New High School Diploma Requirements Ready for Next Round of Approvals

????????????????Earlier this summer, the Indiana Career Council met and heard an update on the draft plan for new high school diplomas, which would be set to begin in 2018. In order to simplify the process, the draft plan would change the current four diploma options – general, Core 40, Core 40 honors and technical honors – to three diploma options: college and career ready, honors and workforce ready. A good summary of the differences in the diplomas can be found at Chalkbeat.

The Indiana Chamber provided public comments to the plan earlier this year, which included items that we liked: an overall increase of core curriculum credits with a decreased emphasis on electives – including an increase of math, science and social studies credit requirements, a personal finance graduation requirement and a graduation capstone of a work-based learning experience. The Chamber did have some concerns and questions regarding: further descriptions and rigor of certain mathematics course requirements, and the absence of requirements in computer science/IT as well as a world language.

While the public comment period for the diplomas is now closed, the process to finalize this draft plan is far from over. The Commission for Higher Education passed a measure supporting the diplomas in August and it moved to the State Board of Education this month. It will then move to the General Assembly for debate in early 2016.