Graduation Requirements Overview

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This section provides a comprehensive overview of Ohio’s graduation requirements reporting for EMIS. The chart below outlines the options available to each cohort, as well as a description of the requirements in addition to satisfying the required coursework.

For more information on the prerequisites, requirements, and setup; refer to the Graduation Requirements Procedural Outline and Additional Graduation Pathways Procedural Outline for classes of 2018, 2019, and 2020. Refer to Permanent Graduation Requirements for classes of 2021 and 2022 with special mention of certain requirements for classes of 2023 and beyond.

Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT)

Students must pass the five Ohio Graduation Tests in math, reading, writing, science and social studies or meet one of the following alternatives.

1. Satisfy the requirements of the OGT Alternative Pathway outlined as per the Ohio Department of Education (ODE).
2. Satisfy the requirements of the Three Pathways listed below.
3. Meet the OGT Substitutions outlined as per the ODE.

Students must complete a minimum of 20 credits in the Subject Areas listed as per the curriculum credit requirements.

For Classes of 2021, 2022, 2023 and beyond: Students must also receive instruction in economics and financial literacy and complete at least two semesters of fine arts. The OGT Alternative Pathway and OGT Substitutions do not apply for these class years. The district may require more than 20 credits to graduate.

Three Pathways

In addition to the 20 minimum credits, students must also achieve minimum scores through 1 of the 3 following criteria: (1) Ohio State Tests, (2) Industry Credential and Workforce Readiness, or (3) College and Career Readiness Tests.

Ohio State Tests

Students must earn a cumulative passing score 18 points using seven end-of-course (EOC) state tests. The minimum points are required for each subject area associated with the EOC exams.

For Graduation Years up to 2022

For Graduation Years 2023 and beyond

Students taking AP, IB, or College Credit Plus courses may substitute test scores for their Science and Social Studies requirements to avoid double testing in the following subjects:

• Biology
• American History
• American Government

Proficiency Level

The table below defines the proficiency level demonstrated through Graduation Points earned.

Test Score-to-Graduation Point Crosswalks

The state has defined translations for tests scores-to-graduation points. The following tables list the state-defined mappings.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate

The Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) test scores are converted to graduation points for valid courses. This applies only to American History, American Government, and Science. There are no permitted substitutions for English Language Arts and Mathematics.

College Credit Plus (CCP)

The College Credit Plus grades are converted to graduation points for valid courses. This applies only to American history, American government and science. There are no permitted substitutions for English language arts and mathematics.

End of Course High School Marks

The following conversion chart is used to determine the number of graduation points a student will receive based on the grade the student receives for high school courses prior to end-of-course tests being available. (This is not applicable to students choosing the new OGT options.)

Industry Credential and Workforce Readiness

Students must earn an industry-recognized credential or a group of credentials totaling 12 points within in a single career field and achieve a workforce readiness score on the WorkKeys^® assessment. The Senior Only Credential Program is for students in their senior year who have completed most of their curriculum requirements. An industry-credential can be part of your path to graduation. Students when graduating from high school with an industry-recognized credential boosts their earning power and marketable for in-demand jobs. For example:

• CompTIA A+ certification – Information Technology
• Adobe Certifications – Arts and Communications
• Certified Coding Specialist – Health
• Private Security Certification – Law and Public Safety
• Child Development Associate – Education and Training

There are other credentials that the student can earn in one year in the career fields such as Agriculture/Environmental Systems, Business, Marketing, and Finance, Education and Training, Health, Law and Public Safety, Arts and Communications, Construction, Engineering, Information Technology, Hospitality and Tourism, Human Services, Transportation, and Manufacturing.

WorkKeys^® is an industry-recognized, application-based assessment used to measure work readiness and can be used to satisfy components of Ohio’s graduation requirements. State law provides each student in Ohio the opportunity to take the WorkKeys test one time while in high school. The Ohio Department of Education will reimburse districts for each student to take all three parts of the test one time.

State law requires that students using the new options must earn at least 3 points on each of the three core sections of the WorkKeys test. This includes any administration of the test the student may have taken prior to the senior year. For more information about the WorkKeys test, visit the ACT WorkKeys website or the OhioMeansJobs webpage offering free practice tests for each of the three core sections of the WorkKeys tests.

• Applied Mathematics
• Graphic Literacy
• Workplace Documents

College and Career Readiness Tests

One of the pathways that students may use to meet the test requirement for graduation is a college and career readiness test. The two tests that meet this pathway are the ACT and SAT. Colleges and universities use the ACT and SAT to determine student readiness for the rigors of higher education. Students earning "remediation-free" scores in English and Mathematics on a nationally recognized college admission exam (SAT or ACT) are considered to be able to succeed in their college courses. Students must earn “remediation-free” scores in each of the three subscore areas, two in English language arts and one in mathematics to meet the requirements for graduation under this pathway.

Additional Graduation Options/Pathways

The Ohio Graduation Requirements Calculation and student Graduation Requirements page also tracks whether a student fulfilled either of the additional graduation pathways applicable for 2020 graduates. Below are the requirements that apply for each alternate pathway option. These requirements are in addition to the course credits needed for graduation. For information on how the requirements are tracked by the calculation, refer to Reporting Graduation Requirements. Modified Additional Graduation Options/Pathway is the update to the Additional Graduation Options/Pathway in a Note where applicable.

Additional Graduation Pathway Option 1

To meet the requirements for Option 1, the student needs to pass or retake the seven required end-of-course exams. A retake is required for any test where the student scores below a 3.

The student also must fulfill at least two of the following requirements:

• GPA of 2.5 or higher during junior and senior years; each year, the student must complete at least four full-year courses
• Complete a senior year capstone project
• Work experience or community service totaling 120 hours in the student's senior year
• Earn at least three College Credit Plus credits
• Earn an industry-recognized credential worth at least 3 graduation points
• Earn credit for an Advanced Placement course and score at least a 3 on the subject test or do the same for an International Baccalaureate course and exam
• Fulfill the career-technical exams requirement by scoring at least a WorkKeys score of 3 on each test
• Earn the Ohio Means Jobs Readiness Seal

Attendance

Attendance is calculated based on the period of time a student is enrolled and assigned to grade 12 during the current school year.

• If a student is not enrolled for the entire school day, then only the part of the school day when the student is expected to be in attendance is included in the rate calculation. If a student completed requirements and graduates before the end of the school year, the part of the school year after graduation and withdrawal from the district would not be included.
• If a student moves to another district, the student’s attendance record should follow the student to the enrolling school.
  

For students in the classes of 2018 and 2019, state law requires a total attendance rate of 93 percent during the senior year to satisfy this criterion.

For students in the class of 2020, state law removes attendance as a criterion that can be used as a graduation option.

GPA

The GPA calculation includes grades for all courses (including core content areas, electives, and so on) taken during the 12th-grade year. A student is required to take at least four full-year or equivalent courses to satisfy this criterion. Equivalent courses can include block courses that satisfy one Carnegie unit, units earned through credit flexibility, credit recovery or College Credit Plus courses equivalent to one Carnegie unit or two semester-long courses that equal one unit. Students must earn at least a 2.5 on a 4.0 unweighted scale to satisfy this criterion. The following chart is an example of what may be used to determine the GPA on a 4.0 scale.

For students in the classes of 2018 and 2019, state law requires a 2.5 GPA during the 12th-grade year to satisfy this criterion.

For students in the class of 2020, state law requires a 2.5 cumulative GPA during the 11th and 12th grade years to satisfy this criterion.

Capstone

Capstone projects are a component of graduation requirements for students in high schools that emphasize the importance of student interest, integration of acquired knowledge, and real world applications to any relevant culminating experience with the expressed aim of increasing student college and career readiness. The three general types of capstone or culminating experiences include projects, exhibitions, and courses, all of which may overlap with one another.

For students in the classes of 2018 and 2019, state law provides that districts and schools are responsible for defining the requirements for all aspects of the senior year capstone project. This includes items such as content approval, documentation, grading rubrics and presentation and evaluation processes.

For students in the class of 2020, state law requires that the capstone project must comply with ODE guidance on the components of a successful capstone project and the process for evaluating each component. The guidance must ensure that each capstone project is designed as a culmination of the student's high school experience.

Work or Community Service Experience

Students are required to complete at least 120 documented hours through a work or community service experience during the 12th-grade year. State law provides that districts and schools are responsible for defining the requirements for the work experience or community service experience. This can include participation agreements, requirements for the documentation of hours and evaluation of work experience objectives.

Internship Work-study program allows high school students to earn high school credit for volunteering as an Intern or for a student with a job to participate in a paid Work-study program. Under Ohio's Education Options provisions, students can take advantage of flexible hours and flexibility in the number of credits that can be earned. The program also provides documentation that supports Career Based Skills and verification and accountability.

For students in the classes of 2018 and 2019, districts have complete discretion around these requirements and should be deliberate in how they are structured and in documenting student accomplishments.

For students in the class of 2020, state law requires that the work/community service hours would have to comply with Department guidance on approval and verification of the hours.

College Credit Plus

Students are required to complete College Credit Plus (CCP) as per Ohio’s dual enrollment program that provides students in grades 7-12 the opportunity to earn college and high school credits at the same time by taking courses from Ohio colleges or universities. The purpose of this program is to enhance students’ career readiness and postsecondary success, while providing a wide variety of options to college-ready students, at no or limited costs to students and families.

The general guidelines about college courses that can be substitutions for high school requirements is listed with possible examples of courses. Students must earn passing grades in the courses. The required credits noted as follows are the minimum required for high school graduation. Some school districts might have additional credit requirements for graduation.

High School Requirement	College Credit Plus (CCP) Example Course Substitutions
English language arts (4 high school credits)	Courses in literature, composition, journalism, speech, applied communication
Health (1/2 high school credit)	Any health courses
Mathematics (4 high school credits)	State law allows for the substitution of an advanced computer science course for Algebra II. Some institutions may require Algebra II for college admission. If a student takes a College Credit Plus course in advanced computer science, the course must meet the Computer Science Standards.
Physical Education (1/2 high school credit)	Not applicable
Science (3 high school credits)	one unit of a physical science one unit of a life science one unit of an advanced study 2,3 in one or more of the following sciences: chemistry, physics or other physical science advanced biology or other life science astronomy, physical geology or other earth or space science
Social studies (3 high school credits)	Courses in social science, humanities, psychology, western civilization, political science. American History substitutions must include the study of history of the Americas or western civilization and must include U.S. History). American Government substitutions must include the study of the American political system. For the class of 2019, students must earn credits in American history and American government (one-half credit each). For the class of 2021, students must earn one-half credit in world history and civilizations (in addition to American history and American government).
Electives (5 high school credits)	One or any combination of foreign language course (including American Sign Language), fine arts courses in drama/theater, dance, visual art, or music, business, career-technical education, family and consumer sciences, technology, agricultural education or English language arts, mathematics, science or social studies courses not otherwise required. Students must complete at least two semesters of fine arts taken at any time in grades 7 through 12.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate

Students are required to complete an AP or IB course and earn a score of 3 or higher on the corresponding AP test or 4 or higher on the corresponding IB test. This includes any AP or IB courses and tests that the student may have taken prior to the senior year. As per the ODE approval, the AP and IB substitute tests are as follows:

• Physical Science
  • Advanced Placement Physics 1: Algebra-based (only the class of 2018)
  • Advanced Placement Physics 2: Algebra-based (only the class of 2018)
  • International Baccalaureate Physics Standard Level (only the class of 2018)
  • International Baccalaureate Physics Higher Level (only the class of 2018)
• Biology
  • Advanced Placement Biology
  • International Baccalaureate Biology
• American History
  • Advanced Placement United States History
  • International Baccalaureate History – Route Two – including study of the history of the Americas
• American Government
  • Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics
  • International Baccalaureate Global Politics

Career-Technical Educational Programs

Students in career-technical education (CTE) programs have additional options available to satisfy graduation requirements. In order to satisfy the career-technical education option, students must take and pass courses that constitute the curriculum requirements and take all seven end-of-course exams. Students must finish a career-technical program that includes at least four courses in a single career pathway and complete at least one of the following criteria:

• Earn a total score of proficient or better based on all career-technical exams or test modules.
• Earn an industry-recognized credential or credentials that equal 12 points.
• Complete a workplace experience totaling 250 hours with evidence of positive evaluations.

Students must complete a test for all courses in the student's approved program sequence defined in the ODE CTE Program and Assessment Matrix. All tests are administered electronically through a web-based application or through approved industry credential providers. All career-technical education end-of-course tests are developed and administered by The Ohio State University, CETE through a proprietary system called WebXam^©. For reporting to the state’s data system, EMIS, all individual test scores are reported per student.

Students taking career-technical education (CTE) courses through College Credit Plus (CCP) may use their course grade as evidence of technical skill attainment instead of taking the WebXam for the course. An A or B in the CCP CTE course will equate to an Advanced score on the WebXam; a grade of C in the CCP CTE course will equate to a Proficient score on the WebXam. A course grade of D or F will equate to a Not Proficient score on the WebXam. If a student takes the WebXam and a CCP course grade is reported, the higher outcome will be used to calculate technical skill attainment passage for the pathway.

When replacing WebXams, districts report the CCP course grades as CTE technical assessments using a score of A, P or N, with Score Not Report Reason element of “X - value in score field represents student’s proficiency”. The test scores reported should align to the student’s CCP course grades.

The ODE and WebXam allow WebXam tests to be retaken in the same school year by graduating seniors after allowing for additional instruction time. This change enhances opportunities for students to demonstrate technical skills attainment for the purpose of graduation and report cards. The policy for WebXam same-year retakes includes:

• Graduating seniors may retake most WebXam tests once in their final school year.
• A retake must be scheduled at least 30 days after the original assessment was performed.
• Field tests may not be retaken due to the length of the tests and earlier closing of the field test window.

OhioMeansJobs Workforce Readiness Seal

Students can earn the OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal on their high school diplomas and transcripts indicating they have the personal strengths, strong work ethic, and professional experience that businesses are looking for. To earn the OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal, motivated high school students must demonstrate certain professional skills that relate to success in the workplace. Students work with at least three experienced and trusted mentors who verify the demonstration of these skills in school, work or the community.

The OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal is based on a list of 15 professional skills that the students and applicants must demonstrate proficiency to be ready for work:

• Drug-Free: The student commits to being drug-free.
• Reliability: The student has integrity and responsibility in professional settings.
• Work Ethic: The student has positive work habits, personal accountability and a determination to succeed.
• Punctuality: The student arrives to commitments on time and ready to contribute.
• Discipline: The student follows guidelines, demonstrates self-control and stays on task.
• Teamwork/Collaboration: The student builds collaborative relationships with others and can work as part of a team.
• Professionalism: The student demonstrates honesty. He or she dresses and acts appropriately and responsibly. He or she learns from mistakes.
• Learning Agility: The student desires to continuously learn new information and skills.
• Critical Thinking/Problem-Solving: The student uses strong decision-making skills, evaluates issues effectively and thinks creatively to solve problems.
• Leadership: The student uses the strengths of others to achieve common goals. He or she coaches and motivates peers and can prioritize and delegate work.
• Creativity/Innovation: The student is original and inventive. He or she communicates new ideas to others, drawing on knowledge from different fields to find solutions.
• Oral/Written Communications: The student expresses thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in written and oral forms.
• Digital Technology: The student has an in-depth understanding of emerging technology and uses technology to solve problems, complete tasks and accomplish goals.
• Global/Intercultural Fluency: The student values, respects and learns from diverse groups of people.
• Career Management: The student is a self-advocate. He or she articulates strengths, knowledge and experiences relevant to success in a job or postsecondary education.

Additional Graduation Pathway Option 2

To meet the requirements for Option 2, the student needs to take the seven required end-of-course exams and complete a career-technical program.

The student also must fulfill at least one of the following requirements:

• Earn proficient on all WebXams
• Earn an industry-recognized credential worth at least 12 graduation points
• Workplace experience totaling 250 hours with positive evaluations

Permanent Requirements

The permanent graduation requirements will be available starting with the class of 2018. Students in the classes of 2021 and 2022 must cover the basics (OGT), who have met or are on track to meet one of the original Three Pathways (listed above) may continue to use those pathways or meet the permanent requirements by demonstrating competency and readiness to satisfy graduation requirements.

Students in the classes of 2023 and beyond will be required to only cover the basics (OGT) and meet the permanent requirements by demonstrating competency and readiness in order to graduate.

The permanent requirements are listed as follows:

1. Demonstrate/Show Competency: Students must demonstrate competency in Mathematics and English by passing the state’s Algebra I and English II tests. Students who have taken required tests more than once without passing and have received remedial supports are able to show competency through one of the options below:
   
   • Option 1: Demonstrate two career-focused readiness and technical skill through:
     • Foundational (Proficient scores on WebXams, a 12-point industry credential, a pre-apprenticeship or acceptance into an approved apprenticeship program); and
     • Supporting (work-based learning, earn the required score on WorkKeys, earn the OhioMeansJobs Readiness Seal) options.

   • Option 2: Enlist in the Military: Sign a contract to enter a branch of the U.S. armed services upon graduation.

   • Option 3: Complete College Coursework: Earn credit for one college-level math and/or one college-level English course through College Credit Plus program.
2. Demonstrate/Show Readiness (preparation for College or Career): Students must earn two diploma seals, one of which must be state-defined (Ohio-designed), to demonstrate academic, technical and professional readiness for careers, college, the military or self-sustaining professions.

The 12 diploma seals for students demonstrate academic, technical and professional readiness for careers, college, the military or self-sustaining professions. Each seal allows students to demonstrate knowledge and skills essential for future success in their chosen post-high school paths.