Graduation Requirements under the Ohio Core

Beginning with the graduating class of 2014 requirements for graduation from every public and chartered nonpublic high school shall include twenty units that are designed to prepare students for college and the workforce.

CURRICULUM REQUIREMENT	STATE MINIMUM
English Language Arts	4 units
Mathematics (including 1 unit of Algebra II or its equivalent)	4 units
Science (1 unit Physical Science, 1 unit Biology, 1 unit in Chemistry, Physics, Advanced Biology, Astronomy, Physical Geology, or other earth or space science)	3 units
Social Studies (including ½ unit American History and ½ unit American government)	3 units
Health	½ unit
Physical Education	½ unit
Electives one or any combination of foreign language, fine arts, business, career-technical education, family and consumer sciences, technology, agricultural education, or English language arts, mathematics, science or social studies courses not otherwise required.	5 units

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Fine Arts Requirement

Ohio CORE requires two semesters or the equivalent to be completed prior to graduation. The coursework can be completed in any of grades 7-12.  Prior to grade nine, the units will count for high school credit only if the classes are taught by a teacher certified to give high school credit.  Otherwise, they count toward the two-semester requirement.

Physical Education Requirement

• The board of education of each school district and the governing authority of each chartered nonpublic school may adopt a policy to excuse from high school physical education requirements each student who, during HS, has participated in interscholastic athletics, marching band, or cheerleading for at least two full seasons.
  
  
• If the board or authority adopts such a policy, the board or authority shall not require the student to complete any physical education course as a condition to graduate.  However, the student shall be required to complete one-half unit, consisting of at least sixty hours of instruction, in another course of study.

Alternative Graduation Requirement

The student must complete two years of HS and the student’s parent(s) must sign a statement consenting to the child’s graduation without completing the CORE and acknowledging that the child may not be able to proceed directly to a four-year university.

• Impacted parties must fulfill any procedural requirements the school stipulates to ensure they are informed of the informal consent process.
  
  
• The student, parent(s) and HS must develop a career plan for the child.
  
  
• The student’s HS must provide counseling and support for the student related to the plan.
  
  
• The student successfully completes, at a minimum, the curriculum prescribed in current law.

Dropout Recovery Programs 

Students attending Dropout Recovery Programs are defined by the statute to be exempt from the requirements of the CORE if the program has received a waiver from ODE and meets the following conditions:

• The program offered by the school is a competency-based instructional program
  
  
• The program serves only students not younger than 16 years of age and not older than 21 years of age.
  
  
• The program enrolls students who, at the time of their initial enrollment, either or both, are at least one grade level behind their cohort age groups or experience crises that significantly interfere with their academic progress such that they are prevented from continuing their traditional programs.
  
  
• The program requires students to attain at least the applicable score designated for each of the Ohio Graduation Test.
  
  
• The program develops an individual career plan for the students.
  
  
• The program provides counseling and support for the student related to the plan.
  
  
• The program requires the student’s and parent’s informed consent to the student graduating without completing the CORE.
  
  
• The program has submitted to ODE an instructional plan that demonstrates how the academic content standards will be assessed.

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