West Clermont Local School District
Administrative Guidelines
 

5460 - GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

In order for a student to qualify for a diploma in this District, s/he must have satisfactorily completed the following courses and earned at least twenty (20) credits for the classes of 2016 and 2017 and twenty and one half (20.5) credits for the class of 2018 and beyond.

Graduation must be earned by passing all mandated subjects, a major sequence, and earning total units required for the specific diploma sought. Credit toward graduation shall be granted for any course that a student successfully completes outside of school hours at an accredited postsecondary institution whether or not the course was paid for by the District or by the parents or student. In addition, students in graduating classes before 2018 must attain the applicable score on the tests required by the State Board of Education for graduation in reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies. Each student must demonstrate, unless exempted, the required level of skill in reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies at the end of the tenth grade.

As an alternative to the requirement that a student in a graduating class before 2018 having to attain the applicable scores on the Ohio Graduation Tests ("OGT") in order to be eligible to graduate, a student may meet the OGT testing requirements if s/he satisfies all of the following conditions:

 

A.

passes four (4) out of five (5) OGT tests and has missed passing the fifth test by ten (10) points or less

   
 

B.

has a ninety-seven percent (97%) school attendance rate in each of the last four (4) school years, excluding any excused absences

   
 

C.

has not been expelled from school in any of the last four (4) school years

   
 

D.

has a grade point average of at least 2.5 out of 4.0 in the subject area of the test not yet passed

   
 

E.

has completed the high school curriculum requirement in the subject area of the test not yet passed

     
 

F.

has participated in any intervention programs provided by the District in the subject area and has a ninety-seven percent (97%) attendance rate, excluding any excused absences, in any of those programs provided at times beyond the normal school day, school week, or school year or has received comparable intervention services from another source, and

   
 

G.

holds a letter recommending graduation from each of the student's high school teachers in the subject area not yet passed and from the high school principal

Students in special education shall receive a diploma if certified they have properly completed the requirements of their IEP, and unless exempted, they take the tests required by the State Board of Education for graduation, with or without accommodations. Students should not be exempted from taking the prescribed tests unless no accommodation can be made to enable the student to take the test. They shall participate in all graduation activities.

Diploma - The requirements for graduation are based on grades nine (9) through twelve (12) and are listed below. However, no student shall be required to remain in school for any specific number of semesters or other terms if the student completes the required curriculum early.

For the Graduating Classes of 2016 and 2017:

Each student must earn at least twenty (20) credits in order to graduate and receive a diploma. The distribution of such credits is to be as follows:

 

English Language Arts

4

 

Health

1/2

 

Physical Education

1/2

 

Mathematics

4 (including 1 unit of Algebra
II or the equivalent; students
on a Student Success
Plan may be exempted from
taking Algebra II)

   
   
   
   
 

Science

3 (including 1 in life science,
1 in Physical science, and 1
unit advanced study 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 (1 in World History, 1 in Am. History, 1/2 in
Am. Government)
(including 1 whole unit 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.

   
 

Four(4) electives

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
     
 

Economics and Financial

½ unit of Economics or Personal Finance

 

Literacy

   
   
 

Fine Arts

All students must complete at
least two (2) semesters of fine
arts taken any time in
grades 7-12. Students
following a career-technical
pathway are exempted from
the fine arts requirement.

   
   
   
   
   
   

The requirements for graduation from high school for the Class of 2018 include earning twenty and one half (20.5) units of credits in grades nine through twelve as follows:

 

English Language Arts

4

 

Health

½

 

Physical Education

½

 

Mathematics

4 (Must include Algebra II or equivalent)

 

Science

3 (1 unit Physical Science, 1 unit Biological Science, 1 unit from advanced courses)

 

Social Studies

3-1/2 (1 unit of World History, 1 unit of U.S. History, 1 unit of Government, ½ unit of Economics or Personal Finance)

 

Fine Arts, (including music)
Electives (including at least 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

1

 

4

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

The requirements for graduation from high school for the Class of 2019 and beyond include earning twenty one (21) units of credits in grades nine through twelve as follows:

 

English Language Arts

4

 

Health

½

 

Physical Education

½

 

Mathematics

4 (Must include Algebra II or equivalent)

 

Science

3-1/2 (1 unit Physical Science, 1 unit Biological Science, 1 unit from advanced courses, ½ unit from science electives)

 

Social Studies

3-1/2 (1 unit of World History, 1 unit of U.S. History, 1 unit of Government, ½ unit of Economics or Personal Finance)

 

Fine Arts, (including music)
Electives (including at least 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

1

 

4

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Beginning with the Class of 2018

Assessments

In addition to course credits, students will earn points toward graduation on seven end-of-course exams. The courses in which students take an end-of-course exam include:

 

A.

Algebra I and Geometry or Integrated Math I and II;

   
 

B.

American History and American Government;

   
 

C.

English I and English II;

   
 

D.

Physical Science and Biology.

Students can earn from 1-5 points for each exam, based on their performance.

 

5 =

Advanced

 

4 =

Accelerated

 

3 =

Proficient

 

2 =

Basic

 

1 =

Limited

Students studying Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or taking dual enrollment courses in physical science, American history, or American government may take assessments aligned to those courses in lieu of end-of-course exams to avoid double testing.

Unless otherwise exempted, students must accumulate a minimum of eighteen (18) points from scores on their end-of-course exams to become eligible for a diploma.

Students who score below proficient on an exam may retake it after receiving extra help on the course content. Students who score proficient or higher on an end-of-course exam may retake the exam only if, once they take all exams, they have not met the minimum number of graduation points needed to graduate. In such a case, a student may retake any exam after receiving help on the course content. These same provisions shall apply to substitute exams, which may be used interchangeably with approved tests.

Assessment Options

Students who do not earn the required number of graduation points can become eligible for a diploma if they earn a remediation-free score on a national college admission test. This assessment will be given to students free-of-charge in the Fall of the 11th grade year starting with the graduating class of 2018.

Students may also qualify for graduation by earning an approved industry-recognized credential and achieving a workforce-readiness score on a related job skills assessment.

Other

Credit may be earned at an accredited postsecondary institution.

One (1) unit is a minimum of 120 hours of course instruction, except that for a laboratory course, it is a minimum of 150 hours of course instruction.

One-half (1/2) unit is a minimum of sixty (60) hours of course instruction, except that for physical education courses, it is a minimum of 120 hours of course instruction.

Students below the ninth grade level may take high school courses for advanced credit toward graduation. In order to receive such credit, the course must be taught by a person certified/licensed to teach in high school and the course must be designated by the Board as meeting the high school curriculum requirements.

Any person, residing in the District, who has completed the academic requirements in any high school but has not passed all the tests required by the State Board of Education for graduation is to be awarded a diploma from this District if s/he retakes and passes any unpassed tests at the high school during the designated testing days, unless excused from the tests as provided in law. The person is not required to meet the requirements established by this District.

Revised 2/3/16

© Neola 2015