(A) For purposes of this section:

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(1) “Competency-based educational program” means any system of academic instruction, assessment, grading, and reporting where students receive credit based on demonstrations and assessments of their learning rather than the amount of time they spend studying a subject. A competency-based educational program shall encourage accelerated learning among students who master academic materials quickly while providing additional instructional support time for students who need it.

(2) An “eligible individual” is an individual who satisfies both of the following criteria:

(a) The individual is at least twenty-two years of age.

(b) The individual has not been awarded a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalence as defined in section 4109.06 of the Revised Code.

(B) An eligible individual may enroll in a city, local, or exempted village school district that operates a dropout prevention and recovery program for up to two consecutive school years for the purpose of earning a high school diploma. An individual enrolled under this division may elect to satisfy the requirements to earn a high school diploma by successfully completing a competency-based educational program that complies with the standards adopted by the department of education and workforce under section 3317.231 of the Revised Code. The district shall report that individual’s enrollment on a full-time equivalency basis under division (A) of section 3317.036 of the Revised Code and shall not report that individual’s enrollment under section 3317.03 of the Revised Code. An individual enrolled under this division shall not be assigned to classes or settings with students who are younger than eighteen years of age.

(C)(1) For each district that enrolls individuals under division (B) of this section, the department annually shall certify the enrollment and attendance, on a full-time equivalency basis, of each individual reported by the district under division (A) of section 3317.036 of the Revised Code.

(2) For each individual enrolled in a district under division (B) of this section, the department annually shall pay the district up to $5,000, as determined by the department based on the extent of the individual’s successful completion of the graduation requirements prescribed under sections 3313.603, 3313.61, 3313.611, and 3313.614 of the Revised Code.

(D) A district that enrolls individuals under division (B) of this section shall be subject to the program administration standards adopted by the department under section 3317.231 of the Revised Code, as applicable.