GRADUATION

minimum standards for academic performance as well as some of the social skills they’re going to need to be successful in the workplace,” said Sen. Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering, the chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee.

“We feel these multiple pathways are creating several different ways for students to demonstrate at least minimum academic proficiency.”

But critics say the point of raising the bar was to ensure that students are prepared when they leave high school.

“While adults in the education system will rejoice if this change becomes law, students taking an easier path … will be left to pay the ultimate price,” said Chad Aldis, vice

president for Ohio policy and advocacy at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

“Unfortunately, instead of rolling up our sleeves and helping all Ohio graduates attain the skills necessary to earn a living wage and support a family, we’ve once again said that simply showing up is enough.”

New graduation requirements that were supposed to start with the class of 2018 required students to either score at least 18 out of 36 points on end-of-course exams, earn a remediationfree score on a college entrance exam, or earn an industry-recognized credential or a minimum score on a workforce-readiness test.

Concerned that too many students might not meet those standards, lawmakers agreed last year to add, for one year, additional pathways for graduation,

including good attendance, a 2.5 GPA for senior-year grades, or working a job.

Problems meeting the standards persisted for the class of 2019, so lawmakers will extend the relaxed options to the class of 2019, and then to the class of 2020 with some tweaks, such as the 2.5 GPA being calculated for the student’s junior and senior years, and no more attendance option.

Lawmakers expect that the Department of Education, in consultation with the business community, will recommend new, long-term graduation standards by April 1.

Lehner said she isn’t surprised that Ohio ended up never fully implementing the new standards.

“One of the biggest mistakes we make in education policy is turning the ship too fast,” she said. “The notion that we could do that in one year was just not realistic.

We do that far too often.”

Later in the committee meeting, Sen. Matt Huffman, R-Lima, tried unsuccessfully to win passage of an amendment aimed at stopping the Department of Education from trying to collect what officials say are voucher overpayments to private, mostly Catholic schools.

Huffman said the department is following a rule that misinterprets state law. The issue centers on whether the state should give a full voucher even if the student is getting a tuition discount. The department says no, but Huffman disagrees.

“We’re undoing a change that was not made through the legislative process but through the rule-making process that significantly changes how this program works,” Huffman said.

Public-school associations said the change would cost

schools $4.3 million in local money.

Lehner and two other Republicans joined the committee’s three Democrats in opposing the amendment. Lehner said she agrees that Ohio’s private-school voucher system is in serious need of review.

“This legislation only serves to muddy the water out in front of a conversation that needs to take place,” she said. “I don’t think we have time to adequately vet it.”

Senators questioned the financial impact of the proposal, but Huffman repeatedly said that it would simply ensure that the law operates as intended.

“I find this very confusing,” said Sen. Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville. “I’m not sure if we’re getting the facts.”