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Western Boone board reviews course, diploma and accountability changes tied to new state rules
Summary
At the March 9 meeting, district administrators outlined how a newly adopted state accountability model and diploma seal requirements will alter course offerings and grading calculations, and said more guidance is needed on work‑based learning hours and freshman credit recovery.
Western Boone County Community School District administrators reviewed a suite of course and diploma changes March 9 after the state finalized a new accountability framework last week.
District administrator Mr. Miller told the board the state approved a new scoring model that treats this year as a baseline or “zero year,” where an 85 will equate to an A for the baseline year while the system transitions later to a 90/80/70/60 scale. He said the model calculates a school’s grade from a base score plus bonus components such as attendance, academic growth and credential attainment.
The district is adjusting local courses to meet the Indiana College Core and new diploma requirements, Miller said. Among the changes: ninth‑grade physical education will be offered in eighth grade to award credits earlier; personal finance is now required for the current freshman cohort; and a new computing course, “Computing Foundations for a Digital Age,” will be required before graduation.
On work‑based learning — a required element for several diploma seals — Miller said the state has not yet provided full implementation guidance. “We are devoting more time and energy to figuring out how we’re going to do the work‑based learning,” he said, adding the district will scale offerings at the building level as staff capacity allows.
Board members pressed administrators about operational details: whether math teachers can deliver personal finance (Miller said math staff can teach that course) and whether summer or credit‑recovery coursework can count toward freshman‑year credits for on‑track calculations (state guidance on the cutoff date was not yet available). Miller said administrators will seek clarification at a principals’ webinar scheduled for the next day.
Administrators also emphasized attendance thresholds incorporated in the scoring model (students present 170 days receive credit for an attendance bonus) and noted ILEARN proficiency and growth measures remain major drivers of the base score. The district will publish building letter grades on its website as required.
Why it matters: The changes shift how the community will see school performance and how counselors and schedulers must arrange courses so students can meet diploma and credit requirements. District leaders said they will return with implementation details on work‑based learning and any state clarifications about summer credit recovery.
What’s next: Administrators said they will continue planning, follow the March principals’ webinar for state clarifications, and bring final scheduling and staffing plans to the board as they firm up.
