OHIO

Ohio’s compulsory attendance age had been set at 18 prior to 2002. Since then, Ohio’s dropout policies have centered on increasing programmatic options. In 2005, the state passed HB 66, phasing in a targeted approach for utilizing its formula-generated funds. House Bill 66 requires that $1 million of the state’s total Poverty-Based Assistance payment is set aside to fund dropout recovery programs administered by the Ohio Department of Education’s Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates program.

In 2008, Ohio enacted policy that allows students who are at least one year behind their peers and are attending an alternative program to complete a competency-based instructional program instead of the Ohio core curriculum. In Dayton, Ohio, the Mound Street Academies alternative schools offer courses that are competency-based and tied to state standards.

The state is seeking to capitalize on the lessons being learned at one alternative education charter network—the Integrated Solutions for Urban Students (ISUS)—by establishing a 5-year R&D demonstration project at three of the schools. Through evaluation, Ohio is hoping to generate knowledge about strategies, curricula, and decisions critical for improving the dropout prevention and recovery programs at community schools.

House Bill 3 (2005) defined the state’s graduation and dropout rate. The state plans to report the graduation rate of the National Governors Association in 2011. In Ohio, the compulsory attendance age is 18, and the maximum public school entitlement age is 21.