THE NEW INDIANA
DIPLOMA:
AN OVERVIEW FOR MUSIC EDUCATORS his article is the first of three to be published in INform to investigate the proposed administrative rules regarding high school diplomas in Indiana. This first article summarizes the proposed “New Indiana Diploma” (as of August 14, 2024) and discusses ways to provide feedback. The second article will investigate the role of and impact on the arts within the New Indiana Diploma. The third article will discuss actions by music educators to maximize opportunities under the New Indiana Diploma, which is scheduled to be adopted by December 2024 and enacted no later than October 1, 2028 for the Class of 2029. A Brief Overview of the New Indiana Diploma Proposal Since 2018, Indiana high school students have selected between one of six diploma paths: General, Core 40, Academic Honors, Technical Honors, Graduation Pathways, and Alternative. From 2021 through 2024, Indiana legislators adopted a suite of bills that called for a radical reorganization of Indiana high school diplomas. Among other requirements, this legislation set two key mandates for the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), the Indiana State Board of Education (ISBE), and Superintendent of Schools Katie Jenner to (1) simplify diploma offerings and (2) focus on jobbased competencies. Proposals for this diploma redesign were first presented in March 2024 as the “GPS” and “GPS+” 12
Diploma proposals. Following a public comment period, this plan was dramatically reworked into the “New Indiana Diploma” (NID), which was publicly presented on August 14, 2024. The NID provides a base foundation for requirements toward high school graduation that largely maintains the same number of credits for each discipline from existing diplomas but provides additional flexibility for what coursework students may take to better meet their needs. This was coupled with the elimination of some specific required courses, such as Geometry and Economics. Importantly for the fine arts, a notable change is the elimination of 5 credits of Directed Electives for world languages, fine arts, or career and technical education courses. In its place, Personalized Electives have been increased from 6 to 12 credits, which can include (but are not required to include) fine arts coursework alongside any other courses which students choose to take to advance their personal educational goals. The NID also includes 3 “seals” that can be affixed to the base diploma: Enrollment, Employment, and Enlistment. Enrollment seal requirements closely resemble the current Honors diploma by including more rigorous and specific course requirements. Employment seal requirements include market driven credentials, 100 hours of work-based learning, and attendance goals. Enlistment seal requirements include participation in JROTC, completion of the ASVAB test, and attendance goals. Each of these seals can be enhanced with an A U T U M N 2024