High school reviews '2023 plus' graduation requirements, seals and data tracking

The high school principal briefed the Board of Education on July 16 about the state’s 2023-plus graduation requirements, which center on three components: credits, competency and readiness. The principal said credits remain the traditional course-and-credit requirements; competency can be demonstrated through tests, college-credit plus (CCP), military enlistment or career credentials; and readiness requires students to earn state or locally defined seals, such as the Ohio Means Jobs seal, biliteracy, or community-engagement seals. "Helping our students get across the finish line is the main priority," the principal said, and noted that the counseling team provides a detailed annual letter and data package on each graduating class. The presentation included a district checklist students can use to monitor credits, competency and seal progress, but the principal cautioned that district staff rely on official records rather than student-managed checklists. Counselors and administrators told the board that about a third of graduates earn an honors diploma under the district’s criteria and that roughly 80 percent of seals are awarded via standardized-testing routes. The principal said the system gives students alternative pathways to graduation if they are not traditional test takers, and that the school tracks post‑graduation outcomes including two- and four-year college matriculation, military enlistment, apprenticeships and employment. Board members asked whether enrollment in world languages has fallen since language is no longer universally required for graduation; the principal said there has been some decline but that fourth- and fifth-year language options and CCP credits remain available based on student interest. The board received the presentation; no policy changes were made at the meeting.