Thousands of high school seniors in Ohio are affected by a gap in state graduation standards that the Ohio General Assembly has so far left unclarified.
Fortunately there is a solution ready at hand that solves the problem until a permanent fix can be made: House Bill 630, introduced by state Rep. Tavia Galonski (D., Akron).
The state moderated its high school graduation test requirements for students after the class of 2017. In its place, the state created two sets of “pathways” to get a diploma, one of which emphasizes academic achievement while the other recognizes workforce qualifications.
Both look difficult. Those who graduated in 2018 and forward had to take a required 20 credits and had to prove their readiness by one of three ways: achieving a certain score on the seven final exams, earning a certain score on a set of workforce readiness tests, or achieve certain score levels in the ACT or SAT college entrance exams.
A third pathway that recognizes the effort and skills of students in training for a career while not meeting high academic standards is in the design phase by the Ohio Department of Education. And so to temporarily fill the gap until the permanent career-oriented pathway is ready, the General Assembly last year created an “Alternative Pathways” set of graduation requirements for the class of 2018 only. And has done little since.
Ms. Galonski’s H.B. 630 that would continue the temporary law for two years, and relieve the uncertainty felt by thousands of high school students in the state. Ms. Galonski says 51,893 Ohio school seniors will not graduate if the General Assembly does not take action.
Not only is Ms. Galonski’s temporary law good for the next two years, it’s the right approach for permanent law.
Boiled down, students were allowed to graduate in 2018 if they passed their required courses, took (but not necessarily passed) the required exams, and jumped any two of six additional hurdles, including having 93 percent attendance and racking up 120 hours of work or community service.
According to Ms. Galonski, without alternative pathways to graduation, many students are at risk of not graduating this year due to an overreliance on standardized testing. Her bill provides pathways for students who are career-ready.
Many students learn and succeed despite not being outstanding test takers. There is a lot of talk — most of lip service only — around encouraging students to pursue a trade or skilled occupation without going for a traditional college degree. Ms. Galonski’s bill, or one like it, is needed to put that commitment in law.
Enacting the Alternative Pathways soon allows students and their guidance counselors to plan for their final semester of school so they can walk across the stage with their classmates and get the diploma that they’ve earned through diligent efforts.
The Alternative Pathways to graduation bill allows students to get their diploma if they’ve earned it in a number of ways. There’s not much time left for the General Assembly to act, and thousands of Ohio high school students are awaiting direction here.
First Published November 21, 2018, 11:30 a.m.
