The public had their say on Indiana’s high school diplomas — here’s what comes next

Indiana is one step closer to a new set of diploma requirements for high school students. 

A 2023 law tasks the State Board of Education to adopt new rules by the end of the year. The changes are supposed to promote work-based learning and help high schoolers prepare for careers. 

But the latest draft of the proposed diploma rules is similar to current graduation requirements. It was released in August, after the Indiana Department of Education’s first draft drew wide backlash from teachers and universities.

A public comment period for the second draft officially closed Friday. 

Now, the education department can make changes based on the feedback.

The State Board of Education is expected to hold a final vote on the new design at the Dec. 11 meeting. Secretary of Education Katie Jenner has repeatedly said new diplomas will be adopted by the end of the year — a deadline that is written into state law. 

If the board approves the draft, schools can opt in to the requirements next school year. All high schools must implement the new rules for the class of 2029, students who will be freshman next school year. 

The latest version of new high school graduation requirements are similar to current rules. But there would only be one diploma type. Instead of earning diplomas like the honors or core 40, students would be able to earn seals.

Students can pursue diploma seals for going to college, getting a job or joining the military. The honors seal, for example, is for students who take advanced courses and want to enroll in higher education institutions.

The Indiana Department of Education’s first new draft of the diploma rules, released last spring, would have made drastic changes to how teenagers presently learn in the state. 

But Indiana walked back that draft following mounting pressure from educators, higher education leaders and the public. 

Purdue University President Mung Chiang was a critic of IDOE’s original draft. He said that model did not meet the school’s minimum admission standards. 

Chiang and other university leaders said the latest draft is closer to what’s needed to be prepared for college. 

Most of the changes appease educators, parents and even students who took issue with the first draft. Noticeably fewer people turned out to comment on the plan at a public hearing for the draft last week, compared to over the summer. 

But some parents and educators still have concerns about the plan. The Indiana State Teachers Association wrote in a recent public memo that the timeline is “too aggressive, not allowing districts adequate time to prepare and align their curricula, staff and resources.”

There will be two more opportunities to provide feedback on the diplomas although that feedback will not technically be considered for a formal revision. The state board meeting on Nov. 12 and Dec. 11. The board’s vote is expected at the December meeting. 

Rachel Fradette is the WFYI Statehouse education reporter. Contact Rachel at rfradette@wfyi.org.