Trending
HANOVERTON - The United Local school board Wednesday approved three local readiness seals for graduating students.
The board approved seals for community service, fine and performing arts and student engagement.
As part of the new Ohio graduation requirements and in alignment with the "Readiness" component, students will be required to earn two Readiness Seals that will be affixed to their diploma and official transcript. The current sophomore class will be required to earn the seals, but juniors and seniors will be able to earn the seals, as well.
In addition to the nine state-defined seals (Ohio Means Jobs, Biliteracy, Industry Recognized Credential, College-Ready, Military Enlistment, Citizenship, Science, Honors Diploma, and Technology), districts must develop guidelines for at least one of three locally defined diploma seals (Community Service, Fine & Performing Arts, and Student Engagement).
Community Service Seal students will meet the requirement of the Community Service Seal by verifying they completed 25 hours of unpaid community service while in high school.
Fine and Performing Arts Seal students will meet the requirement of the Fine and Performing Arts Seal by completing the required years of performing arts or three years or an equivalent in performing arts.
Student Engagement Seal students will meet the requirement by participating in extracurricular activities such as (but not limited to) athletics, clubs or student government, to a meaningful extent, as determined by the guidelines set by the school district board of education or school governing authority district approved activities. Students can also receive credit for being active outside of the school such as travel athletic teams, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts or 4-H.
Students will have to earn two diploma seals.
Superintendent Lance Hostetler told the board the district had to make the seals easily accessible to all students, regardless of their participation in any given activity.
khowell@salemnews.net