There are Some Exceptions for Students who do not Pass the OGT

Passing all five sections of the Ohio Graduation Test is a mandatory requirement for students to receive their diploma. For certain students there are several exceptions to these requirements for achieving a high school diploma. These exceptions either alter the curriculum requirements, the OGT requirement, or both. I will briefly explain some of these exceptions.

1. If a student does not pass one of the five OGT subject areas.

Students graduating after September 2006 may earn a diploma if they have scored at the proficient level on four of the five OGT subject areas, as long as they meet all of the following criteria:

Miss the proficient level on the fifth test by less than 10 points;
Maintain a 97% attendance rate (excluding excused absences) through their high school years.
Have not been expelled during the last four years of schooling
Maintain a GPA of at least 2.5 out of 4.0 in the courses of the subject not passed
Complete the high school curriculum requirements
Participate in supplemental intervention programs with a 97% attendance rate and have letters recommending graduation from the student’s high school principal and the teacher in the subject area not passed.

2. Students with disabilities. To receive a high school diploma, students with disabilities must take either the OGT or the alternate assessment, and meet the curriculum requirements specified by their Individualized Education Program. A student’s IEP is determined by the IEP team in each school, and it specifies whether the student can take
the OGT with or without accommodations, or if the student should instead take the alternate assessment Accommodations are allowed to facilitate participation in the
OGT, not to change the content of the test or what the test is intended to measure, or to enhance the student’s response.

The alternate assessment is granted to students with the most severe cognitive disabilities who are unable to participate in the OGT. The alternate assessment is based upon the academic content standards of the OGT, but reflects appropriate content for students with the most severe cognitive disabilities. If specified in the IEP and under special circumstances, students with significant disabilities may be exempted from the consequences of the OGT, which means they can receive a high school diploma even if they do not pass the OGT or the alternate assessment. Such an exemption is based on the student’s IEP, which is reviewed annually. However these exempted students are small in number and must be included in the calculation of the district’s AYP as required by NCLB.

This is just a brief overview of some of the exemptions. If you feel your child may meet an exemption discuss this with your child’s school.