(A) In addition to the curriculum requirements specified by the board of education of a school district or governing authority of a chartered nonpublic school, each student entering ninth grade for the first time on or after July 1, 2014, but prior to July 1, 2019, shall satisfy at least one of the following conditions or the conditions prescribed under division (B) of this section in order to qualify for a high school diploma:

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(1) Be remediation-free, in accordance with standards adopted under division (F) of section 3345.061 of the Revised Code, on each of the nationally standardized assessments in English, mathematics, and reading;

(2) Attain a score specified under division (B)(5)(c) of section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code on the end-of-course examinations prescribed under division (B) of section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code.

(3) Attain a score that demonstrates workforce readiness and employability on a nationally recognized job skills assessment selected by the department of education and workforce under division (F) of section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code and obtain either an industry-recognized credential or a license issued by a state agency or board for practice in a vocation that requires an examination for issuance of that license.

For the purposes of this division, the industry-recognized credentials and licenses shall be as approved under section 3313.6113 of the Revised Code.

A student may choose to qualify for a high school diploma by satisfying any of the separate requirements prescribed by divisions (A)(1) to (3) of this section. If the student’s school district or school does not administer the examination prescribed by one of those divisions that the student chooses to take to satisfy the requirements of this section, the school district or school may require that student to arrange for the applicable scores to be sent directly to the district or school by the company or organization that administers the examination.

(B) In addition to the curriculum requirements specified by the district board or school governing authority, each student entering ninth grade for the first time on or after July 1, 2019, shall satisfy the following conditions in order to qualify for a high school diploma:

(1) Attain a competency score as determined under division (B)(10) of section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code on each of the Algebra I and English language arts II end-of-course examinations prescribed under division (B)(2) of section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code.

School districts and chartered nonpublic schools shall offer remedial support to any student who fails to attain a competency score on one or both of the Algebra I and English language arts II end-of-course examinations.

Following the first administration of the exam, if a student fails to attain a competency score on one or both of the Algebra I and English language arts II end-of-course examinations that student must retake the respective examination at least once.

If a student fails to attain a competency score on a retake examination, the student may demonstrate competency in the failed subject area through one of the following options:

(a) Earn course credit taken through the college credit plus program established under Chapter 3365 of the Revised Code in the failed subject area;

(b) Complete two of the following options, one of which must be foundational:

(i) Foundational options to demonstrate competency, which include earning a cumulative score of proficient or higher on three or more state technical assessments aligned with section 3313.903 of the Revised Code in a single career pathway, obtaining an industry-recognized credential, or group of credentials, approved under section 3313.6113 of the Revised Code that is at least equal to the total number of points established under that section to qualify for a high school diploma, obtaining a license approved under section 3313.6113 of the Revised Code that is issued by a state agency or board for practice in a vocation that requires an examination for issuance of that license, completing a pre-apprenticeship aligned with options established under section 3313.904 of the Revised Code in the student’s chosen career field, completing an apprenticeship registered with the apprenticeship council established under section 4139.02 of the Revised Code in the student’s chosen career field, or providing evidence of acceptance into an apprenticeship program after high school that is restricted to participants eighteen years of age or older;

(ii) Supporting options to demonstrate competency, which include completing two hundred fifty hours of a work-based learning experience with evidence of positive evaluations, obtaining an OhioMeansJobs-readiness seal under section 3313.6112 of the Revised Code, or attaining a workforce readiness score, as determined by the department, on the nationally recognized job skills assessment selected by the department under division (F) of section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code.

(c) Provide evidence that the student has enlisted in a branch of the armed services of the United States as defined in section 5910.01 of the Revised Code.

(d) Be remediation-free, in accordance with standards adopted under division (F) of section 3345.061 of the Revised Code, in the failed subject area on a nationally standardized assessment prescribed under division (B)(1) of section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code. For English language arts II, a student must be remediation-free in the subjects of English and reading on the nationally standardized assessment.

Subject to division (L)(2) of section 3313.61 of the Revised Code, for any students receiving special education and related services under Chapter 3323 of the Revised Code, the individualized education program developed for the student under that chapter shall specify the manner in which the student will participate in the assessments administered under this division or an alternate assessment in accordance with division (C)(1) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code.

(2) Earn at least two of the state diploma seals prescribed under division (A) of section 3313.6114 of the Revised Code, at least one of which shall be any of the following:

(a) The state seal of biliteracy established under section 3313.6111 of the Revised Code;

(b) The OhioMeansJobs-readiness seal established under section 3313.6112 of the Revised Code;

(c) One of the state diploma seals established under divisions (C)(1) to (7) of section 3313.6114 of the Revised Code.

(C)(1) A student who transfers into an Ohio public or chartered nonpublic high school from another state or enrolls in such a high school after receiving home education or attending a nonchartered, nontax-supported school in the previous school year shall meet the requirements of division (B) or (D) of this section, as applicable, in order to qualify for a high school diploma. However, any student subject to division (B) of this section who transfers or enrolls after the start of the student’s twelfth grade year and fails to attain a competency score on the Algebra I or English language arts II end-of-course examination shall not be required to retake the applicable examination prior to demonstrating competency in the failed subject area under the options prescribed in divisions (B)(1)(a) to (d) of this section.

(2) The department shall prescribe standards that allow a transfer student who, prior to the student’s transfer, took an assessment described in division (B)(1) or (2) of section 3301.0712 or section 3313.619 of the Revised Code to apply the score from that assessment towards graduation requirements at the student’s new public or chartered nonpublic school.

(D) Notwithstanding division (B) of this section, in addition to the curriculum requirements specified by the school governing authority, a chartered nonpublic school student subject to division (L)(3)(a)(ii) of section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code entering ninth grade for the first time on or after July 1, 2019, shall qualify for a high school diploma if the student earns a remediation-free score in the areas of English, mathematics, and reading, in accordance with standards adopted under division (F) of section 3345.061 of the Revised Code, on a nationally standardized assessment prescribed under division (B)(1) of section 3301.0712 of the Revised Code. No such student shall be required to take the Algebra I or English language arts II end-of-course examination or earn diploma seals under this section.

(E) The department shall not create or require any additional assessment for the granting of any type of high school diploma other than as prescribed by this section. Except as provided in sections 3313.6111, 3313.6112, and 3313.6114 of the Revised Code, the department or the director of education and workforce shall not create any endorsement or designation that may be affiliated with a high school diploma.