The Indiana State Board of Education has decided to adopt new graduation requirements. These new requirements allow for students to have more flexibility and workforce components added to their schedules.
These updated requirements emphasize the students’ personal needs in order to achieve their career and give them the best path to take. They also allow for students to take classes that they are passionate about.
“This revamped diploma really does resemble Core 40 with some changes to the course requirements and the number of credits you have to take in core subjects,” Assistant Principal Joe Horvath said.
Some of the most notable changes in the new requirements include the requirement of only one credit for PE instead of two credits. Students will still need to get a certain amount of credits in core subjects but now have the opportunity to choose how to get those credits. For example, students will only be required to take English 9 but will still need eight credits in the English department in order to graduate.
If passed by Dec. 31, 2024, this proposal would affect the class of 2029 and the classes after. Not only will students be affected by the new requirements, but teachers and departments will too.
“You only have to do two years of world languages as opposed to three years of world languages,” Director of Secondary Education Brian Knight said. ”That third year of world language will definitely impact the world language department. A lot of people take that third for the Academic Honors diploma.”
There are three different types of diplomas for the new graduation requirements, including the Honors Seal diploma and the Honors Plus Seal diploma, and three different pathways, which include enrollment, employment and enlistment and service.
In order for students to achieve the Honors Seal, students must achieve six college credits and get a score of at least 1250 on the SAT or a 26 on the ACT. The Honor plus seal will require students to have at least 100 hours of work-based learning.
“So is it going to affect college admission? No, if they’re preparing for what they want to do after high school, which is college,” Director of Counseling Julie Fierce said.
