Evansville district offers eighth-grade high-school credit to help students plan for college and careers

Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp is offering the state-required "Preparing for college and careers" course for high-school credit to eighth graders, officials and staff said. The change follows new Indiana graduation requirements that apply beginning with the class of 2029 and is intended to give students more room in their high-school schedules for courses that match individual goals.

District staff said the course counts toward the graduation requirement and that, by earning the credit early, "students can free up space in high school for courses that match their individual goals," the Presenter said. A staff member added that "Preparing for college and careers is a required course for the class of 2029 and beyond," and described the eighth-grade offering as a way for students to learn more about their strengths and how those connect to later high-school choices.

A staff member who spoke about outreach and scheduling noted that students often begin signing up for high-school classes "by Christmas" of their eighth-grade year, and that classroom conversations — in addition to larger presentations — can help students notice options they otherwise might miss. "But they start signing up for high school classes by Christmas ... and a lot of them don't realize that," the staff member said.

Students who spoke during the visits said the earlier credit could reduce uncertainty about classes and careers. One student said the course would "help, like, to help kinda know what I'm gonna figure out what I do," and another said it would prevent arriving at high school "having no idea what's going on or no idea how everything's gonna work out."

Washington Middle School staff described piloting earlier exposure: "we have started an introduction into college and career [work] for our sixth and seventh graders to peak their engagements early on so that they're prepared for when they get to eighth grade," a Washington Middle School staff member said, stressing that the district is beginning preparation earlier than eighth grade at some schools.

District staff framed the approach as preparing students to connect classroom work with postsecondary options so that high-school programs become a "launchpad" for future success. There were no formal votes or policy actions recorded in these segments; staff described implementation and outreach rather than seeking board approval on camera.

Next steps noted by staff include continuing outreach to middle-school students and working with high-school programs to align offerings with the new state diploma requirements. The district did not provide a budget or timeline for broader expansion beyond the schools shown in these segments.