Board approves applying for nonstandard waiver to allow photography, other courses to meet digital foundations requirement

The MSD Steuben County Board of Trustees voted 7–0 on May 20 to authorize district staff to apply for a nonstandard course waiver from the Indiana Department of Education that would let alternative courses satisfy the new graduation requirement called digital foundations for the class of 2029.

Administrators explained that the new graduation requirement requires a digital foundations (computer science) course, and the district is seeking alternatives for students who could meet that requirement through other courses. The presenter said photography teacher Pam Metcalfe reviewed the digital foundations syllabus and determined she covers the required material in her photography class; the district will submit the documentation to the state seeking approval. “Pam Metcalfe is our photography teacher, and she read through what's required in that, digital foundations course and said, I do all of this in my photography class,” the presenter said.

The presenter also said several Trine University dual‑credit courses were proposed as crosswalks for the requirement; the Department of Education will review syllabi and course descriptions and determine whether to approve each waiver. If approved, the waiver would let students take the named alternative courses to fulfill the graduation requirement.

Board members authorized the waiver application and asked staff to proceed. The presenter said district staff plan to offer the new digital foundations course but want additional options so students are not locked into a single pathway.