IDOE releases new graduation proposal

Mar. 27—GOSHEN — By next school year, Indiana high schools may be entering into a period of drastic change.

"This isn't like a tweak of the system," said Concord Superintendent Dan Funston. "This is a complete overhaul for how we look at graduation requirements."

The Indiana Department of Education Wednesday presented during the state board meeting a proposal to streamline the number of high school diplomas, and further cement pathways as the future of Hoosier education.

"It's competency-based education — pathways, apprenticeships, to get you career ready," Goshen Community Schools Superintendent Jim DuBois said.

Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said in a press release issued Wednesday that stakeholders across the state have informed her that the current high school experience, remaining unchanged for 100 years, is not adequately preparing students for a future.

"In K-12 education, we have an incredible opportunity to help every student find their purpose, know their value, and understand the possibilities for their life's path," Jenner said. "This means allowing students the flexibility to experience work-based learning, increase their educational attainment by earning a credential, and personalize their journey to achieve their unique goals."

Last spring, Indiana was identified as one of four states selected to pilot a partnership between the Carnegie Foundation and ETS. The partnership is designed to transform education assessment in the U.S. through a robust, scalable suite of assessment and analytic tools that captures the full range of skills needed to succeed in K-12 and beyond, according to the IDOE's press release.

"In Elkhart County, we're the leaders in Indiana in modern youth apprenticeships," Funston said. He also said Concord has been heavily involved in the work to help develop the proposal.

"One of the things we are looking at is how can we create a high school schedule that creates opportunities for students to get involved in workplace experiences," he explained. "We're not just talking about electricians and plumbers. We're also talking about accountants and future doctors, future lawyers."

The first of potentially many states to implement the new plan, Indiana's proposal is aimed at aligning graduation requirements with currently available pathways by designing what is now being called Indiana Graduate Prepared to Succeed (Indiana GPS).

Indiana GPS will feature five characteristics of proven mastery for students. They are academic mastery; career and postsecondary readiness, communication and collaboration; work ethic; and civic, financial and digital literacy, which were determined by stakeholders across the state most essential.

The proposal outlines specific major themes outlined by stakeholders including a more learner-centric and relevant high school experience, a streamlined number of diplomas with flexibility to personalize experiences, increased focus on skills and competencies relevant to employers, applied math courses, prioritization of experiential and work-based learning and connect to market-driven careers.

"They're getting away from this idea of Carnegie Units for credits and moving more towards a competency-based model," Funston said. "If you can show competency, if you can show mastery, then maybe you don't have to sit in a classroom for as long. I think that the competency-based model is a good thing. We want to be ensured that when our kids graduate they have the knowledge they need to be successful."

Indiana GPS may add some courses and requirements while removing others, but as Wa-Nee Superintendent Scot Croner explained, there are a lot of unknowns when it comes to a brand new outline for education in the state.

"The state has a really poor history of continuing to tap into traditional public school funding for 'new' and unresearched initiatives," he said. "My fear is that a school like Wa-Nee, it's going to cost us the same amount to educate those kids and we'd have to do it with less. When the state keeps creating new approaches to education but doesn't increase the funding, it creates different hurdles. I commend them for their work. I think what they have drafted is good, it's a great start, now we need to dive in and make sure we have the details figured out before we roll it out."

At Goshen Community Schools, with a prolific robust business company and Horizon Education Alliance located in the city, Superintendent DuBois is excited about the potential opportunities.

"The fact that we are located in a city is a huge competitive advantage over districts that are smaller or aren't part of such a wonderful thriving business environment like Goshen," he said.

DuBois served as superintendent of Baugo Community Schools in Elkhart for years and understands the struggles of the smaller districts in the development of workplace initiatives, having started the district's pathway program during his tenure.

"I think it's great for kids," Croner added. "It provides greater flexibility to ensure that the high school experience is unique to their learning needs. The support from the state level, the support in partnership with school districts and private entities, we'll have to see how that rolls out."

An advocate of the program, Funston also admits that he's not entirely sure whole the whole thing will play out yet. With so many students potentially entering workplace or internship programs, Funston said he's got his concerns about placing all of them within the community. Still, Funston said it's worth it to try to figure it out.

"They made the point this morning (during the state board meeting) that the classroom is the best place to teach math and communication, but when it comes to soft skills — employability skills — there's no better place to learn them than in the real world. I really appreciate that the new requirements are going to acknowledge those things as important."

DuBois had been excited about the possibilities related to a new pathways-led graduation program. He and the team at the high school have been working to develop more pathways at Goshen since he originally accepted the position as interim superintendent last summer.

"I think with what we're doing, we're going to be ahead of the game with all these pathways," DuBois said.

Based on the current proposal, future diplomas would be divided into two potential categories: Indiana GPS Diploma Flex 40 and Indiana GPS Diploma Plus. Indiana will also continue to offer the federally required alternate diploma for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Courses for ninth and 10th graders will focus heavily on foundational courses and competencies, however, students would also need to complete a minimum of 20 additional courses and competencies, known as points, during grades 11 and 12. Points are a way to measure academic mastery and skill development, whether that learning occurs through credits or competency-based education. The idea would hopefully allow junior and senior schedules to have more flexibility and personalization in constructing a pathway that's relevant to their goals.

"A lot of it is the kids have flexibility," Funston said. "You have to take English 9 but after the English 9 course, you can earn your other English credits with speech or creative writing or other classes. It doesn't have to be English 10 and honestly, that makes sense for a kid. Kids have different pathways and different passions for what they want to do."

For both potential diplomas, upperclassmen would accumulate one point per credit for math, English, science, social studies, world language, fine arts, and electives, and at least two points must come from math and four from English, but there are plenty of other ways students could accumulate points outside of the traditional classroom, and it's expected that they get creative.

Work-based learning would offer 1 point for every 60 works, up to 2 points; dual credit and AP classes would offer one additional point per course; and SAT/ACT qualifying scores offer 3 points. JROTC or other military experience, credentials of value, CTE concentrators, and locally created pathways are all worth 4 points.

PUBLIC COMMENT

There will be two public comment periods before the adoption of the proposal, expected in late summer. The first public comment period will open later this spring, and the second will be in the summer. The IDOE noted that the public is welcome to provide feedback at any time, though, at https://tinyurl.com/3tdan6hh.

Indiana's current graduation requirements will sunset Oct. 1, 2028, making final requirements effective for all students beginning with the class of 2029, which is current seventh graders. Districts, however, may opt-in to the new graduation requirements as soon as the board makes its final ruling expected late this summer.

Option 1: Indiana GPS Diploma Flex 40

The first option is a simpler and more flexible option, catering to what the state identified as a more "personalized version of the current Core 40 diploma."

It will include required courses, employability skills, and readiness competencies, each broken down into a variety of possible ways to achieve.

In the proposal, the IDOE presents an example of a possible Flex 40 graduation plan for a student hoping to enter the plumbing trade.

For 11th and 12th grade, that pathway might include 4 points in English; 2 points each in Quantitative Reasoning, Critical Thinking and Argumentation, Debate, Technical Communication, and a plumbing internship; and 4 points for a Plumbing and Pipefitting CTE Concentrator including a principles class, fundamentals, advanced, and a capstone.

A student could also gear their degree toward marketing, still taking on the required math, and science language classes while aligning them with their passions by earning 2 points each in journalism, digital media, chemistry, physics, ceramics, three Spanish classes, algebra, pre-calc, and psychology; then do a one point internship in marketing to top it off.

Another student looking to enter the armed forces and become a combat medic could garner points while working toward that future. Maybe they'd get points accumulation with analytical algebra, biomedical science, human body systems, English 11, American Lit, and World History and Civilization, all worth 2 points based on the proposal, and top off standard classes with probability and statistics, and citizenship and civics, which are each one semester classes and worth one point each, then get 4 points from being in the JROTC and 2 more from National Guard Split Training.

All students would receive the 20 additional points necessary to earn a diploma with their customized education, helping them to lead very different futures.

Option 2: Indiana GPS Diploma Plus

Indiana GPS Diploma Plus creates a more targeted approach to the program, starting in the ninth grade, in order to further achievement outcomes.

While many of the classes will be the same ones students are already completing as lower classmen, there are some differences.

The GPS Plus will require 12 credits between English, math and science — and must include English Language Arts, Algebra I, Life Sciences, and Physical Science, but students will have flexibility in how they get the credits, be it AP, International Baccalaureate, dual credit, or traditional classroom.

Underclassmen must take a Preparing for College and Careers class and must also complete three of the following: career aptitude test, job shadowing or skills boot camp; attend at least one college or job fair; or take one dual-credit course.

Students must also achieve 4 credits in communication and collaboration like English classes, and must demonstrate four examples of competency mastery. Examples can be from coursework or school activities such as debate, FFA, or student council, while one must be from outside of school such as a scouting troop, youth group, or volunteering with a community organization.

Students working toward the Plus track would also be required to receive two credits proving work ethic. These can be achieved through a physical education course, health course, or certain co/extracurriculars; and must also exhibit three of the following competencies: 94% attendance, two seasons of a co-curricular, 3.0+ GPA cumulative at the end of grade 10, marked improved attendance, external and paid job, or some other external verification of competency.

From there, students also need five credits in Civic, Financial, and Digital Literacy. Required classes are U.S. History, Personal Finance, Computer Science, and Government, and then students must earn one additional credit by verification of competency such as being an election poll worker, serving as a statehouse page, entrepreneurship, developing a personal budget, DECA, being on a robotics team, or earning an IT certification.

Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at dani.messick@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2065.