ACT Opt-Out, School Report Card Overhaul Signed into Law

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Jon Cross (R-Kenton) today announced Governor DeWine has signed into law House Bill 82, his legislation that modifies college testing requirements for high school students and creates a new state school report card plan. 

Current law requires every Ohio high school junior take the ACT or SAT test in order to graduate. H.B. 82 allows parents or guardians of a high school student to opt the student out of taking a nationally standardized college admissions assessment.

According to the Legislative Service Commission, paying for and administering ACT tests for all high school students costs the State of Ohio nearly $5 million.

“This bill embraces local control for school districts and parents,” said Cross. “Some high school students may have a different career path that doesn’t include going to college, and Ohio taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for unnecessary testing.” 

The Senate added provisions to H.B. 82 that modify Ohio’s report card metrics for K-12 schools by creating a system with five graded components and a five-star rating system in place of letter grades. 

Under the plan, the five rated components are Achievement, Progress, Gap Closing, Early Literacy, and Graduation Rate. A sixth component – College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness – serves as a report-only, non-graded measure for three years. 

The bill also includes a student opportunity profile containing report-only information that is not rated as part of the report card.

“This new report card plan will make it easier for parents and faculty to understand how each school is performing in order to help improve Ohio’s overall education system,” added Cross.  

Cross also applauded Governor DeWine for signing into law House Bill 106, his bill that designates January as “Radon Awareness Month.”

Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas found indoors. It is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and the number two cause overall. 

“Ohioans are 17 percent more likely to get lung cancer compared to the rest of the nation,” said Cross. “It is my hope that this new law will encourage all Ohioans to learn about the health hazards of elevated levels of radon gas in our homes, schools and workplace so we can keep our loved ones safe and healthy.”

Both bills will become effective in 90 days.