Ohio Won’t Approve Weak Credentials That Students Use as ‘Shortcut’ to Graduate
Summary
Ohio has reduced the number of career credentials that count toward high school graduation from 164 to 70. The state aims to ensure students earn credentials that employers value and that lead to real job opportunities after graduation.Key Facts
- Ohio began allowing career credentials as a way to earn a diploma in 2019.
- Many students were earning easy credentials that do not help them get jobs or earn a good salary.
- The state cut the approved credential list from 164 to 70, removing low-demand credentials in retail sales and emergency government management.
- About 9,000 students earned credentials that match only three jobs.
- Ohio also reduced the number of lesser credentials from 700+ to 126, organizing them into 21 bundles focused on specific fields like healthcare and manufacturing.
- These changes aim to prevent students from combining many small, unrelated credentials just to graduate without gaining useful skills.
- The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce said they want students to earn credentials that make them employable right after high school.
- Some experts see Ohio’s experience as a warning to other states about approving too many low-value credentials.
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