Office of Catholic Education - Curriculum Requirements

Curriculum Requirements

The Ohio Catholic Schools Accrediting Association (OCSAA) requires all diocesan schools to have a course of study (curriculum) for all subjects taught in the school. In the section on the Annual OCSAA Report, the Ohio Catholic Schools Accrediting Association, assesses whether or not "the school is implementing a course of study that meets diocesan requirements for each subject taught" (OCSAA Standards 2002, page 103)

When developing courses of study (curriculum), schools are required to show the alignment of their curriculum with the Ohio Academic Content Standards. Diocesan curricula developed for the elementary schools are aligned with the OCSAA Standards as well as the Ohio Academic Content Standards. Secondary school curricula must also be aligned with the OCSAA Standards and the Ohio Academic Content Standards.

In Ohio, schools and school districts are required by House Bill 715 which amended Section 3313.60 of the Ohio Revised Code to have all courses of study approved by the appropriate city, local, exempted village, or joint vocational board of education. For schools in the Diocese, this requirement is met in two ways. At the elementary level, a Diocesan Curriculum for each content area is prepared, approved and disseminated to the schools on a regular basis. At the secondary level, each school is required to develop courses of study for each course in their curricular program and to submit these courses of study to the Diocesan Education Office for approval. In addition, the diocese has begun to work with high school committees to develop “model” curriculum for each subject area found in the curriculum.