SECTION 610:25-23-4. Program requirements

(a)   Students shall agree to abide by the following provisions throughout the remainder of their school years or educational program:

(1)   Attend school regularly and to do homework regularly, meaning the student was in attendance at least eighty percent (80%) of each school year, excluding absences excused by the school;

(2)   Refrain from substance abuse, meaning the student was not adjudicated delinquent as a juvenile nor convicted of a crime as an adult by a court of law for an offense involving a controlled dangerous substance, as defined by 63 O.S. § 2-101(8);

(3)   Refrain from commission of crimes or delinquent acts, meaning the student was not adjudicated delinquent as a juvenile nor convicted of a crime as an adult by a court of law;

(4)   Have school work and school records reviewed by mentors designated pursuant to the program;

(5)   Provide information requested by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education [OSRHE] or the State Board of Education; and

(6)   Participate in program activities. [70 O.S. § 2605]

(b)   The student's parent(s), custodial parent(s), or guardian(s) shall witness the student's agreement and further agree to:

(1)   Assist the student in achieving compliance with the agreements;

(2)   Confer, when requested to do so, with the school contact person, other school personnel, and program mentors;

(3)   Provide information requested by the OSRHE or the State Board of Education; and

(4)   Assist the student in completing forms and reports required for program participation, making application to institutions and schools of higher learning, and filing applications for student grants and scholarships. [70 O.S. § 2605]

(c)   Students in the program graduating high school in 2010 and thereafter must complete the following 17-unit core curriculum with a minimum 2.50 grade-point-average (GPA) on a 4.00 grading scale, by the time they graduate from high school. For the purpose of calculating the required core curriculum GPA, core courses in English, lab science, mathematics, history and citizenship skills, foreign or non-English language, computer technology, or "additional" subject areas must be transcripted with a letter grade that has a corresponding numerical value. If the school district assigns a course a grade of "pass" without a numerical value, the OSRHE will assign a letter grade of "D" or the lowest passing grade that the high school assigns to courses. If the required one unit, year, or set of competencies in fine arts (music, art, or drama) or speech is fulfilled on a pass/fail or competency basis, the course(s) will be accepted and excluded from the required core curriculum GPA calculation.

(1)   Four units, or years, of English (grammar, composition, literature; should include an integrated writing component);

(2)   Three units, or years, of lab science (biology, chemistry, physics, or any lab science certified by the school district; general science with or without a lab may not be used to meet this requirement);

(3)   Three units, or years, of mathematics (Algebra I, Algebra II, geometry, trigonometry, math analysis, pre-calculus, statistics and probability [must have completed geometry and Algebra II], calculus, Advanced Placement Statistics);

(4)   Three units, or years of history and citizenship skills (1 unit of American history and 2 units from the subjects of history, economics, geography, government and/or non-Western culture):

(5)   Two units, or years, of a foreign or non-English language (both units, or years, of the same language), or Two units, or years, of computer technology (courses in programming, hardware, and business computer applications such as word processing, databases, spreadsheets and graphics will qualify; keyboarding and typing classes do not qualify);

(6)   One additional unit, or year, of subjects listed above, or any Advanced Placement course except AP courses in applied fine arts (art history and music theory will count; studio art courses will not count);

(7)   One unit, year, or set of competencies of fine arts (music, art, or drama) or speech.

(d)   The program curricular requirements for English, science, mathematics, history and citizenship skills are identical with the curricular requirements for college admission set by the OSRHE. Any change by the OSRHE to the curricular requirements for college admission shall also apply to the program curricular requirements.

(e)   Advanced students who complete core courses in earlier grades will not be required to take additional courses for purposes of the requirements of this program.

(f)   Strict parameters regulate the substitution of applied courses (OSRHE policy on Institutional Admission and Retention).

(g)   Exceptions to the required core curriculum will be considered according to the following:

(1)   Students attending schools, or homeschool students participating in other educational programs, which do not offer all the core curriculum courses will be allowed to satisfy the requirements subject to the following provisions:

(A)   Core curriculum requirements which are also required for regular college admission (OSRHE policy on Institutional Admission and Retention) will be subject to the OSRHE Policy on Remediation and Removal of High School Curricular Deficiencies.

(B)   Any other core curriculum requirements must be satisfied during the first twenty-four (24) hours of college coursework. Any exceptions to the twenty-four (24) hour limitation must be requested in writing and shall be subject to approval by the Chancellor.

(2)   Students who have documented proficiency in a non-English language equivalent to at least two (2) units of high school study may be exempted from the requirement of two (2) units of a foreign or non-English language.

(3)   Any other requests for exceptions to the core curriculum requirement must be submitted in writing to the Chancellor. Upon approval of the exception, the student may be eligible for program benefits; provided, such approval may require the satisfaction of any core curriculum requirements omitted in high school or other educational program.

(h)   Students must attain a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA on a 4.00 grading scale for all work attempted in grades nine through twelve.

(i)   Homeschool students and students graduating from a high school not accredited by the State Board of Education must achieve a composite score of 22 or higher on the ACT test or the equivalent SAT test score. Only ACT and SAT test scores reported on an official test report issued by ACT from tests administered on national test dates prior to the student's high school graduation will be considered. Scores from ACT residual tests will not be considered. SAT test scores will be considered in a manner comparable to ACT test scores.

[Source: Added at 13 Ok Reg 767, eff 10-24-95 (emergency); Added at 13 Ok Reg 1377, eff 5-13-96; Amended at 14 Ok Reg 164, eff 10-15-96 (emergency); Amended at 14 Ok Reg 1419, eff 5-12-97; Amended at 17 Ok Reg 3062, eff 7-13-00; Amended at 18 Ok Reg 1779, eff 5-25-01; Amended at 19 Ok Reg 2962, eff 7-23-02 (emergency); Amended at 20 Ok Reg 2572, eff 7-11-03; Amended at 21 Ok Reg 1428, eff 5-27-04; Amended at 22 Ok Reg 2628, eff 7-11-05; Amended at 23 Ok Reg 1971, eff 6-11-06; Amended at 24 Ok Reg 2718, eff 7-26-07; Amended at 25 Ok Reg 2592, eff 7-11-08; Amended at 29 Ok Reg 677, eff 5-25-12; Amended at 31 Ok Reg 2376, eff 9-12-14; Amended at 34 Ok Reg 1988, eff 9-11-17; Amended at 35 Ok Reg 423, eff 2-15-18 (emergency); Amended at 36 Ok Reg 1179, eff 8-11-19]