More changes in store for Indiana high schools but worries remain

INDIANAPOLIS (MIRROR INDY) — Aaron Burckhart, an Indianapolis high school band director, knows his classes teach more than music.

He thinks of the student he had for seven years between middle and high school who struggled in reading and math but kept coming to school because of the opportunity to participate in jazz and marching band.

Or the other student who secured their desired spot in a college program after Burckhart made a positive recommendation.  

“One of my great privileges as a high school band director is the opportunity I have to build positive, professional relationships with my students,” Burckhart told state officials this week. “It is through these relationships developed over years that I have had the most impact as an educator.”

But, as Indiana officials increasingly set their sights on increased workforce exposure, it’s these types of experiences that Burckhart and other educators fear could be on the chopping block as state education officials discuss sweeping changes to Indiana’s high school diplomas.

The goals of the proposed changes are to create flexibility for students to pursue and earn credit for work or internship opportunities outside of school. But Burckhart and other educators worry that the state’s thirst for more trained workers will create scheduling challenges and come at the cost of elective classes that schools would no longer be required to offer. 

‘Rethinking high school’

State officials first presented their vision for redesigned diplomas in March after state lawmakers tasked them with “rethinking high school” last year. Their proposal would eliminate the current Core 40 structure and replace it with two alternative diplomas characterized by a structured course schedule in students’ first two years of high school followed by more flexibility in their junior and senior years to pursue internships and apprenticeships.

Officials say schools could choose to adopt the new diplomas as early as the 2025-26 school year. They would not be required until spring 2029. 

The original proposal — which state officials stress is a first draft to build conversation around — has been critiqued by educators and parents for not creating a clear pathway for college-bound students in an effort to elevate work-based learning opportunities.

Some educators say it also fails to create enough time for, and even eliminates some existing requirements for, classes such as world history, foreign language and music education — all classes educators say teach employability skills such as communication, adaptability, teamwork and open-mindedness.

“In our school alone, there are over 50 countries and languages represented,” Jill Thrasher-Reid, a French teacher at North Central High School, told state officials this week. “We do not live in a monolingual or monocultural society, and that is a civics lesson that cannot be ignored.”

New idea for diplomas: optional seals

State officials tried to address the first concern with a new concept introduced during the Indiana State Board of Education’s June 5 meeting. In addition to earning their Indiana GPS or Indiana GPS Plus diplomas, according to education officials’ proposal, students could pursue an optional seal that signals to admissions counselors or employers their readiness for college or careers after high school.

The seal would appear on students’ transcripts and could be stacked with others as students customize their education. Each would carry a different focus with Enrollment Ready, Employment Ready and Enlistment Ready designations available.

State officials say the seal program would provide a more structured framework for students within the more flexible diploma design. Though, they did not specify the steps students would need to take to earn a seal during their board presentation this week.

Multiple state board members, echoed by hours of public comment, called for more specificity in these plans. Some outright rejected the proposal calling for the state to stick with or rework its current Core 40 Honors diploma which appeals to college-bound students.

“We have to have a defined roadmap of courses so we all can get comfortable with this,” said Pat Mapes, a state board member and superintendent of Hamilton Southeastern schools, during the meeting. “I think it’s rest assured to make certain that people understand that all of a sudden a whole bunch of courses aren’t going to go away. They’re going to be aligned to where kids want to go.”

How you can share your opinion

State officials said they plan to further develop the seal concept with representatives of fields related to each pathway. Education officials would seek input, for example, from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to refine its Enrollment Ready Seal and from the Indiana National Guard for its Enlistment Ready Seal.

After the meeting, Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner told Mirror Indy she believes students could work toward earning their seals through a combination of completed classes, standardized test scores or leadership experiences.

She added that other concerns, such as credit for foreign language, are being discussed and are likely to come up during the State Board of Education’s next meeting in July. 

New feedback, such as music education, could also be addressed in July, officials said.

“In this phase, we genuinely want feedback on the plan,” Jenner said. “Nearly all of the feedback that we heard today, we’re hearing in other forms … we’re already working through solutions on those. We’ll come back in July, but just expect in July, we’ll have more work to do then as well.”

State officials say they plan to bring a second draft of their diploma proposal to the state board during the July meeting. Then, they will open up another round of public comment before compiling their final draft which is expected to move forward before the end of the year.

Education officials are seeking comment on their plan through an online web form available on the Indiana Department of Education website.

Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her at carley.lanich@mirrorindy.org or follow her on X @carleylanich.

A correction was made on June 7, 2024: An earlier version of this article misspelled teacher Aaron Burkhart’s name.