As Introduced
135th General Assembly
Regular Session H. B. No. 623
2023-2024
Representatives Dobos, Jones
Cosponsors: Representatives Williams, Upchurch, Dean, Hall, Brennan, McClain,
Robb Blasdel
A BILL
To amend sections 3313.603, 3314.03, 3326.15, and 1
3328.22 and to enact section 3313.6030 of the 2
Revised Code and to amend Section 733.61 of H.B. 3
166 of the 133rd General Assembly, as 4
subsequently amended, to codify it as section 5
3313.6031 of the Revised Code to require school 6
districts to offer at least one high school 7
computer science course and to amend the version 8
of section 3314.03 of the Revised Code that is 9
scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2025, to 10
continue the changes on and after that effective 11
date. 12
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That sections 3313.603, 3314.03, 3326.15, and 13
3328.22 be amended and section 3313.6030 of the Revised Code be 14
enacted to read as follows: 15
Sec. 3313.603. (A) As used in this section: 16
(1) "One unit" means a minimum of one hundred twenty hours 17
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As Introduced
of course instruction, except that for a laboratory course, "one 18
unit" means a minimum of one hundred fifty hours of course 19
instruction. 20
(2) "One-half unit" means a minimum of sixty hours of 21
course instruction, except that for physical education courses, 22
"one-half unit" means a minimum of one hundred twenty hours of 23
course instruction. 24
(B) Beginning September 15, 2001, except as required in 25
division (C) of this section and division (C) of section 26
3313.614 of the Revised Code, the requirements for graduation 27
from every high school shall include twenty units earned in 28
grades nine through twelve and shall be distributed as follows: 29
(1) English language arts, four units; 30
(2) Health, one-half unit; 31
(3) Mathematics, three units; 32
(4) Physical education, one-half unit; 33
(5) Science, two units until September 15, 2003, and three 34
units thereafter, which at all times shall include both of the 35
following: 36
(a) Biological sciences, one unit; 37
(b) Physical sciences, one unit. 38
(6) History and government, one unit, which shall comply 39
with division (M) of this section and shall include both of the 40
following: 41
(a) American history, one-half unit; 42
(b) American government, one-half unit. 43
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(7) Social studies, two units. 44
Beginning with students who enter ninth grade for the 45
first time on or after July 1, 2017, the two units of 46
instruction prescribed by division (B)(7) of this section shall 47
include at least one-half unit of instruction in the study of 48
world history and civilizations. 49
(8) Elective units, seven units until September 15, 2003, 50
and six units thereafter. 51
Each student's electives shall include at least one unit, 52
or two half units, chosen from among the areas of 53
business/technology, fine arts, and/or foreign language. 54
(C) Beginning with students who enter ninth grade for the 55
first time on or after July 1, 2010, except as provided in 56
divisions (D) to (F) of this section, the requirements for 57
graduation from every public and chartered nonpublic high school 58
shall include twenty units that are designed to prepare students 59
for the workforce and college. The units shall be distributed as 60
follows: 61
(1) English language arts, four units; 62
(2) Health, one-half unit, which shall include instruction 63
in nutrition and the benefits of nutritious foods and physical 64
activity for overall health; 65
(3) Mathematics, four units, which shall include one unit 66
of algebra II or the equivalent of algebra II, or one unit of 67
advanced computer science as described in the standards adopted 68
pursuant to division (A)(4) of section 3301.079 of the Revised 69
Code. However, students who enter ninth grade for the first time 70
on or after July 1, 2015, and who are pursuing a career- 71
technical instructional track shall not be required to take 72
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As Introduced
algebra II or advanced computer science, and instead may 73
complete a career-based pathway mathematics course approved by 74
the department of education and workforce as an alternative. 75
For students who choose to take advanced computer science 76
in lieu of algebra II under division (C)(3) of this section, the 77
school shall communicate to those students that some 78
institutions of higher education may require algebra II for the 79
purpose of college admission. Also, the parent, guardian, or 80
legal custodian of each student who chooses to take advanced 81
computer science in lieu of algebra II shall sign and submit to 82
the school a document containing a statement acknowledging that 83
not taking algebra II may have an adverse effect on college 84
admission decisions. 85
A student may fulfill one unit of mathematics under 86
division (C)(3) of this section by completing one-half unit of 87
financial literacy instruction to satisfy the requirement 88
prescribed under division (C)(9) of this section and one-half 89
unit of a mathematics course. The one-half unit course in 90
mathematics shall not be in algebra II, or its equivalent, or a 91
course for which the department requires an end-of-course 92
examination under section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code. 93
Students who choose to take one unit of advanced computer 94
science in lieu of algebra II, as described in division (C)(3) 95
of this section, shall not be permitted to complete one-half 96
unit of financial literacy instruction to satisfy the 97
mathematics unit requirements of that division. Instead, those 98
students shall be required to complete the one-half unit of 99
financial literacy instruction under division (C)(8) of this 100
section. 101
(4) Physical education, one-half unit; 102
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(5) Science, three units with inquiry-based laboratory 103
experience that engages students in asking valid scientific 104
questions and gathering and analyzing information, which shall 105
include the following, or their equivalent: 106
(a) Physical sciences, one unit; 107
(b) Life sciences, one unit; 108
(c) Advanced study in one or more of the following 109
sciences, one unit: 110
(i) Chemistry, physics, or other physical science; 111
(ii) Advanced biology or other life science; 112
(iii) Astronomy, physical geology, or other earth or space 113
science; 114
(iv) Computer science. 115
No student shall substitute a computer science course for 116
a life sciences or biology course under division (C)(5) of this 117
section. 118
(6) History and government, one unit, which shall comply 119
with division (M) of this section and shall include both of the 120
following: 121
(a) American history, one-half unit; 122
(b) American government, one-half unit. 123
(7) Social studies, two units. 124
Beginning with students who enter ninth grade for the 125
first time on or after July 1, 2017, the two units of 126
instruction prescribed by division (C)(7) of this section shall 127
include at least one-half unit of instruction in the study of 128
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As Introduced
world history and civilizations. 129
(8) Five units consisting of one or any combination of 130
foreign language, fine arts, business, career-technical 131
education, family and consumer sciences, technology which may 132
include computer science, agricultural education, a junior 133
reserve officer training corps (JROTC) program approved by the 134
congress of the United States under title 10 of the United 135
States Code, or English language arts, mathematics, science, or 136
social studies courses not otherwise required under division (C) 137
of this section. 138
One-half unit of instruction under division (C)(8) of this 139
section may be instruction in financial literacy to satisfy the 140
requirement under division (C)(9) of this section. 141
(9)(a) Except as provided in division (C)(9)(b) of this 142
section, for students who enter ninth grade for the first time 143
on or after July 1, 2022, financial literacy, one-half unit. 144
Each student shall elect to complete the one-half unit of 145
instruction in financial literacy either in lieu of one-half 146
unit of instruction in mathematics under division (C)(3) of this 147
section or an elective under division (C)(8) of this section. A 148
student may fulfill the financial literacy instruction 149
requirement under division (C)(9) of this section through the 150
successful completion of an advanced placement course in 151
microeconomics or macroeconomics. 152
(b) A student attending a nonpublic school accredited 153
through the independent schools association of the central 154
states or any other chartered nonpublic school shall not be 155
required to complete the one-half unit of financial literacy 156
instruction prescribed in division (C)(9)(a) of this section, 157
unless that student is attending the school under a state 158
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scholarship program as defined in section 3301.0711 of the 159
Revised Code. 160
The study and instruction of financial literacy required 161
under division (C)(9) of this section shall align with the 162
academic content standards for financial literacy and 163
entrepreneurship adopted under division (A)(2) of section 164
3301.079 of the Revised Code. The instruction provided under an 165
advanced placement course in microeconomics or macroeconomics 166
shall be considered to be aligned with those academic content 167
standards. In developing the curriculum for the study and 168
instruction of financial literacy, schools may use available 169
public-private partnerships and resources and materials that 170
exist in business, industry, and through the centers for 171
economics education at institutions of higher education. 172
(10)(a) Except as provided in division (C)(10)(c) of this 173
section, beginning with students who enter ninth grade for the 174
first time on or after July 1, 2028, one unit in computer 175
science, as prescribed under section 3313.6030 of the Revised 176
Code, taken in any of grades eight through twelve. Each student 177
shall elect to complete the one unit of instruction in computer 178
science as one of the following: 179
(i) For a student who is not taking advanced computer 180
science in lieu of algebra II under division (C)(3) of this 181
section, one unit of mathematics that is not algebra II under 182
division (C)(3) of this section; 183
(ii) One science unit under division (C)(5) of this 184
section; 185
(iii) One elective unit under division (C)(8) of this 186
section. 187
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(b) Not later than July 1, 2028, the department shall 188
adopt a list of courses that can be used to satisfy this 189
requirement, using the recommendations in the report of the 190
state committee on computer science issued under section 3301.23 191
of the Revised Code as guidance, and including any other course 192
that contains at least twenty hours of programming and meets the 193
requirements prescribed in division (B) of section 3313.6030 of 194
the Revised Code. The department shall update that list on a 195
regular basis to respond to new course offerings established by 196
schools. 197
The department shall make the list available on its 198
publicly accessible web site. The department shall include a 199
course on the list only if the course meets or exceeds the 200
standards and curriculum adopted under section 3301.079 of the 201
Revised Code. For each approved course, the department shall 202
include the course's name, description, and corresponding course 203
code on the list. 204
(c) Division (C)(10) of this section does not apply to 205
either of the following: 206
(i) A student enrolled in a chartered nonpublic school; 207
(ii) A student who was enrolled in high school in a 208
different state that transfers to a high school in this state 209
during the student's senior year. 210
Ohioans must be prepared to apply increased knowledge and 211
skills in the workplace and to adapt their knowledge and skills 212
quickly to meet the rapidly changing conditions of the twenty- 213
first century. National studies indicate that all high school 214
graduates need the same academic foundation, regardless of the 215
opportunities they pursue after graduation. The goal of Ohio's 216
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system of elementary and secondary education is to pr