A new diploma system is a go for Indiana high schools and while plenty of questions persist, there appears to be much less criticism compared to a previous model.
The Indiana State Board of Education approved its final diploma plan earlier this month. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita will give the final approval.
The state board of education touts the new plan as more flexible than previous iterations, a common concern during public comment periods this year, according to Secretary of Education Katie Jenner.
The board of education oversees education policy for K-12 schools and consists of appointed members, at least half of which must have experience in education. The model introduces a new base diploma requiring 42 credits, two additional compared to the current Core 40 diploma. There are also readiness seals, which can be considered as areas of additional focus.
With a new diploma comes new course requirements.
Students will need to earn seven math credits, one more than the Core 40 diploma, though one of those credits is a personal finance class. Not all students will need geometry and Algebra II to graduate.
“For some of our students, that’s really challenging,” said Tipton Superintendent Ryan Glaze. “That’s primarily where our kids had some difficulty.”
Instead, students who do not intend to go to college can take other math classes to satisfy the credit requirement. Glaze said a student could take a business math class, for example, which could be more useful.
It’s part of the flexibility local educators like about the diploma redesign.
“I do believe that this will allow us to meet the needs of all of our students,” Glaze said. Students still need biology, though they do not need to take chemistry or physics (unless they’re college bound). New science requirements include computer science and STEM-focused classes.
High school students still need U.S history and government but have more options on how to satisfy the needed social studies credits, such as a world language course.
There are some questions around what classes will satisfy eight credits of English. Freshman English is a given along with a communicationstype of class, but what else is to be determined.
“It really hasn’t been well articulated,” Glaze said. “They’re building the plane in the air. They’ve been very honest about that.”
The revamped program aims to improve attendance by gearing more a student’s education toward what they’re interested in.
“The vast majority of what we hear in focus groups from students is they don’t see the value,” Jenner said.
The new requirements go into effect next school year for incoming freshmen. Current high schoolers will remain on the Core 40 track.
READINESS SEALS
Students can pick between enrollment, employment and enlistment seals, though they are not required. These are aligned with what a student wants to do after graduation: college, workforce or the military.
Each seal requires certain classes, and in some cases work-based learning hours. There is also a “plus” option for each that requires more rigor.
The seals are another part of the flexibility emphasized by the state.
“There are so many different paths they can take,” said Ericka Echelbarger, director of student services at Northwestern High School. “It gives them options. The old diploma didn’t encourage kids to go out and get 75 hours of experience (work-based learning).
Seals are designed to allow students to jump from one to another easily, say if their post-grad plans change.
Educators were critical of a previous model the state proposed for this reason. Criticism ranged from eighth graders having to decide what they wanted to do after graduation to upperclassmen not being able to meet the academic requirements for college if they decided too late.
Higher education institutions said the previous diploma, called the GPS Diploma, would not meet their admission standards. For Purdue University, those requirements were in the areas of math, sciences, social studies and world languages.
The pushback from colleges, many of which penned letters to state education officials, appeared to be the final blow for the GPS Diploma as a new diploma was introduced a couple weeks later.
The enrollment seal is where many of the Core 40 requirements (Algebra II, physics, chemistry, world language) are found.
Students who earn this seal need either Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, college credits or a certain score on the SAT or ACT. Students must also have a cumulative B average.
The plus version of the enrollment seal requires 75 hours of work-based learning and a credential of value, such as an associate’s degree or completing the Indiana College Core (a 30-credit block of college pre-reqs).
State education officials hope the redesign of high school improves the collegegoing rate and the number of students who graduate college.
Workers with communication and critical-thinking skills was a common piece of feedback from business leaders during the diploma redesign process, according to Jenner.
Enter the employment seal, for students who intend to enter the workforce.
Students must complete 150 hours of work-based learning, such as with an area employer. They must also earn a credential, such as a certified nursing aide or welding certification. There is also an attendance goal students must meet; same goes for enlistment seal earners.
A credential of value and 650 hours of work-based learning satisfies the plus version. These hours could be done through a pre-apprenticeship.
This is one aspect of the GPS Plus diploma (a more demanding version of GPS) that made the final model. A 2,000-hour Department of Labor apprenticeship was another option in the previous proposal but was removed.
Both were heavily criticized for the time commitment placed on teenagers.
Then there’s the enlistment seal.
Requirements include completing a public service course, locally created equivalent or one year of JROTC. This will probably be satisfied in the form of a class students take as no area school offers JROTC.
“We will have to figure something out for that option,” said Melainie Hardin, a counselor at Northwestern High School.
A certain score on the ASVAB is also required.
This seal is meant to ensure students who want to join the military meet the necessary requirements. Enlistments dropped 41% in Indiana between 2018 and 2022. It’s also a nationwide issue.
There are many reasons for this, including employers offering funding for college and young people on prescribed medication like anti-depressants.
Hardin said the enlistment seal gives counselors a better idea on how to prepare students for the military. In the past, they’d just refer students to a local recruiter.
Students who do not opt for a seal will have to meet current graduation pathway requirements, demonstrate employability skills and have post-secondary competencies, such as completing three career technical education classes.
THE GOOD, THE CONCERNS
Many of the concerns revolve around work-based learning.
That includes finding employer partners.
“The challenge for schools in Tipton County is where do we put kids to give them the capstone, work-based learning experiences,” Tipton’s Glaze said.
School officials told the Tribune earlier this summer they’re hopeful vocational schools like the Kokomo Area Career Center and the Hinds Career Center in Elwood can help link students with opportunities.
Work-based learning can be in person, online, simulated, paid or not paid.
Transportation is another question mark. It is unclear if schools will have to transport students to off-campus job sites or if it will be student’s responsibility. Either way, there are concerns about funding and safety.
“If they can’t drive, that’s the tricky part,” said Emily Nelson, a school counselor who rounds out the team of three at Northwestern High School.
Northwestern students who attend the Kokomo career center provide their own transportation. That’s partly due to bus drivers running double routes in the morning. Northwestern staggers their start times, depending on grade levels.
It’s also because career center classes take place at various times of the day. There isn’t an easy split between classes at the high school and the vo-tech center.
Educators also do not know how business partners will be vetted or who will track a student’s hours. The assumption is it will be school counselors. The new grad requirements add to already heavy workloads for counselors who also assist with testing, class scheduling and the social-emotional well being of students.
“That’s almost another position,” Echelbarger said.
The Northwestern team said with the addition of three seals and three plus options, along with the base diploma, they will have to track seven different categories of students. That’s quite the uptick compared to the Core 40 and its honors options.
Though it’ll be more work, counselors see opportunities for student involvement.
“They will also have to be involved in the planning process,” Hardin said. “I think there’s more accountability with students,” Nelson added.
Freshman year under the new diploma model is not expected to look different for students, according to the educators the Tribune spoke to for this story. It’s the later high school years that remain unclear.
Glaze said they’ll probably add classes for workbound students. He expects more students to opt for the employment route versus college.
That certain classes won’t be required across the board raises questions about staffing levels, too.
“There is a fear out there that we need fewer people at the high school level,” Glaze said.
More information from the state about various aspects of the new diploma is expected in the first half of 2025.
© 2025 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.