On January 25, 2013, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) notifying schools that students with disabilities must be afforded equal access to extracurricular athletics. The DCL comes after the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report noting the positive impact that extracurricular athletics has on students, especially those with disabilities. In its report, the GAO determined that public elementary and secondary students with disabilities are not being provided an equal opportunity to participate in…
Posted by Candice Christon on
Posted by Candice Christon on
Effective April 26, 2013, any individual applying for a first-time pupil-activity program permit or permit renewal is required to complete certain training programs related to concussions and head injuries in order to coach interscholastic activities.
Individuals applying for a first-time permit must successfully complete a training program that focuses on brain trauma and brain injury management (RC 3319.303). In addition, individuals applying for a permit renewal must have successfully completed a training program that recognizes the symptoms of concussions and head injuries or a…
Posted by OSBA Legal Ledger on
Yes. The general rule is that boards must first offer the opportunity to direct, supervise, or coach a pupil activity program to qualified, licensed individuals in the district (RC 3313.53). Boards of education are permitted to employ non-licensed individuals who have pupil activity permits to direct, supervise, or coach a pupil activity program, but only if the board passes a resolution that outlines two things. First, the resolution must outline that the board has offered the position to a licensed individual in the district and that no one qualified has applied for or accepted the…
Posted by OSBA Legal Ledger on
In June 2008, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Board of Directors approved a recommendation that coaches in Ohio be required to take the National Federation of State High School Associations Fundamentals of Coaching course. All interscholastic coaches in grades 7-12, whether certified to teach or not, paid or volunteer, are required to take the course as a one-time fulfillment. All coaches without a current pupil activity permit are required to complete the course by January 1, 2010. All coaches renewing pupil activity permits after January 1, 2010 are required to complete…