Elkhart Community Schools explains new state diploma options, freshman scheduling and attendance rules

Elkhart Community Schools counselors outlined new state diploma options, the freshman block schedule and related requirements at an orientation for incoming ninth-graders, telling families the changes will affect how students earn credits and prepare for college, careers or military service.

Counselor Mrs. Alonich and Counselor Liz Yoder told families that the district will use an alternating block schedule with 80-minute class periods and a roughly 50-minute “impact” period for help or clubs. “If your student is using their time wisely in class and in that impact time, there won't be an overload of homework next year,” Mrs. Alonich said.

The presentation focused on new Indiana Department of Education diploma options that add voluntary “readiness seals” — enrollment (college), employment (workforce), and enlistment (military) — and an “honors” track and “honors plus” enhancements that bundle additional credits, work-based learning hours or credentials. Yoder summarized the change: “The readiness seals are what is very new about the diploma.”

Why it matters: The changes affect the class entering ninth grade this year by creating more flexible paths to graduation and new non-course requirements such as work-based learning hours, attendance thresholds and competency measures. Counselors said many core course requirements remain the same but that some additional credit definitions (for example, which science courses qualify) were still being finalized at the state level.

Key details from the orientation

- Schedule and daily structure: Students will follow a two-day alternating block schedule (blue/gold) with four 80-minute periods and an impact period each day. The school divides freshmen into five teams (about 750–800 students in the freshman building) to provide smaller learning communities. Impact time is intended for grade checks, makeup tests and targeted teacher help, and it can also host clubs and athletic meetings.

- Credits and diploma structure: The “back of the scheduling sheet” lists the 42 credits required for graduation that all students must complete; readiness seals are optional additions or alternatives to the graduation pathway requirement. Counselors said the state-provided guidance on which courses count toward some of the additional credits had not been finalized and that scheduling this year will focus on ninth-grade classes only.

- Readiness seals and pathways: The enrollment (college) seal requires additional world-language and social-studies credits and performance thresholds (including AP/dual-credit or test scores), while the employment seal emphasizes a credential of value, three career-technical courses and work-based learning (the counselor described a state expectation of 150 hours for some pathways). The enlistment seal refers to JROTC or similar preparation and an ASVAB score benchmark; counselors said a score of 31 on the ASVAB is a baseline for service eligibility and higher scores are required for honors-plus enlistment recognition.

- Honors and honors-plus options: Honors and honors-plus seals combine advanced-course or credential requirements (for example, college credits such as the Indiana College Core, AP credits, or an industry credential) and additional work-based learning hours; counselors said some details on how the state will document work-based learning and skills (communication, collaboration, work ethic) were still pending.

- Testing and readiness checks: All freshmen will take the PSAT next year (with subsequent PSAT and SAT administrations for sophomores and juniors), and the district will log required career-discovery meetings for juniors and seniors in ScholarTrack as part of state reporting.

- PE waiver and extracurricular credit: The district board adopted a PE waiver allowing students to earn the PE credit through approved activities such as marching band, ROTC or full-season participation in organized sports if the student completes the activity in good standing with coach or sponsor sign-off. Counselors noted marching band qualifies only if it is the marching component, not concert band.

- Attendance and registration: Counselors stressed attendance as a key requirement for some seals and pathways, noting the state discussion of an attendance target that most districts interpret as roughly 95% (the counselors said an illustrative attendance goal could be about four absences per year). Families were also told timely registration for next year matters for bus routing: routes will be determined based on who registers.

- Scheduling process and supports: Middle-school counselors will place students in core classes based on current course placement; families can request honors placement for English, biology or world history and should list alternate elective choices because some classes may not run. Counselors said about 70% of current students had already completed the state’s “box 2” project- or service-based requirement while in eighth grade and that the district will help students map four-year plans in coming years.

What remains unresolved

Counselors repeatedly noted the state had not finalized every element of the new diploma guidance: specific allowable courses for additional science credits, exact documentation procedures for work-based learning hours and how the state will operationalize the attendance goal. The district will continue sharing updates as the Department of Education issues guidance and said it will schedule follow-up meetings with families and students.

The school provided an activities fair and registration assistance at the event and said it would email the student presentation and links to course descriptions to students’ accounts.

Ending note: Counselors encouraged families to contact them with questions and emphasized staff support through the transition to high school, saying the district will help students build the four-year plans needed to meet diploma and pathway requirements.