Last Spring, the Indiana Department of Education (DOE) presented a proposal to streamline the number of high school diplomas for future graduating classes, making Indiana the first state to plan a major redesign on its diploma tracks. Though the plan was initially supposed to help students, it received immense backlash from various groups, including parents, teachers, and even universities in the state.
The initial diploma redesign included one baseline track for all graduates but would exclude many required classes, including history, fine arts, and foreign language courses. After unveiling this new diploma plan, many college and university officials spoke out against the changes, stating that with this new plan, students graduating high school would not meet basic university admission requirements. Many teachers also spoke out against this diploma change, showing distaste for the possibility of the revamped track.
Because of the backlash, the new diploma plan underwent reconstruction to gain more support. After the State Board of Education revamp, the new plan has gained the acceptance of many large universities within the state. In addition, parents and teachers who were speaking out about the diploma changes began to accept the idea. However, public opinion made it apparent that some adaptations still need to be made.
The currently proposed diploma includes:
•Double the number of personalized elective credits required.
•One less credit in PE and social studies.
•One extra credit in STEM.
•An undecided number of directed elective credits is required.
These changes clarify that the new diploma focuses on the student’s interests and career readiness.
Under the current version of the diploma changes, students can earn “Readiness Seals” for enrollment, employment, or enlistment that is affiliated with their current future path in either higher education or the military. These readiness categories offer two possible seals: Honors and Honors Plus. To achieve these seals, students may choose the classes in whatever pathway they want. Getting these Seals would be optional, but students who earn a Seal automatically satisfy the Graduation Pathway Requirements needed to graduate. Students can earn more than one Seal if they like, but it is solely up to the student. Overall, this Seal proposal attempts to prepare students more for plans after graduation, but it is mainly beneficial if students are willing to take advantage of these opportunities.
Guidance Counselor Rachel Robinson attended The Rural Early College Network Meeting on Monday, October 23. A prominent topic was how the diploma changes would affect the college admissions process.
“There is still room for improvement and clarification on some of the requirements for the Honors Seal and the Honors Seal Plus,” said Robinson.
English Teacher Carol Eubank, a member of the PHS Leadership Team, who also attended the meeting, is eager to see how this new diploma track may improve in the future.
“One of the biggest concerns about these diploma changes from a teacher’s perspective is the lack of time between next year’s scheduling and the application of the final draft for the diploma changes. This lack of preparation time is frightening for teachers whose jobs could be affected by the diploma changes,” said Eubank.
The current diploma proposal can be reviewed on the Indiana DOE website. A public comment period is set to open soon, and a final draft of the diploma tracks is scheduled to be released sometime in December. Visit www.in.gov/doe/diplomas to view the diploma proposal and leave public comments when the form becomes available.