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Rep. Fedor Applauds Decision to Extend Alternative
Graduation Pathways
Legislation will prevent statewide graduation crisis
State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) last week announced the
Ohio House recently passed Senate changes to House Bill 491,
which extend alternative pathways to graduation for 2019 and
2020 Ohio high school seniors.
“Superintendents, teachers and students of the Class of 2019
and 2020: the state legislators heard you, and recognized
the need to change and adapt our graduation requirements for
your future success,” said Rep. Fedor, ranking member on
House Education and Career Readiness Committee. “We still
have a lot more work to do to get Ohio’s graduation
requirements to match the real-world, but we will work
together to do this and I look forward to that.”
In the past several years, the General Assembly repeatedly
changed graduation requirements in Ohio. The rapid
succession of changes left students unsure of graduation
expectations, and left teachers unsure how to help. The
current requirements are predominantly conditioned on
standardized test taking or receiving an industry
credential. According to the Ohio Department of Education,
in a response to an official information request issued by
Rep. Fedor, 51,893 Ohio high school seniors have not
obtained the standardized testing requirements for
graduation. This trend mirrors that of the Class of 2018
who, through HB 49, were given alternative pathways to
graduate on time.
“The State of Ohio is relying too heavily on standardized
testing to measure success. This is wrong. It’s not the
students who are failing. It’s the state legislators who are
failing them,” said Fedor. “The future of our young adults
and Ohio depends on Governor Kasich doing the right thing.”
After last night’s vote, House Bill 491 will head to Gov.
John Kasich’s desk for his anticipated signature.
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