarding the disposition of employees of the school in the event the contract is terminated or not renewed pursuant to section 3314.07 of the Revised Code;

(17) Whether the school is to be created by converting all or part of an existing public school or is to be a new start-up school, and if it is a converted public school, specification of any duties or responsibilities of an employer that the board of education that operated the school before conversion is delegating to the governing board of the community school with respect to all or any specified group of employees provided the delegation is not prohibited by a collective bargaining agreement applicable to such employees;

(18) Provisions establishing procedures for resolving disputes or differences of opinion between the sponsor and the governing authority of the community school;

(19) A provision requiring the governing authority to adopt a policy regarding the admission of students who reside outside the district in which the school is located. That policy shall comply with the admissions procedures specified in section 3314.06 of the Revised Code and, at the sole discretion of the authority, shall do one of the following:

(a) Prohibit the enrollment of students who reside outside the district in which the school is located;

(b) Permit the enrollment of students who reside in districts adjacent to the district in which the school is located;

(c) Permit the enrollment of students who reside in any other district in the state.

(20) A provision recognizing the authority of the department of education to take over the sponsorship of the school in accordance with the provisions of division (C) of section 3314.015 of the Revised Code;

(21) A provision recognizing the sponsor's authority to assume the operation of a school under the conditions specified in division (B) of section 3314.073 of the Revised Code;

(22) A provision recognizing both of the following:

(a) The authority of public health and safety officials to inspect the facilities of the school and to order the facilities closed if those officials find that the facilities are not in compliance with health and safety laws and regulations;

(b) The authority of the department of education as the community school oversight body to suspend the operation of the school under section 3314.072 of the Revised Code if the department has evidence of conditions or violations of law at the school that pose an imminent danger to the health and safety of the school's students and employees and the sponsor refuses to take such action;

(23) A description of the learning opportunities that will be offered to students including both classroom-based and non-classroom-based learning opportunities that is in compliance with criteria for student participation established by the department under division (L)(2) of section 3314.08 of the Revised Code;

(24) The school will comply with section 3302.04 of the Revised Code, including division (E) of that section to the extent possible, except that any action required to be taken by a school district pursuant to that section shall be taken by the sponsor of the school. However, the sponsor shall not be required to take any action described in division (F) of that section.

(B) The community school shall also submit to the sponsor a comprehensive plan for the school. The plan shall specify the following:

(1) The process by which the governing authority of the school will be selected in the future;

(2) The management and administration of the school;

(3) If the community school is a currently existing public school, alternative arrangements for current public school students who choose not to attend the school and teachers who choose not to teach in the school after conversion;

(4) The instructional program and educational philosophy of the school;

(5) Internal financial controls.

(C) A contract entered into under section 3314.02 of the Revised Code between a sponsor and the governing authority of a community school may provide for the community school governing authority to make payments to the sponsor, which is hereby authorized to receive such payments as set forth in the contract between the governing authority and the sponsor. The total amount of such payments for oversight and monitoring of the school shall not exceed three per cent of the total amount of payments for operating expenses that the school receives from the state.

(D) The contract shall specify the duties of the sponsor which shall be in accordance with the written agreement entered into with the department of education under division (B) of section 3314.015 of the Revised Code and shall include the following:

(1) Monitor the community school's compliance with all laws applicable to the school and with the terms of the contract;

(2) Monitor and evaluate the academic and fiscal performance and the organization and operation of the community school on at least an annual basis;

(3) Report on an annual basis the results of the evaluation conducted under division (D)(2) of this section to the department of education and to the parents of students enrolled in the community school;

(4) Provide technical assistance to the community school in complying with laws applicable to the school and terms of the contract;

(5) Take steps to intervene in the school's operation to correct problems in the school's overall performance, declare the school to be on probationary status pursuant to section 3314.073 of the Revised Code, suspend the operation of the school pursuant to section 3314.072 of the Revised Code, or terminate the contract of the school pursuant to section 3314.07 of the Revised Code as determined necessary by the sponsor;

(6) Have in place a plan of action to be undertaken in the event the community school experiences financial difficulties or closes prior to the end of a school year.

(E) Upon the expiration of a contract entered into under this section, the sponsor of a community school may, with the approval of the governing authority of the school, renew that contract for a period of time determined by the sponsor, but not ending earlier than the end of any school year, if the sponsor finds that the school's compliance with applicable laws and terms of the contract and the school's progress in meeting the academic goals prescribed in the contract have been satisfactory. Any contract that is renewed under this division remains subject to the provisions of sections 3314.07, 3314.072, and 3314.073 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3314.033.  Not later than September 30, 2003, the state board of education shall recommend to the general assembly standards governing the operation of internet- or computer-based community schools, as defined in section 3314.02 of the Revised Code, and other educational courses delivered primarily via electronic media.

Sec. 3314.20.  This section does not apply to any school district declared to be excellent or effective pursuant to division (B)(1) or (2) of section 3302.03 of the Revised Code.

(A) The department state board of education shall recommend adopt rules to the general assembly requiring school districts with a total student count of over five thousand, as determined pursuant to section 3317.03 of the Revised Code, to designate one school building to be operated by a site-based management council. The rules shall specify the composition of the council and the manner in which members of the council are to be selected and removed.

(B) The rules adopted under division (A) of this section shall specify those powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities that shall be vested in the management council and that would otherwise be exercised by the district board of education. The rules shall also establish a mechanism for resolving any differences between the council and the district board if there is disagreement as to their respective powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities.

(C) The board of education of any school district described by division (A) of this section may, in lieu of complying with the rules adopted under this section, file with the department of education an alternative structure for a district site-based management program in at least one of its school buildings. The proposal shall specify the composition of the council, which shall include an equal number of parents and teachers and the building principal, and the method of selection and removal of the council members. The proposal shall also clearly delineate the respective powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities of the district board and the council. The district's proposal shall comply substantially with the rules approved by the general assembly.

(D) The rules recommended under this section shall take effect upon approval of the general assembly through the passage of a joint resolution adopted under division (A) of this section.

Sec. 3317.023.  (A) Notwithstanding section 3317.022 of the Revised Code, the amounts required to be paid to a district under this chapter shall be adjusted by the amount of the computations made under divisions (B) to (L) of this section.

As used in this section:

(1) "Classroom teacher" means a licensed employee who provides direct instruction to pupils, excluding teachers funded from money paid to the district from federal sources; educational service personnel; and vocational and special education teachers.

(2) "Educational service personnel" shall not include such specialists funded from money paid to the district from federal sources or assigned full-time to vocational or special education students and classes and may only include those persons employed in the eight specialist areas in a pattern approved by the department of education under guidelines established by the state board of education.

(3) "Annual salary" means the annual base salary stated in the state minimum salary schedule for the performance of the teacher's regular teaching duties that the teacher earns for services rendered for the first full week of October of the fiscal year for which the adjustment is made under division (C) of this section. It shall not include any salary payments for supplemental teachers contracts.

(4) "Regular student population" means the formula ADM plus the number of students reported as enrolled in the district pursuant to division (A)(1) of section 3313.981 of the Revised Code; minus the number of students reported under division (A)(2) of section 3317.03 of the Revised Code; minus the FTE of students reported under division (B)(5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), or (12) of that section who are enrolled in a vocational education class or receiving special education; and minus one-fourth of the students enrolled concurrently in a joint vocational school district.

(5) "State share percentage" has the same meaning as in section 3317.022 of the Revised Code.

(6) "VEPD" means a school district or group of school districts designated by the department of education as being responsible for the planning for and provision of vocational education services to students within the district or group.

(7) "Lead district" means a school district, including a joint vocational school district, designated by the department as a VEPD, or designated to provide primary vocational education leadership within a VEPD composed of a group of districts.

(B) If the district employs less than one full-time equivalent classroom teacher for each twenty-five pupils in the regular student population in any school district, deduct the sum of the amounts obtained from the following computations:

(1) Divide the number of the district's full-time equivalent classroom teachers employed by one twenty-fifth;

(2) Subtract the quotient in (1) from the district's regular student population;

(3) Multiply the difference in (2) by seven hundred fifty-two dollars.

(C) If a positive amount, add one-half of the amount obtained by multiplying the number of full-time equivalent classroom teachers by:

(1) The mean annual salary of all full-time equivalent classroom teachers employed by the district at their respective training and experience levels minus;

(2) The mean annual salary of all such teachers at their respective levels in all school districts receiving payments under this section.

The number of full-time equivalent classroom teachers used in this computation shall not exceed one twenty-fifth of the district's regular student population. In calculating the district's mean salary under this division, those full-time equivalent classroom teachers with the highest training level shall be counted first, those with the next highest training level second, and so on, in descending order. Within the respective training levels, teachers with the highest years of service shall be counted first, the next highest years of service second, and so on, in descending order.

(D) This division does not apply to a school district that has entered into an agreement under division (A) of section 3313.42 of the Revised Code. Deduct the amount obtained from the following computations if the district employs fewer than five full-time equivalent educational service personnel, including elementary school art, music, and physical education teachers, counselors, librarians, visiting teachers, school social workers, and school nurses for each one thousand pupils in the regular student population:

(1) Divide the number of full-time equivalent educational service personnel employed by the district by five one-thousandths;

(2) Subtract the quotient in (1) from the district's regular student population;

(3) Multiply the difference in (2) by ninety-four dollars.

(E) If a local school district, or a city or exempted village school district to which a governing board of an educational service center provides services pursuant to section 3313.843 of the Revised Code, deduct the amount of the payment required for the reimbursement of the governing board under section 3317.11 of the Revised Code.

(F)(1) If the district is required to pay to or entitled to receive tuition from another school district under division (C)(2) or (3) of section 3313.64 or section 3313.65 of the Revised Code, or if the superintendent of public instruction is required to determine the correct amount of tuition and make a deduction or credit under section 3317.08 of the Revised Code, deduct and credit such amounts as provided in division (I)(J) of section 3313.64 or section 3317.08 of the Revised Code.

(2) For each child for whom the district is responsible for tuition or payment under division (A)(1) of section 3317.082 or section 3323.091 of the Revised Code, deduct the amount of tuition or payment for which the district is responsible.

(G) If the district has been certified by the superintendent of public instruction under section 3313.90 of the Revised Code as not in compliance with the requirements of that section, deduct an amount equal to ten per cent of the amount computed for the district under section 3317.022 of the Revised Code.

(H) If the district has received a loan from a commercial lending institution for which payments are made by the superintendent of public instruction pursuant to division (E)(3) of section 3313.483 of the Revised Code, deduct an amount equal to such payments.

(I)(1) If the district is a party to an agreement entered into under division (D), (E), or (F) of section 3311.06 or division (B) of section 3311.24 of the Revised Code and is obligated to make payments to another district under such an agreement, deduct an amount equal to such payments if the district school board notifies the department in writing that it wishes to have such payments deducted.

(2) If the district is entitled to receive payments from another district that has notified the department to deduct such payments under division (I)(1) of this section, add the amount of such payments.

(J) If the district is required to pay an amount of funds to a cooperative education district pursuant to a provision described by division (B)(4) of section 3311.52 or division (B)(8) of section 3311.521 of the Revised Code, deduct such amounts as provided under that provision and credit those amounts to the cooperative education district for payment to the district under division (B)(1) of section 3317.19 of the Revised Code.

(K)(1) If a district is educating a student entitled to attend school in another district pursuant to a shared education contract, compact, or cooperative education agreement other than an agreement entered into pursuant to section 3313.842 of the Revised Code, credit to that educating district on an FTE basis both of the following:

(a) An amount equal to the formula amount times the cost of doing business factor of the school district where the student is entitled to attend school pursuant to section 3313.64 or 3313.65 of the Revised Code;

(b) An amount equal to the formula amount times the state share percentage times any multiple applicable to the student pursuant to section 3317.013 or 3317.014 of the Revised Code.

(2) Deduct any amount credited pursuant to division (K)(1) of this section from amounts paid to the school district in which the student is entitled to attend school pursuant to section 3313.64 or 3313.65 of the Revised Code.

(3) If the district is required by a shared education contract, compact, or cooperative education agreement to make payments to an educational service center, deduct the amounts from payments to the district and add them to the amounts paid to the service center pursuant to section 3317.11 of the Revised Code.

(L)(1) If a district, including a joint vocational school district, is a lead district of a VEPD, credit to that district the amounts calculated for all the school districts within that VEPD pursuant to division (E)(2) of section 3317.022 of the Revised Code.

(2) Deduct from each appropriate district that is not a lead district, the amount attributable to that district that is credited to a lead district under division (L)(1) of this section.

Sec. 3317.04.  The amount paid to school districts in each fiscal year under Chapter 3317. of the Revised Code shall not be less than the following:

(A) In the case of a district created under section 3311.26 or 3311.37 of the Revised Code, the amount paid shall not be less, in any of the three succeeding fiscal years following the creation, than the sum of the amounts allocated under Chapter 3317. of the Revised Code to the districts separately in the year of the creation.

(B) In the case of a school district which is transferred to another school district or districts, pursuant to section 3311.22, 3311.231, or 3311.38 of the Revised Code, the amount paid to the district accepting the transferred territory shall not be less, in any of the three succeeding fiscal years following the transfer, than the sum of the amounts allocated under Chapter 3317. of the Revised Code to the districts separately in the year of the consummation of the transfer.

(C) In the case of any school district, the amount paid under Chapter 3317. of the Revised Code to the district in the fiscal year of distribution shall not be less than that paid under such chapter in the preceding fiscal year, less any amount paid in that preceding fiscal year under section 3317.0216 of the Revised Code, if in the calendar year ending the thirty-first day of December preceding the fiscal year of distribution, the county auditor of the county to which the district has been assigned by the department of education for administrative purposes has completed reassessment of all real estate within his the county, or the tax duplicate of that county was increased by the application of a uniform taxable value per cent of true value pursuant to a rule or order of the tax commissioner and the revised valuations were entered on the tax list and duplicate. Notwithstanding sections 3311.22, 3311.231, 3311.26, 3311.37, and 3311.38 of the Revised Code, this minimum guarantee is applicable only during the fiscal year immediately following the reassessment or application.

(D) In the case of any school district that has territory in three or more counties, each of which contains at least twenty per cent of the district's territory, the amount paid under Chapter 3317. of the Revised Code to the district in the fiscal year of distribution shall not be less than that paid under such chapter in the preceding fiscal year, less any amount paid in that preceding fiscal year under section 3317.0216 of the Revised Code, if in the calendar year ending the thirty-first day of December preceding the fiscal year of distribution, the county auditor of any such county completed reassessment of all real estate within his the county, or the tax duplicate of any such county was increased by the application of a uniform taxable value per cent of true value pursuant to a rule or order of the tax commissioner and the revised valuations were entered on the tax list and duplicate. Notwithstanding sections 3311.22, 3311.231, 3311.26, 3311.37, and 3311.38 of the Revised Code, this minimum guarantee is applicable only during the fiscal year immediately following the reassessment or application.

Notwithstanding sections 3311.22, 3311.231, 3311.26, 3311.37, and 3311.38 of the Revised Code, the minimum guarantees prescribed by divisions (A) and (B) of this section shall not affect the amount of aid received by a school district for more than three consecutive years.

Sec. 3317.08.  A board of education may admit to its schools a child it is not required by section 3313.64 or 3313.65 of the Revised Code to admit, if tuition is paid for the child.

Unless otherwise provided by law, tuition shall be computed in accordance with this section. A district's tuition charge for a school year shall be one of the following:

(A) For any child, except a handicapped preschool child described in division (B) of this section, the quotient obtained by dividing the sum of the amounts described in divisions (A)(1) and (2) of this section by the district's formula ADM.

(1) The district's total taxes charged and payable for current expenses for the tax year preceding the tax year in which the school year begins as certified under division (A)(3) of section 3317.021 of the Revised Code.

(2) The district's total taxes collected for current expenses under a school district income tax adopted pursuant to section 5748.03 or 5748.08 of the Revised Code that are disbursed to the district during the fiscal year. On or before the first day of June of each year, the tax commissioner shall certify the amount to be used in the calculation under this division for the next fiscal year to the department of education for each city, local, and exempted village school district that levies a school district income tax.

(B) For any handicapped preschool child not included in a unit approved under division (B) of section 3317.05 of the Revised Code, an amount computed for the school year as follows:

(1) For each type of special education service provided to the child for whom tuition is being calculated, determine the amount of the district's operating expenses in providing that type of service to all handicapped preschool children not included in units approved under division (B) of section 3317.05 of the Revised Code;

(2) For each type of special education service for which operating expenses are determined under division (B)(1) of this section, determine the amount of such operating expenses that was paid from any state funds received under this chapter;

(3) For each type of special education service for which operating expenses are determined under division (B)(1) of this section, divide the difference between the amount determined under division (B)(1) of this section and the amount determined under division (B)(2) of this section by the total number of handicapped preschool children not included in units approved under division (B) of section 3317.05 of the Revised Code who received that type of service;

(4) Determine the sum of the quotients obtained under division (B)(3) of this section for all types of special education services provided to the child for whom tuition is being calculated.

The state board of education shall adopt rules defining the types of special education services and specifying the operating expenses to be used in the computation under this section.

If any child for whom a tuition charge is computed under this section for any school year is enrolled in a district for only part of that school year, the amount of the district's tuition charge for the child for the school year shall be computed in proportion to the number of school days the child is enrolled in the district during the school year.

Except as otherwise provided in division (I)(J) of section 3313.64 of the Revised Code, whenever a district admits a child to its schools for whom tuition computed in accordance with this section is an obligation of another school district, the amount of the tuition shall be certified by the treasurer of the board of education of the district of attendance, to the board of education of the district required to pay tuition for its approval and payment. If agreement as to the amount payable or the district required to pay the tuition cannot be reached, or the board of education of the district required to pay the tuition refuses to pay that amount, the board of education of the district of attendance shall notify the superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent shall determine the correct amount and the district required to pay the tuition and shall deduct that amount, if any, under division (G) of section 3317.023 of the Revised Code, from the district required to pay the tuition and add that amount to the amount allocated to the district attended under such division. The superintendent of public instruction shall send to the district required to pay the tuition an itemized statement showing such deductions at the time of such deduction.

When a political subdivision owns and operates an airport, welfare, or correctional institution or other project or facility outside its corporate limits, the territory within which the facility is located is exempt from taxation by the school district within which such territory is located, and there are school age children residing within such territory, the political subdivision owning such tax exempt territory shall pay tuition to the district in which such children attend school. The tuition for these children shall be computed as provided for in this section.

Sec. 3334.01.  As used in this chapter:

(A) "Aggregate original principal amount" means the aggregate of the initial offering prices to the public of college savings bonds, exclusive of accrued interest, if any. "Aggregate original principal amount" does not mean the aggregate accreted amount payable at maturity or redemption of such bonds.

(B) "Beneficiary" means:

(1) An individual designated by the purchaser under a tuition payment contract or through a scholarship program as the individual on whose behalf tuition credits purchased under the contract or awarded through the scholarship program will be applied toward the payment of undergraduate, graduate, or professional tuition; or

(2) An individual designated by the contributor under a variable college savings program contract as the individual whose tuition and other higher education expenses will be paid from a variable college savings program account.

(C) "Capital appreciation bond" means a bond for which the following is true:

(1) The principal amount is less than the amount payable at maturity or early redemption; and

(2) No interest is payable on a current basis.

(D) "Tuition credit" means a credit of the Ohio tuition trust authority purchased under section 3334.09 of the Revised Code.

(E) "College savings bonds" means revenue and other obligations issued on behalf of the state or any agency or issuing authority thereof as a zero-coupon or capital appreciation bond, and designated as college savings bonds as provided in this chapter. "College savings bond issue" means any issue of bonds of which any part has been designated as college savings bonds.

(F) "Institution of higher education" means a state institution of higher education, a private college, university, or other postsecondary institution located in this state that possesses a certificate of authorization issued by the Ohio board of regents pursuant to Chapter 1713. of the Revised Code or a certificate of registration issued by the state board of career colleges and schools under Chapter 3332. of the Revised Code, or an accredited college, university, or other postsecondary institution located outside this state that is accredited by an accrediting organization or professional association recognized by the authority. To be considered an institution of higher education, an institution shall meet the definition of an eligible educational institution under section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code.

(G) "Issuing authority" means any authority, commission, body, agency, or individual empowered by the Ohio Constitution or the Revised Code to issue bonds or any other debt obligation of the state or any agency or department thereof. "Issuer" means the issuing authority or, if so designated under division (B) of section 3334.04 of the Revised Code, the treasurer of state.

(H) "Tuition" means the charges imposed to attend an institution of higher education as an undergraduate, graduate, or professional student and all fees required as a condition of enrollment, as determined by the Ohio tuition trust authority. "Tuition" does not include laboratory fees, room and board, or other similar fees and charges.

(I) "Weighted average tuition" means the tuition cost resulting from the following calculation:

(1) Add the products of the annual undergraduate tuition charged to Ohio residents at each four-year state university multiplied by that institution's total number of undergraduate fiscal year equated students; and

(2) Divide the gross total of the products from division (I)(1) of this section by the total number of undergraduate fiscal year equated students attending four-year state universities.

(J) "Zero-coupon bond" means a bond which has a stated interest rate of zero per cent and on which no interest is payable until the maturity or early redemption of the bond, and is offered at a substantial discount from its original stated principal amount.

(K) "State institution of higher education" includes the state universities listed in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code, community colleges created pursuant to Chapter 3354. of the Revised Code, university branches created pursuant to Chapter 3355. of the Revised Code, technical colleges created pursuant to Chapter 3357. of the Revised Code, state community colleges created pursuant to Chapter 3358. of the Revised Code, the medical college of Ohio at Toledo, and the northeastern Ohio universities college of medicine.

(L) "Four-year state university" means those state universities listed in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.

(M) "Principal amount" refers to the initial offering price to the public of an obligation, exclusive of the accrued interest, if any. "Principal amount" does not refer to the aggregate accreted amount payable at maturity or redemption of an obligation.

(N) "Scholarship program" means a program registered with the Ohio tuition trust authority pursuant to section 3334.17 of the Revised Code.

(O) "Internal Revenue Code" means the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986," 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C.A. 1 et seq., as amended.

(P) "Other higher education expenses" means room and board and books, supplies, equipment, and nontuition-related fees associated with the cost of attendance of a beneficiary at an institution of higher education, but only to the extent that such expenses meet the definition of "qualified higher education expenses" under section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. "Other higher education expenses" does not include tuition as defined in division (H) of this section.

(Q) "Purchaser" means the person signing the tuition payment contract, who controls the account and acquires tuition credits for an account under the terms and conditions of the contract.

(R) "Contributor" means a person who signs a variable college savings program contract with the Ohio tuition trust authority and contributes to and owns the account created under the contract.

(S) "Contribution" means any payment directly allocated to an account for the benefit of the designated beneficiary of the account.

Sec. 3334.12.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in sections 3334.07 and 3334.09 of the Revised Code:

(A) Annually, the Ohio tuition trust authority shall have the actuarial soundness of the Ohio tuition trust fund evaluated by a nationally recognized actuary and shall determine whether additional assets are necessary to defray the obligations of the authority. If, after the authority sets the price for tuition credits, circumstances arise that the executive director determines necessitate an additional evaluation of the actuarial soundness of the fund, the executive director shall have a nationally recognized actuary conduct the necessary evaluation. If the assets of the fund are insufficient to ensure the actuarial soundness of the fund, the authority shall adjust the price of subsequent purchases of tuition credits to the extent necessary to help restore the actuarial soundness of the fund. If, at any time, the adjustment is likely, in the opinion of the authority, to diminish the marketability of tuition credits to an extent that the continued sale of the credits likely would not restore the actuarial soundness of the fund and external economic factors continue to negatively impact the soundness of the program, the authority may suspend sales, either permanently or temporarily, of tuition credits. During any suspension, the authority shall continue to service existing college savings program accounts.

(B) Upon termination of the program or liquidation of the Ohio tuition trust fund, the Ohio tuition trust reserve fund, and the Ohio tuition trust operating fund, any remaining assets of the funds after all obligations of the funds have been satisfied pursuant to division (B) of section 3334.11 of the Revised Code shall be transferred to the general revenue fund of the state.

(C) The authority shall prepare and cause to have audited an annual financial report on all financial activity of the Ohio tuition trust authority within ninety days of the end of the fiscal year. The authority shall transmit a copy of the audited financial report to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the minority leaders of the senate and the house of representatives. Copies of the audited financial report also shall be made available, upon request, to the persons entering into contracts with the authority and to prospective purchasers of tuition credits and prospective contributors to variable college savings program accounts.

Sec. 3334.17.  (A) The state, any political subdivision of the state, and any organization that is exempt from federal income taxation under section 501 (a) and described in section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, including the Ohio tuition trust authority if this is authorized under federal tax law, may establish a scholarship program to award scholarships consisting of tuition credits contributions made to any college savings program for students. Any scholarship program established under this section shall be registered with the Ohio tuition trust authority. The authority shall be notified of the name and address of each scholarship beneficiary under the program, the number of credits amounts awarded, and the institution of higher education in which the beneficiary is enrolled. Scholarship beneficiaries shall be selected by the entity establishing the scholarship program, in accordance with criteria established by the entity.

(B) Any person or governmental entity may purchase tuition credits on behalf of a scholarship program that is or is to be established in accordance with division (A) of this section at the same price as is established for the purchase of credits for named beneficiaries pursuant to this chapter. Tuition credits shall have the same value to the beneficiary of a scholarship awarded pursuant to this section as they would have to any other beneficiary pursuant to division (B) of section 3334.09 of the Revised Code.

(C) The entity establishing and maintaining a scholarship program shall specify whether a scholarship beneficiary may receive a refund or payment for the tuition credits amount awarded under the scholarship program directly from the tuition trust authority, or whether the amount of such credits awarded shall be paid by the authority only to the institution of higher education in which the student is enrolled.

(D) If a scholarship beneficiary does not use tuition credits the amount awarded within a length of time specified under the scholarship program, the credits amount may be awarded to another beneficiary.

Sec. 3334.19.  (A) The Ohio tuition trust authority shall adopt an investment plan that sets forth investment policies and guidelines to be utilized in administering the variable college savings program. Except as provided in section 3334.20 of the Revised Code, the authority shall contract with one or more insurance companies, banks, or other financial institutions to act as its investment agents and to provide such services as the authority considers appropriate to the investment plan, including:

(1) Purchase, control, and safekeeping of assets;

(2) Record keeping and accounting for individual accounts and for the program as a whole;

(3) Provision of consolidated statements of account.

(B) The authority or its investment agents shall maintain a separate account for the beneficiary of each contract entered into under the variable college savings program. If a beneficiary has more than one such account, the authority or its agents shall track total contributions and earnings and provide a consolidated system of account distributions to institutions of higher education.

(C) The authority or its investment agents may place assets of the program in savings accounts and may purchase fixed or variable life insurance or annuity contracts, securities, evidence of indebtedness, or other investment products pursuant to the investment plan.

(D) Contributors shall not direct the investment of their contributions under the investment plan. The authority shall impose other limits on contributors' investment discretion as to the extent required under section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code.

(E) The investment agents with which the authority contracts shall discharge their duties with respect to program funds with the care and diligence that a prudent person familiar with such matters and with the character and aims of the program would use.

(F) The assets of the program shall be preserved, invested, and expended solely for the purposes of this chapter and shall not be loaned or otherwise transferred or used by the state for any other purpose. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the investment agents of the authority from investing, by purchase or otherwise, in bonds, notes, or other obligations of the state or any agency or instrumentality of the state. Unless otherwise specified by the authority, assets of the program shall be expended in the following order of priority:

(1) To make payments on behalf of beneficiaries;

(2) To make refunds upon termination of variable college savings program contracts;

(3) To pay the authority's costs of administering the program administration and operations;

(4) To pay or cover any other expenditure or disbursement the authority determines necessary or appropriate.

(G) Fees, charges, and other costs imposed or collected by the authority in connection with the variable college savings program, including any fees or other payments that the authority requires an investment agent to pay to the authority, shall be credited to the variable operating fund. The fund shall be in the custody of the treasurer of state, but shall not be part of the state treasury. Expenses incurred in the administration of the variable college savings program, as well as other expenses, disbursements, or payments the authority considers appropriate for the benefit of any college savings programs administered by the authority, the state of Ohio and its citizens, shall be paid from the variable operating fund.

(H) No records of the authority indicating the identity of purchasers, contributors, and beneficiaries under the program or amounts contributed to, earned by, or distributed from program accounts are public records within the meaning of section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 5705.412.  (A) As used in this section, "qualifying contract" means any agreement for the expenditure of money under which aggregate payments from the funds included in the school district's five-year forecast under section 5705.391 of the Revised Code will exceed the lesser of the following amounts:

(1) Five hundred thousand dollars;

(2) One per cent of the total revenue to be credited in the current fiscal year to the district's general fund, as specified in the district's most recent certificate of estimated resources certified under section 5705.36 of the Revised Code.

(B) Notwithstanding section 5705.41 of the Revised Code, no school district shall adopt any appropriation measure, make any qualifying contract, or increase during any school year any wage or salary schedule unless there is attached thereto a certificate, signed as required by this section, that the school district has in effect the authorization to levy taxes including the renewal or replacement of existing levies which, when combined with the estimated revenue from all other sources available to the district at the time of certification, are sufficient to provide the operating revenues necessary to enable the district to maintain all personnel and programs for all the days set forth in its adopted school calendars for the current fiscal year and for a number of days in succeeding fiscal years equal to the number of days instruction was held or is scheduled for the current fiscal year, as follows:

(1) A certificate attached to an appropriation measure under this section shall cover only the fiscal year in which the appropriation measure is effective and shall not consider the renewal or replacement of an existing levy as the authority to levy taxes that are subject to appropriation in the current fiscal year unless the renewal or replacement levy has been approved by the electors and is subject to appropriation in the current fiscal year.

(2) A certificate attached, in accordance with this section, to any qualifying contract shall cover the term of the contract.

(3) A certificate attached under this section to a wage or salary schedule shall cover the term of the schedule.

If the board of education has not adopted a school calendar for the school year beginning on the first day of the fiscal year in which a certificate is required, the certificate attached to an appropriation measure shall include the number of days on which instruction was held in the preceding fiscal year and other certificates required under this section shall include that number of days for the fiscal year in which the certificate is required and any succeeding fiscal years that the certificate must cover.

The certificate shall be signed by the treasurer and president of the board of education and the superintendent of the school district, unless the district is in a state of fiscal emergency declared under Chapter 3316. of the Revised Code. In that case, the certificate shall be signed by a member of the district's financial planning and supervision commission who is designated by the commission for this purpose.

(C) Every qualifying contract made or wage or salary schedule adopted or put into effect without such a certificate shall be void, and no payment of any amount due thereon shall be made.

(D) The department of education and the auditor of state jointly shall adopt rules governing the methods by which treasurers, presidents of boards of education, superintendents, and members of financial planning and supervision commissions shall estimate revenue and determine whether such revenue is sufficient to provide necessary operating revenue for the purpose of making certifications required by this section.

(E) The auditor of state shall be responsible for determining whether school districts are in compliance with this section. At the time a school district is audited pursuant to section 117.11 of the Revised Code, the auditor of state shall review each certificate issued under this section since the district's last audit, and the appropriation measure, contract, or wage and salary schedule to which such certificate was attached. If the auditor of state determines that a school district has not complied with this section with respect to any qualifying contract or wage or salary schedule, the auditor of state shall notify the prosecuting attorney for the county, the city director of law, or other chief law officer of the school district. That officer may file a civil action in any court of appropriate jurisdiction to seek a declaration that the contract or wage or salary schedule is void, to recover for the school district from the payee the amount of payments already made under it, or both, except that the officer shall not seek to recover payments made under any collective bargaining agreement entered into under Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code. If the officer does not file such an action within one hundred twenty days after receiving notice of noncompliance from the auditor of state, any taxpayer may institute the action in the taxpayer's own name on behalf of the school district.

(F) This section does not apply to any contract or increase in any wage or salary schedule that is necessary in order to enable a board of education to comply with division (B) of section 3317.13 of the Revised Code, provided the contract or increase does not exceed the amount required to be paid to be in compliance with such division.

(G) Any officer, employee, or other person who expends or authorizes the expenditure of any public funds or authorizes or executes any contract or schedule contrary to this section, expends or authorizes the expenditure of any public funds on the void contract or schedule, or issues a certificate under this section which contains any false statements is liable to the school district for the full amount paid from the district's funds on the contract or schedule. The officer, employee, or other person is jointly and severally liable in person and upon any official bond that the officer, employee, or other person has given to the school district to the extent of any payments on the void claim, not to exceed ten thousand dollars. However, no officer, employee, or other person shall be liable for a mistaken estimate of available resources made in good faith and based upon reasonable grounds. If an officer, employee, or other person is found to have complied with rules jointly adopted by the department of education and the auditor of state under this section governing methods by which revenue shall be estimated and determined sufficient to provide necessary operating revenue for the purpose of making certifications required by this section, the officer, employee, or other person shall not be liable under this section if the estimates and determinations made according to those rules do not, in fact, conform with actual revenue. The prosecuting attorney of the county, the city director of law, or other chief law officer of the district shall enforce this liability by civil action brought in any court of appropriate jurisdiction in the name of and on behalf of the school district. If the prosecuting attorney, city director of law, or other chief law officer of the district fails, upon the written request of any taxpayer, to institute action for the enforcement of the liability, the attorney general, or the taxpayer in the taxpayer's own name, may institute the action on behalf of the subdivision.

(H) This section does not require the attachment of an additional certificate beyond that required by section 5705.41 of the Revised Code for current payrolls of, or contracts of employment with, regular any employees or officers of the school district.

This section does not require the attachment of a certificate to a temporary appropriation measure if all of the following apply:

(1) The amount appropriated does not exceed twenty-five per cent of the total amount from all sources available for expenditure from any fund during the preceding fiscal year;

(2) The measure will not be in effect on or after the thirtieth day following the earliest date on which the district may pass an annual appropriation measure;

(3) An amended official certificate of estimated resources for the current year, if required, has not been certified to the board of education under division (B) of section 5705.36 of the Revised Code.

SECTION 2. That existing sections 3301.079, 3301.0710, 3301.0711, 3301.0712, 3301.0714, 3301.0715, 3301.801, 3301.91, 3302.01, 3302.02, 3302.03, 3302.031, 3302.04, 3302.05, 3313.532, 3313.6010, 3313.6012, 3313.61, 3313.611, 3313.612, 3313.64, 3313.65, 3313.97, 3314.012, 3314.02, 3314.03, 3314.20, 3317.023, 3317.04, 3317.08, 3334.01, 3334.12, 3334.17, 3334.19, and 5705.412 and sections Sec. 3301.0713.  Sec.  and 3365.15.  of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.

SECTION 3. (A) In each school year prior to July 1, 2005, the performance index score, as defined in section 3302.01 of the Revised Code, as amended by this act, calculated for school districts and school buildings shall include data from any proficiency tests required to be administered under section 3301.0712 in the applicable year, except that weights shall only be assigned for the four ranges of scores established by division (B) of this section.

(B) For each proficiency test required to be administered pursuant to section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code, as amended by this act, the four ranges of scores used to denote different levels of achievement on each test shall be the same as the levels of achievement described in division (A)(2) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code, as it existed prior to the effective date of this act.

SECTION 4. That section 3313.608 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 3313.608.  (A) Beginning with students who enter third grade in the school year that starts July 1, 2003, for any student who attains a score in the range designated under division (A)(2)(d)(e) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code on the test prescribed under that section to measure skill in reading expected at the end of third grade, each school district, in accordance with the policy adopted under section 3313.609 of the Revised Code, shall do one of the following:

(1) Promote the student to fourth grade if the student's principal and reading teacher agree that other evaluations of the student's skill in reading demonstrate that the student is academically prepared to be promoted to fourth grade;

(2) Promote the student to fourth grade but provide the student with intensive intervention services in fourth grade;

(3) Retain the student in third grade.

This section does not apply to any student excused from taking such test under division (C)(1) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) To assist students in meeting this third grade guarantee established by this section, each school district shall adopt policies and procedures with which it shall annually assess the reading skills of each student at the end of first and second grade and identify students who are reading below their grade level. If the diagnostic assessment to measure reading ability for the appropriate grade level has been developed in accordance with division (D)(1) of section 3301.079 of the Revised Code, each school district shall use such diagnostic assessment to identify such students, except that any district declared excellent under to which division (B)(1) (E) of section 3302.03 3301.0715 of the Revised Code applies may use another assessment to identify such students. The policies and procedures shall require the students' classroom teachers to be involved in the assessment and the identification of students reading below grade level. The district shall notify the parent or guardian of each student whose reading skills are below grade level and, in accordance with division (C) of this section, provide intervention services to each student reading below grade level. Such intervention services shall include instruction in intensive, systematic phonetics pursuant to rules adopted by the state board of education.

(2) For each student entering third grade after July 1, 2003, who does not attain by the end of the third grade at least a score in the range designated under division (A)(2)(b)(c) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code on the test prescribed under that section to measure skill in reading expected at the end of third grade, the district also shall offer intense remediation services, and another opportunity to take that test, during the summer following third grade.

(C) For each student required to be offered intervention services under this section, the district shall involve the student's parent or guardian and classroom teacher in developing the intervention strategy, and shall offer to the parent or guardian the opportunity to be involved in the intervention services.

(D) Any summer remediation services funded in whole or in part by the state and offered by school districts to students under this section shall meet the following conditions:

(1) The remediation methods are based on reliable educational research.

(2) The school districts conduct testing before and after students participate in the program to facilitate monitoring results of the remediation services.

(3) The parents of participating students are involved in programming decisions.

(4) The services are conducted in a school building or community center and not on an at-home basis.

(E) In addition to the dates designated under division (C)(1) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code for the administration of the test prescribed under that section to measure skill in reading expected at the end of third grade, the state board of education shall annually designate dates on which such test shall be administered to students in the fourth and fifth grades who have not attained at least a score in the range designated under division (A)(2)(b) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code as follows:

(1) One date prior to the thirty-first day of December each school year for fourth grade students;

(2) One date that is not earlier than Monday of the week containing the eighth day of March each school year for fourth and fifth grade students;

(3) One date during the summer for fourth grade students.

(F) If any fourth grade student attains a score in the range designated under division (A)(2)(d) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code, on the test administered under division (E)(3) of this section, the school district, in accordance with the district policy adopted under section 3313.609 of the Revised Code, shall do one of the following:

(1) Promote the student to fifth grade if the student's principal and reading teacher agree that other evaluations of the student's skill in reading demonstrate that the student is academically prepared to be promoted to fifth grade;

(2) Promote the student to fifth grade but provide the student with intensive intervention services in fifth grade;

(3) Retain the student in fourth grade.

(G) This section does not create a new cause of action or a substantive legal right for any person.

SECTION 5.  That existing section 3313.608 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.

SECTION 6. That the version of section 3313.65 of the Revised Code that is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2004, be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 3313.65.  (A) As used in this section and section 3313.64 of the Revised Code:

(1) A person is "in a residential facility" if the person is a resident or a resident patient of an institution, home, or other residential facility that is:

(a) Licensed as a nursing home, residential care facility, or home for the aging by the director of health under section 3721.02 of the Revised Code or licensed as a community alternative home by the director of health under section 3724.03 of the Revised Code;

(b) Licensed as an adult care facility by the director of health under Chapter 3722. of the Revised Code;

(c) Maintained as a county home or district home by the board of county commissioners or a joint board of county commissioners under Chapter 5155. of the Revised Code;

(d) Operated or administered by a board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services under section 340.03 or 340.06 of the Revised Code, or provides residential care pursuant to contracts made under section 340.03 or 340.033 of the Revised Code;

(e) Maintained as a state institution for the mentally ill under Chapter 5119. of the Revised Code;

(f) Licensed by the department of mental health under section 5119.20 or 5119.22 of the Revised Code;

(g) Licensed as a residential facility by the department of mental retardation and developmental disabilities under section 5123.19 of the Revised Code;

(h) Operated by the veteran's administration or another agency of the United States government;

(i) The Ohio soldiers' and sailors' home.

(2) A person is "in a correctional facility" if any of the following apply:

(a) The person is an Ohio resident and is:

(i) Imprisoned, as defined in section 1.05 of the Revised Code;

(ii) Serving a term in a community-based correctional facility or a district community-based correctional facility;

(iii) Required, as a condition of parole, a post-release control sanction, a community control sanction, transitional control, or early release from imprisonment, as a condition of shock parole or shock probation granted under the law in effect prior to July 1, 1996, or as a condition of a furlough granted under the version of section 2967.26 of the Revised Code in effect prior to March 17, 1998, to reside in a halfway house or other community residential center licensed under section 2967.14 of the Revised Code or a similar facility designated by the court of common pleas that established the condition or by the adult parole authority.

(b) The person is imprisoned in a state correctional institution of another state or a federal correctional institution but was an Ohio resident at the time the sentence was imposed for the crime for which the person is imprisoned.

(3) A person is "in a juvenile residential placement" if the person is an Ohio resident who is under twenty-one years of age and has been removed, by the order of a juvenile court, from the place the person resided at the time the person became subject to the court's jurisdiction in the matter that resulted in the person's removal.

(4) "Community control sanction" has the same meaning as in section 2929.01 of the Revised Code.

(5) "Post-release control sanction" has the same meaning as in section 2967.01 of the Revised Code.

(B) If the circumstances described in division (C) of this section apply, the determination of what school district must admit a child to its schools and what district, if any, is liable for tuition shall be made in accordance with this section, rather than section 3313.64 of the Revised Code.

(C) A child who does not reside in the school district in which the child's parent resides and for whom a tuition obligation previously has not been established under division (C)(2) of section 3313.64 of the Revised Code shall be admitted to the schools of the district in which the child resides if at least one of the child's parents is in a residential or correctional facility or a juvenile residential placement and the other parent, if living and not in such a facility or placement, is not known to reside in this state.

(D) Regardless of who has custody or care of the child, whether the child resides in a home, or whether the child receives special education, if a district admits a child under division (C) of this section, tuition shall be paid to that district as follows:

(1) If the child's parent is in a juvenile residential placement, by the district in which the child's parent resided at the time the parent became subject to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court;

(2) If the child's parent is in a correctional facility, by the district in which the child's parent resided at the time the sentence was imposed;

(3) If the child's parent is in a residential facility, by the district in which the parent resided at the time the parent was admitted to the residential facility, except that if the parent was transferred from another residential facility, tuition shall be paid by the district in which the parent resided at the time the parent was admitted to the facility from which the parent first was transferred;

(4) In the event of a disagreement as to which school district is liable for tuition under division (C)(1), (2), or (3) of this section, the superintendent of public instruction shall determine which district shall pay tuition.

(E) If a child covered by division (D) of this section receives special education in accordance with Chapter 3323. of the Revised Code, the tuition shall be paid in accordance with section 3323.13 or 3323.14 of the Revised Code. Tuition for children who do not receive special education shall be paid in accordance with division (I)(J) of section 3313.64 of the Revised Code.

SECTION 7. That the existing version of section 3313.65 of the Revised Code that is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2004, is hereby repealed.

SECTION 8. Sections 6 and 7 of this act take effect on January 1, 2004.

SECTION 9.  Within thirty days after the effective date of this act, the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint members to the Ohio Accountability Task Force pursuant to section 3302.021 of the Revised Code, as enacted by this act. Within sixty days after the effective date of this act, the Ohio Accountability Task Force shall convene for its initial meeting.

SECTION 10.  Not later than ninety days after the effective date of this section, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall submit to the General Assembly a detailed financial analysis of the projected costs for the state and for each school district of compliance with the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001," Pub. L. 107-110, 20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.; the amount of new federal funds the state can reasonably expect to receive per year under that act; and the financial consequences to the state and each school district for noncompliance with that act. The financial analysis shall examine the costs involved in building the capacity of school districts and buildings to assist students in achieving at levels that satisfy federal and state requirements. These costs shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(A) The costs for all school districts and buildings to make adequate yearly progress each year through the 2013-2014 school year and to have all students performing at the proficient level on achievement tests by June 30, 2014;

(B) The costs of providing intervention services to students who are not achieving at expected levels;

(C) The costs of professional development for teachers and administrators on the statewide academic standards adopted pursuant to section 3301.079 of the Revised Code and on the interpretation of student performance data;

(D) The costs of extending the school day or year under division (E)(3) of section 3302.04 of the Revised Code;

(E) The costs of complying with the requirement that teachers of core subject areas be "highly qualified" as defined in federal law.

SECTION 11. The Legislative Office of Education Oversight shall conduct a study that evaluates the correlation between students' race and class and academic achievement, particularly comparing the academic achievement of low-income, African-American and Hispanic students with that of middle-class, white students. In conducting the study, the Office shall use at least five years of data collected and maintained by the Ohio Department of Education. The study shall focus on the academic achievement of students in the fourth, sixth, and ninth grades. The Office shall submit the final results of the study to the General Assembly not later than September 30, 2004.

SECTION 12. The Legislative Office of Education Oversight shall conduct a study of the intervention services required to be provided by school districts under sections 3301.0711, 3313.608, and 3313.6012 of the Revised Code. If any diagnostic assessment is administered by school districts in accordance with section 3301.0715 of the Revised Code in the school year beginning July 1, 2003, the Office also shall include the intervention services required by that section in the study. In conducting the study, the Office shall examine each of the following issues:

(A) The types of intervention services that districts are currently providing to students;

(B) The manner in which the Department of Education informs districts of their obligation to provide intervention services and assists the districts in developing appropriate intervention strategies;

(C) The manner in which the Department tracks compliance by school districts with requirements to provide intervention services;

(D) The cost to districts of providing intervention services;

(E) Whether there are any intervention services that districts are not providing due to insufficient funding.

The Office shall issue a written report of its findings to the General Assembly not later than December 31, 2004.

SECTION 13. The Legislative Office of Education Oversight shall conduct a study of the performance of students in the Class of 2007 on the Ohio Graduation Tests prescribed by division (B) of section 3301.0710 of the Revised Code to determine how well students meet the statewide academic standards developed pursuant to section 3301.079 of the Revised Code. The study shall include all students who enter the ninth grade in the school year beginning July 1, 2003; the Office shall not exclude from any analysis students who leave school prior to graduation. In conducting the study, the Office shall determine the number of such students who attain a score at the proficient level on all five of the Ohio Graduation Tests by June 30, 2007. To the extent possible, the Office also shall determine the number of such students who satisfy the alternative conditions described in section 3313.615 of the Revised Code for meeting the testing requirement to be eligible for a diploma. The Office shall issue annual written reports to the General Assembly, and shall issue a final, comprehensive written report of its findings to the General Assembly not later than December 31, 2007.

SECTION 14. The Legislative Office of Education Oversight shall conduct a study that reviews the progress of school districts and the Department of Education in hiring highly qualified teachers in the core subject areas of English, reading, language arts, mathematics, science, foreign language, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and geography, as required by Title I of the "No Child Left Behind Act," Pub. L. No. 107-110. The study shall evaluate, over a five-year period, all of the following:

(A) The progress of individual school districts in complying with the highly qualified teacher requirement;

(B) Whether the definition of "highly qualified teacher" adopted by the State Board of Education complies with the "No Child Left Behind Act";

(C) The efforts of the Department of Education in assisting school districts to comply with the "No Child Left Behind Act's" requirement, and in monitoring the progress of school districts in ensuring highly qualified teachers are employed in core subject areas.

The Office shall submit three interim reports of its findings to the General Assembly. The first interim report shall evaluate compliance with the highly qualified teacher requirement in the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 school years, the second interim report shall evaluate compliance with the requirement in the 2004-2005 school year, and the third interim report shall evaluate compliance with the requirement in the 2005-2006 school year. A final report shall be submitted to the General Assembly that evaluates compliance in the 2006-2007 school year and the prior four school years.

SECTION 15. Until the Department of Education incorporates a value-added progress dimension into the performance ratings in accordance with section 3302.021 of the Revised Code, as enacted by this act, the Department shall include a growth factor based upon the performance index score, as defined in section 3302.01 of the Revised Code, as amended by this act, in the determination of performance ratings for school districts and buildings.

SECTION 16. The amendment of rule 3301-35-10 of the Administrative Code, as proposed by the State Board of Education on January 14, 2003, is not subject to the requirement of former section 3314.20 of the Revised Code that the rule be approved by the General Assembly through the passage of a joint resolution before the rule may take effect. Notwithstanding any provision of Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to the contrary, the State Board may file the amendment in final form under section 119.04 of the Revised Code on or after the effective date of this act. The amendment takes effect on the tenth day after being filed in final form under section 119.04 of the Revised Code, unless the State Board designates a later date.

SECTION 17. The amendment of rule 3301-101-01 of the Administrative Code, as proposed by the State Board of Education on January 14, 2003, is not subject to the requirement of former section 3302.05 of the Revised Code that the rule be approved by the General Assembly through the passage of a joint resolution before the rule may take effect. Notwithstanding any provision of Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to the contrary, the State Board may file the amendment in final form under section 119.04 of the Revised Code on or after the effective date of this act. The amendment takes effect on the tenth day after being filed in final form under section 119.04 of the Revised Code, unless the State Board designates a later date.

SECTION 18. The amendment of section 3301.91 of the Revised Code by this act is not intended to supersede its earlier repeal, effective July 1, 2004, by Am. Sub. H.B. 1 of the 123rd General Assembly.

SECTION 19. Of the amounts appropriated for fiscal year 2004 and fiscal year 2005 in appropriation item 200-455, Community Schools, Section 41 of Am. Sub. H.B. 95 of the 125th General Assembly, up to $250,000 in each fiscal year shall be used by the Department of Education to contract with the Ohio Foundation for School Choice to develop and conduct training sessions for sponsors of community schools as prescribed in division (A)(1) of section 3314.015 of the Revised Code. The contract shall require that in developing such training sessions, the Ohio Foundation for School Choice shall collect and disseminate examples of best practices used by sponsors of independent charter schools in Ohio and other states.

This section supersedes the second paragraph under the heading "COMMUNITY SCHOOLS" in Section 41.06 of Am. Sub. H.B. 95 of the 125th General Assembly. The Department shall not implement the provisions of that paragraph.

SECTION 20. Not later than one year after the effective date of this section, the Department of Education shall make recommendations to the State Board of Education for assigning performance ratings pursuant to section 3302.03 of the Revised Code to school districts and buildings that make adequate yearly progress but show statistically significant differences in performance among white, middle-class students and any of the subgroups defined in section 3302.01 of the Revised Code. The recommendations shall provide for lowering the performance ratings assigned to such districts and buildings. The recommendations shall also specify the degree of difference between the performance of white, middle-class students and subgroups that should be deemed unacceptable and the appropriate length of time that districts and buildings should be granted to close the performance differences before having their performance ratings lowered. Copies of the recommendations shall be provided to the Governor, the President and Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and the chairpersons and ranking minority members of the education committees.

SECTION 21. For purposes of calculating the instructional and general fees charged in the prior academic year in implementing any instructional and general fee increase limitations imposed by Section 89.05 of Am. Sub. H.B. 95 of the 125th General Assembly, the instructional and general fees during an academic year for any state-assisted institution of higher education on the quarter system that does not increase its instructional and general fees during the summer term shall be defined as the sum of the instructional and general fees charged to a full-time student in the fall, winter, and spring quarters.

For purposes of calculating the instructional and general fees charged in the prior academic year in implementing any instructional and general fee increase limitations imposed by Section 89.05 of Am. Sub. H.B. 95 of the 125th General Assembly, the instructional and general fees during an academic year for any state-assisted institution of higher education on the quarter system that does increase its instructional and general fees during the summer term shall be defined as three-fourths of the sum of the instructional and general fees charged to a full-time student in the fall, winter, spring, and summer quarters.

For purposes of calculating the instructional and general fees charged in the prior academic year in implementing any instructional and general fee increase limitations imposed by Section 89.05 of Am. Sub. H.B. 95 of the 125th General Assembly, the instructional and general fees during an academic year for any state-assisted institution of higher education on the semester system that does not increase its instructional and general fees during the summer term shall be defined as the sum of the instructional and general fees charged to a full-time student in the fall and spring semesters.

For purposes of calculating the instructional and general fees charged in the prior academic year in implementing any instructional and general fee increase limitations imposed by Section 89.05 of Am. Sub. H.B. 95 of the 125th General Assembly, the instructional and general fees during an academic year for any state-assisted institution of higher education on the semester system that does increase its instructional and general fees during the summer term shall be defined as two-thirds of the sum of the instructional and general fees charged to a full-time student in the fall, spring, and summer semesters.

This section shall not apply to Miami University in implementing the pilot tuition restructuring plan recognized by Am. Sub. H.B. 95 of the 125th General Assembly.

SECTION 22. When calculating the reappraisal guarantee under division (C) or (D) of section 3317.04 of the Revised Code in fiscal year 2005, the Department of Education shall include in a school district's fiscal year 2004 payments any transitional aid paid to the district under Section 41.37 of Am. Sub. H.B. 95 of the 125th General Assembly.

SECTION 23.  Section 3314.03 of the Revised Code is presented in this act as a composite of the section as amended by both Sub. H.B. 248 and Sub. H.B. 364 of the 124th General Assembly. The General Assembly, applying the principle stated in division (B) of section 1.52 of the Revised Code that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation, finds that the composite is the resulting version of the section in effect prior to the effective date of the section as presented in this act.

SECTION 24. This act is hereby declared to be an emergency measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety. The reason for such necessity is that Ohio needs to comply with the federal requirements contained in the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" and public schools need to know the accountability standards to which they will be held in future school years. Therefore, this act shall go into immediate effect.

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