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District staff brief board on new Indiana diploma structure, work-based learning and seals
Summary
District presenters reviewed the state's new high-school diploma framework that takes effect for incoming freshmen next year: one base diploma with additional seals, new credit and work-based learning requirements, and changes to PE and career coursework requirements.
District staff briefed the board on upcoming changes to Indiana's high-school diploma structure that will take effect for incoming freshmen next school year.
A district presenter said the prior system offered four diplomas (general, Core 40, Academic Honors and Technical Honors) but the new framework creates a single base diploma with multiple seals. "Starting next year with our freshmen, there will be 7 different diplomas that kids can earn," the presenter said, describing a base diploma plus enrollment, employment and enlistment seals and "+" versions of those seals.
Presenters outlined several substantive changes described in the presentation: a shift from two required physical-education courses to one (the health requirement remains), the College and Careers class becoming a required course, a work-based learning requirement totaling 150 hours for some seals, and use of a software platform (Pathways) to track student experiences and work-based learning. One presenter said the honors-plus enrollment seal requires 75 hours of work-based or simulated work experience and that an honors-plus employment seal would require substantially more hours (the presenter referred to "650 hours" in the briefing).
Presenters also noted the diploma framework will include attendance goals for seals; the transcript recorded that the specific attendance threshold has not been defined by state officials, though presenters said districts anticipate the goal will be similar to current attendance targets (the presenter referenced 94% as a likely target).
District staff described steps the district is taking to align course offerings and tracking systems with the new requirements and said handouts were provided to the board comparing the old Core 40 and the new diploma requirements. The presentation was informational; the board did not take formal action at this meeting on local implementation steps.
Board members and staff said they expect follow-up questions as schools adapt curriculum and tracking for the new seals and work-based learning hours.
