LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Indiana’s Board of Education unanimously approved the final draft of new high school diploma requirements.
The changes include updates to the state’s previous standards, including the addition of honors and honors plus seals.
The board said the changes will give students more flexibility to personalize their journey, as well as increase access to work-based learning.
This comes after department officials presented their second draft of the proposed requirement changes in August, and gathered feedback from the public.
Some educators had raised concerns about the timeline to implement the changes, as well as concerns about the new base diploma being less rigorous than the current Core40 diploma.
One difference between the Core40 diploma and the base diploma is that it changes the required credit hours in certain subjects.
The board said the new requirements for the base diploma include “increased flexibility and course options for earning credits in core content areas, such as English, math, science, social studies, physical education and health.”
In addition to the core content areas, the board said students will also take “personalized electives,” such as career and technical education (CTE) courses, performing or fine arts and/or world languages.
Students will also have the option to include an honors seal, and choose an emphasis in enrollment (college), employment (workforce), or enlistment and service (military).
The new structure includes a base of minimum requirements for each student. The board said it also provides students with the opportunity to earn “readiness seals aligned with their unique path.”
According to a comparison of the new requirements, the new seals “provide additional intentionality to maximize readiness and are designed to be permeable, allowing students to update their graduation plan and pivot, if their original interests and goals change.”
There are two levels for each readiness seal: Enrollment honors and Enrollment honors plus, Employment honors and Employment honors plus, Enlistment honors and Enlistment honors plus.
The board said “honors seals” are similar to the current academic honors designation, but are designed to be “even more intentional.”
“Honors plus seals,” the board said, are designed to “increase skill development, work-based learning experiences” and provide opportunities for students to “increase their educational attainment by earning a credential of value.”
Students who earn a readiness seal will automatically fulfill all of the requirements for the Graduation Pathways. Students who don’t earn one still have to complete two of the components of Graduation Pathways.
The new requirements will go into effect beginning with the class of 2029. The state’s current graduation requirements will “sunset” on Oct. 1 of 2028. Districts can, however, opt into the new requirements starting next school year.
The board is asking for both parents and educators to send in questions and feedback about the implementation process for the new diploma requirements by clicking here.
Now that the board has approved the final draft, it has to be reviewed by the state’s attorney general and will become law once signed by the governor.
The process to update the state’s requirements started earlier this year after a law passed in 2023 decided the state must change its future diploma tracks.
To learn more about the changes, click here.
To look at a comparison between current requirements and the new requirements, see the PDF in this story or click here.
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