State of Indiana looks to 'personalize' diplomas as some question motives, lost classes

After hearing from concerned parents and educators that a proposed overhaul of high school diplomas placed too much emphasis on work after graduation, state education leaders Wednesday suggested a potential fix to help college-bound seniors.

The Indiana Department of Education has proposed seals that students could earn on top of their diplomas. The seals would show that the graduate is ready to enroll in higher education, ready for employment or ready to enlist in the armed services.

Students could earn multiple seals and the three seals will personalize students' journeys through high school, state education officials say.

State addresses feedback as critics remain

“As we have worked to consider additional solution ideas, one area of feedback that we have consistently heard is the importance of ensuring students have the opportunity to personalize their experience in alignment with their unique goals," said Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner in a statement.

State education leaders will announce what courses are needed to earn each seal during July’s state board of education meeting.

Read more about the diploma changes: Students may soon choose from 2 instead of 4 diplomas as state revamps high school

Initially the IDOE proposed streamlining the state’s current four diploma options down to two, dubbed the Indiana GPS (Graduates Prepared to Succeed) Diploma and Indiana GPS Diploma Plus. The new diplomas would go into effect for all students starting with the class of 2029 and reflect state leaders' push in recent years to emphasize career-centered education and boost the state’s declining college-going rate.

Both proposed diplomas require students to take foundational knowledge courses in ninth and tenth grades while leaving eleventh and twelfth grades for a more personalized experience.

Multiple speakers at Wednesday’s meeting said they worried that the new diploma options put too much emphasis on work and not enough on preparing students to be well-rounded critical thinkers.

“My fear is that these proposed changes will allow us to leave our students only as future employees and worker bees, and that this rethinking of high school is more about meeting the needs of wealthy business owners than it is about doing what’s best for our kids,” said Kim Patterson, a seventh-grade teacher at the East Howard School Corporation.

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World history, languages and arts education not required

Other educators point out that under the proposed diplomas, humanities classes such as world languages, world history classes and fine arts classes are no longer required.

Benjamin Tomell, a German teacher at Northrop High School in Fort Wayne, told board members that not keeping world language courses as a base requirement will prevent Hoosier students from becoming prepared global citizens.

“I frequently hear the criticism that one will never need German, however, in an increasingly connected world, knowing another language only opens doors,” Tomell said.

Rural and small school districts may have trouble offering students opportunities to fulfill the new work-based learning requirements because they lack available resources or businesses in their communities, said Jennifer Smith-Margraf, vice president of the Indiana State Teachers Association.

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Next steps and how to submit feedback to Indiana leaders

State leaders are continuing to encourage parents, students and other educational stakeholders to submit feedback about the proposed diplomas on their online form.

The IDOE said around 4,500 people, mostly parent and other family members and educators, have submitted online feedback since the form opened in March.

After Wednesday’s meeting, Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said that she has no desire to make it more difficult for Indiana students to attend college.

“I will not bring this, as the chair of the state board of education, to a vote unless we can ensure that students will be very competitive and be able to get into enrollment, be more prepared than they are today for whatever their next step might be,” Jenner said.

The state board of education is expected to take a final vote on the new diplomas in September.

Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @CarolineB_Indy.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana considers diploma seals to show grads are college or job ready