Effective: September 29, 2017
Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly
(A) As used in this section, "advanced standing program" means a program that enables a student to earn credit toward a degree from an institution of higher education while enrolled in high school or that enables a student to complete coursework while enrolled in high school that may earn credit toward a degree from an institution of higher education upon the student's attainment of a specified score on an examination covering the coursework. Advanced standing programs may include any of the following:
(1) The college credit plus program established under Chapter 3365. of the Revised Code;
(2) Advanced placement courses;
(3) International baccalaureate diploma courses;
(4) Early college high school programs.
(B) Each city, local, exempted village, and joint vocational school district and each chartered nonpublic high school shall provide students enrolled in grades nine through twelve with the opportunity to participate in an advanced standing program. For this purpose, each school district and chartered nonpublic high school shall offer at least one advanced standing program in accordance with division (B)(1) or (2) of this section, as applicable.
(1) A city, local, or exempted village school district meets the requirements of this division through its mandatory participation in the college credit plus program established under Chapter 3365. of the Revised Code. However, a city, local, or exempted village school district may offer any other advanced standing program, in addition to the college credit plus program, and each joint vocational school district shall offer at least one other advanced standing program, to students in good standing, as defined by the partnership for continued learning under section 3301.42 of the Revised Code as it existed prior to October 16, 2009, or as subsequently defined by the department of education.
(2) A chartered nonpublic high school that elects to participate in the college credit plus program established under Chapter 3365. of the Revised Code meets the requirements of this division. Each chartered nonpublic high school that elects not to participate in the college credit plus program instead shall offer at least one other advanced standing program to students in good standing, as defined by the partnership for continued learning under section 3301.42 of the Revised Code as it existed prior to October 16, 2009, or as subsequently defined by the department of education.
(C) Each school district and each chartered nonpublic high school shall provide information about the advanced standing programs offered by the district or school to all students enrolled in grades six through eleven. The district or school shall include information about all of the following:
(1) The process colleges and universities use in awarding credit for advanced placement and international baccalaureate courses and examinations, including minimum scores required by state institutions of higher education, as defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code, for a student to receive college credit;
(2) The availability of tuition and fee waivers for advanced placement and international baccalaureate courses and examinations;
(3) The availability of online advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses, including those that may be available at no cost;
(4) The benefits of earning postsecondary credit through advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses;
(5) The availability of advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses offered throughout the district.
The district or school may include additional information as determined appropriate by the district or school.
(D) Except as provided for in Chapter 3365. of the Revised Code, no city, local, exempted village, and joint vocational school district shall charge an enrolled student an additional fee or tuition for participation in any advanced standing program offered by the district. Students may be required to pay the costs associated with taking an advanced placement or international baccalaureate examination.
(E) Any agreement between a school district or school and an associated college governing the operation of an early college high school program shall be exempt from the requirements of the college credit plus program, provided the program meets the definition set forth in division (F)(2) of this section and is approved by the superintendent of public instruction and the chancellor of higher education.
The college credit plus program also shall not govern any advanced placement course or international baccalaureate diploma course as described under this section.
(F) As used in this section:
(1) "Associated college" means a public or private college, as defined in section 3365.01 of the Revised Code, which has entered into an agreement with a school district or school to establish an early college high school program, as described in division (F)(2) of this section, and awards transcripted credit, as defined in section 3365.01 of the Revised Code, to students through that program.
(2) "Early college high school program" means a partnership between at least one school district or school and at least one institution of higher education that allows participants to simultaneously complete requirements toward earning a regular high school diploma and have the opportunity to earn not less than twenty-four credits that are transferable to the institutions of higher education in the partnership as part of an organized course of study toward a post-secondary degree or credential at no cost to the participant or participant's family. The program also shall prioritize the following students:
(a) Students who are underrepresented in regard to completing post-secondary education;
(b) Students who are economically disadvantaged, as defined by the department of education;
(c) Students whose parents did not earn a college degree.