State Board Of Education To Discuss Diploma Updates
The State Board of Education will discuss updated drafts to the state\’s diploma re-write. (photo credit: Kyle Stokes / StateImpact Indiana).
The State Board of Education meets Wednesday and will receive an update on the re-write of Indiana’s high school diplomas. These will include some slight changes after public objection sent earlier drafts back through the editing process.
The State Board of Education was poised to finalize an update to the state’s diploma types last fall, before many objected to new math and fine arts credits and voiced concerns over how special education students will obtain a degree. The board sent the drafts back to a diploma task force for edits.
The task force is composed of members from the Department of Education, Commission for Higher Education, State Board of Education and representatives of different school subjects. It is presenting new drafts to the board this week.
Back in November, the board was considering lowering the number of diplomas types a student could receive, from four to two.
They called the two diplomas the “College & Career Ready” diploma and the “Workforce Ready” diploma. Both diplomas added more math credits. They also outlined classes a student who wants to attend college should take (in addition to electives).
The big change last fall – the new plan got rid of the ‘General Diploma’ that is currently available to graduating high school seniors. The General diploma doesn’t drill down specifics within subjects. Many special education students and students who were struggling to graduate utilized this pathway since it was more flexible. For example, a student working for a General diploma needs four math credits, but two of those are in any math class they choose. Under the new drafts, the math classes needed for all diplomas are specified.
This week’s drafts also change the name of the two diploma types, changing one back to ‘General’ diploma. The math requirements in this one are slightly more flexible. They also added two more elective credits to this diploma.
The other new diploma, called the ‘Core 44’ diploma, is a slight change from the ‘College & Career’ ready diploma. It seems to recognize public comment period arguments that students should have more time to take foreign language and fine arts classes.
The draft still says the task force would like to continue “to have conversation about a 1 credit requirement for all students.”
The state decided to change the diploma requirements to make sure all students left high school with proper academic preparation, whether they were planning to enter college or the workforce. The hope was by making graduation requirements more rigorous, less students would need remedial classes in college.
The board isn’t voting on these new drafts Wednesday, and there is not a final deadline for these drafts. The new diplomas are supposed to go into effect during the 2019-2020 school year.
The State Board of Education meeting begins 9 a.m. Wednesday, and can be live streamed online.