(A) A person who meets all of the following criteria shall be permitted to take a high school equivalency test approved by the department of education pursuant to division (B) of section 3301.80 of the Revised Code:

(1) The person is at least eighteen years of age.

(2) The person is officially withdrawn from school.

(3) The person has not received a high school diploma or honors diploma awarded under section 3313.61, 3313.611, 3313.612, or 3325.08 of the Revised Code.

(B) A person who is at least sixteen years of age but less than eighteen years of age may apply to the department to take an approved equivalency test, so long as the person meets all of the following criteria:

(1) The person has not received a high school diploma or honors diploma awarded under section 3313.61, 3313.611, 3313.612, or 3325.08 of the Revised Code.

(2) The person is officially withdrawn from school.

(3) The person submits, along with the application,

written approval from the person's parent or guardian or a court official

.

(C) For the purpose of calculating graduation rates for the school district and building report cards under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code, the department shall count any person who officially withdraws from school to take an approved equivalency test under this section as a dropout from the district or school in which the person was last enrolled.

(D) If a person takes an approved equivalency test and fails to attain the scores required to earn a certificate of high school equivalence , as defined in section 5107.40 of the Revised Code, on the entire battery of tests, that person shall be required to retake only the specific test on which the person did not attain a passing score in order to earn a certificate of high school equivalence . If a person retakes a specific test, that person shall be responsible only for the cost of that test and not for the cost of the entire battery of tests, unless that person is retaking the entire battery.

Renumbered from § 3313.617 by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 113, §1, eff. 9/14/2016.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2015.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 487, §1, eff. 9/17/2014.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 483, §101.01, eff. 9/15/2014.

Added by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.