By Stan Hughes, Greenville High School Principal |
As we begin the fourth quarter of the school year, activities throughout the building become more and more frequent. In the coming weeks our school will see state testing, prom, softball, baseball, and track competitions, end of the year assemblies and the culmination of student work the commencement ceremony. The planning for the actual ceremony starts in January with ordering diplomas. Students, parents, and staff have been preparing for this moment with countless hours of work and dedication to educating our students. Our community, parents, and students understand the value of a high school diploma, but we do not always understand the rigorous graduation requirements students must meet to qualify for a State of Ohio diploma.
There are three key components to the current requirements for graduation. First, you must earn the locally defined number of credits, at Greenville High School that is twenty-two credits. These credits are comprised of 4 English, 4 Math, 3 Science, 3 Social Studies, ½ Health, ½ Physical Education, and 7 electives. The class of 2026 will replace ½ elective credit with a financial literacy course. Students at GHS have a wide variety of courses to take to fulfill these options.
For the second component of the graduation requirement, you must demonstrate competency. There are 4 ways that students can demonstrate competency. Students may earn a competency score (as defined by Ohio Department of Education) on the English II and Algebra I end-of-course exams. Most of our students show competency by earning a proficient score on these two tests. Students who do not earn a competency score on these tests have three options to take the place of the exams. One option is to demonstrate competency through two career focused activities such as proficient scores on WebXams, earn Industry Credentials, and pre-apprenticeship programs. This is an increasingly popular way for our students to show competency. A third option is to enlist in the military, and the fourth option is to complete college coursework in math and/or English.
In addition to earning credits and demonstrating competency, students must also show their college and/or career readiness. Our students show their readiness by earning at least two diploma seals. The state created twelve seals for students to demonstrate academic, career, college, and military readiness.
The following seals have been created by the state of Ohio.
- OhioMeansJobs Readiness Seal
- State Seal of Biliteracy
- Industry-Recognized Credential Seal
- College-Ready Seal
- Military Enlistment Seal
- Citizenship Seal
- Science Seal
- Honors Diploma Seal
- Technology Seal
- Community Service Seal
- Fine and Performing Arts Seal
- Certified Student Engagement Seal*
Greenville High School students are a diverse group of learners who will continue to grow and develop in to good citizens with the help of the faculty and staff of Greenville City Schools, the support of families and the community. We are look forward to seeing our students walk across the stage during commencement every June. We enjoy helping our students complete the graduation requirements and to continue to pursue the vision Greenville City Schools of maximizing the potential of each and every student.