FARMERSBURG, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)— The Indiana State Board of Education announced Wednesday that they have unanimously approved the “final diploma rule”.
This new diploma is designed to maximize what students are getting out of their four-year high school experience to prepare them for future plans. According to a news release, Indiana leaders have spent the last year seeking out feedback through the state and learning from schools that have tried to blend the experiences of K-12, higher education, and the workforce. This built the foundation of a new diploma that they believe will remove barriers to students’ futures.
“We started this process by asking Hoosiers across the state, ‘how might we make the four years of high school as valuable as possible for students and better connect them to their unique future goals,’” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “Listening to and incorporating significant stakeholder feedback has absolutely led us to a better place from where we started in March to where we are today. This new high school diploma will allow increased flexibility for students to personalize their journey, as well as increase access to both work-based learning and credentials of value.”
The rulemaking process for this requires two drafts to be presented with a 30-day public comment period, which took place in March and August. During the first public comment period between March 27 and July 30, the Indiana Department of Education received more than 8,000 comments online and listened to hours of testimony from stakeholders trying to improve the Hoosier high school experience.
The second draft included the feedback received from the first opinion section and only received 1,300 comments, mostly focused on refining it. The final approved draft is centered on one diploma with minimum requirements and then the option for students to earn “readiness seals” to craft their own path. The three types of “readiness seals” are representative of whether a student plans on going to higher education, military enlistment, or joining the workforce. Each was also developed with help from the institutions that represent them such as the Indiana Commission for Higher Learning, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, and the Indiana National Guard.
Educators and parents are encouraged to submit questions and feedback regarding the implementation process here. The new diploma will now be reviewed by the Office of the Attorney General and will become law if they are signed by the governor. The current requirements will be valid up to 2028 and the new ones if signed would begin with the class of 2029 but schools can opt-in as early as the 2025-2026 school year.
