Navigating the Indiana High School Diploma: A Guide to Graduation Requirements and Readiness Seals

Indiana has implemented significant changes to its high school diploma requirements, aiming to provide students with a more flexible and personalized learning experience. These changes are designed to ensure that all students graduate with the skills and experiences necessary for success in today’s rapidly evolving world. The new system, set to fully take effect by the 2028-29 school year, introduces readiness seals and honors seals to enhance students’ qualifications and readiness for post-secondary opportunities. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the new Indiana high school diploma requirements, including the different types of diplomas, readiness seals, and the implications for students and educators.

Introduction to the New Indiana Diploma Requirements

Indiana now requires high school students to complete 42 credits to graduate, with new options like readiness seals for college, job, or military preparation, in line with the New Indiana Diploma Requirements. The new Indiana high school diploma requirements represent a significant shift in how students are prepared for their futures.

These changes are designed to ensure that all students graduate not only with a diploma but with the skills and experiences necessary for success in today’s rapidly evolving world. The new diploma offers students a more flexible and personalized learning experience, with an emphasis on real-world skills and opportunities.

Key Features of the New Diploma System

The updated diploma system replaces the existing options (Core 40, Academic Honors, Technical Honors, etc.) with a more flexible, personalized approach. High school students will continue to follow the existing diploma and Graduation Pathways requirements. They can earn an Indiana Diploma with Core 40, Academic Honors, Technical Honors, or General designation.

Base Diploma: The new system features a base diploma with minimum requirements for all students. The new Indiana high school diploma requirements mandate a total of 42 credits.
Readiness Seals: Students can earn various "readiness seals" that align with their post-graduation enrollment goals in higher education, employment, or enlistment in military service.
Honors Seals: Students can earn either the Honors Seal or the Honors Plus Seal for honors recognition.
Flexibility: These readiness seals are designed to be flexible, allowing students to update their graduation plan throughout high school if their interests or goals change.
Enhanced Seals: Students can pursue enhanced "plus" seals, including credentials like completing the Indiana College Core or more than 100 hours of work-based learning.
Graduation Pathways: Graduation pathways must be completed if a student does not earn a readiness seal.

These changes represent what Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner describes as the most significant update to diplomas in approximately 40 years.

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Implementation Timeline

The new requirements will take effect statewide with the class of 2029, though local districts can adopt them earlier. The new diploma system will be required for students entering high school in the fall of 2028 (Class of 2029) and beyond. The finalized diploma requirements and related resources should be ready by the end of the current year.

Understanding Readiness Seals

One of the most notable aspects of these changes is the introduction of readiness seals. Readiness seals enhance students’ qualifications by formally recognizing their achievements in relation to post-secondary education, employment, or military service. It's important to note that earning at least one readiness seal will automatically fulfill a student's Graduation Pathways requirements. The pathways lead either to enrollment in college, employment, or enlistment in the military.

Types of Readiness Seals

There are three main types of readiness seals: the Enrollment Seal, Employment Seal, and Enlistment Seal, each with specific requirements.

Enrollment Seal

The Enrollment Seal is designed to help students meet the minimum admission requirements for state universities. This seal can be earned without the need to complete the 75 hours of work experience typically required for other seals. This seal is particularly beneficial for students aiming for enrollment in state universities, as it provides a clear pathway to meeting admission standards.

Employment Seal

To earn the Employment Seal, students must complete a minimum of 75 hours of work-based learning in addition to meeting the criteria for the Honors Seal. The Honors Plus Seal also requires students to complete at least 75 hours of work-based learning. This seal emphasizes the importance of work-based learning experiences and skill development, preparing students for successful careers in various industries.

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Enlistment Seal

The Enlistment Seal is designed to recognize students who meet specific criteria necessary for military enlistment. This seal was developed in collaboration with the Indiana National Guard, military personnel, and public safety officials. The Enlistment Seal signifies students’ commitment to military enlistment and service. State officials are expected to develop the requirements of this seal in consultation with the Indiana National Guard.

Demonstrations of Employability Skills

Demonstrations of employability skills include experiences that enable students to apply essential academic, technical, and professional skills and find engagement and relevancy in their academic careers. Through a Project-based, Service-based, or Work-based learning experience, students must demonstrate the Department of Workforce Development’s Employability Skills Benchmarks (or similar character development benchmarks).

Project-Based Learning Experience

Project-based learning allows students to gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge. The project is framed by a meaningful problem to solve or a question to answer, at the appropriate level of challenge. Students engage in a rigorous, extended process of asking questions, finding resources, and applying information. Students often make their project work public by explaining, displaying and/or presenting it to people beyond the classroom.

Service-Based Learning Experience

Service-based learning integrates meaningful service to enrich and apply academic knowledge, teach civic and personal responsibility (and other employability skills), and strengthen communities. SBL can be classified by three core indicators:

Integrating academic study with service experience.
Reflecting larger social, economic, and societal issues.
Collaborative efforts between students, schools, and community partners.

Work-Based Learning Experience

Work-based learning (WBL) is a strategy to reinforce academic, technical, and social skills learned in the classroom through collaborative activities with employer partners. Work-based learning experiences allow students to apply classroom theories to practical problems, to explore career options, and pursue personal and professional goals. WBL includes activities that occur in workplaces and involve an employer assigning a student meaningful job tasks to develop his or her skills, knowledge, and readiness for work. It supports entry or advancement in any particular career field and can serve as the culminating course or event in a student’s chosen career pathway. Through WBL, students have the opportunity to apply the concepts, skills, and dispositions learned in previous coursework in real world business or industry settings.

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Honors Seals: Recognizing Academic Excellence

Honors seals play a crucial role in recognizing students’ achievements and preparing them for post-secondary opportunities. Earning honors seals is a testament to a student’s hard work and commitment to excellence. Students can earn either the Honors Seal or the Honors Plus Seal for honors recognition.

Honors Seal

The Honors Seal is a designation awarded to recognize students’ achievements in academics and readiness for post-secondary opportunities. Students must maintain a cumulative B average to earn the Honors Enrollment Seal. Additionally, they need to complete at least four world language credits.

Honors Plus Seal

The Honors Plus Seal is designed to further prepare students for post-secondary opportunities. To qualify for this seal, students must demonstrate skills in communication and collaboration. Students can also qualify for the Honors Plus Enlistment Seal by enrolling in collegiate-level ROTC programs or gaining acceptance to Service Academy.

For the Honors Employment Seal, students are required to complete 150 work hours, an increase from the previous requirement of 100 hours. There are also additional pathways for students to earn the Honors Employment Seal, including through locally approved graduation pathways. Students wishing to earn the Honors Plus Employment seal still need 650 hours of work experience in an apprenticeship or other opportunity related to their intended career path.

Core Requirements and Electives

The new Indiana high school diploma requirements mandate a total of 42 credits. No changes were made to the core credits students will be required to earn, despite lingering concerns from educators that foreign language, fine arts, and world history have been de-emphasized compared to the current graduation requirements.

Personalized Electives

Rather than requiring five credits of directed electives that include fine arts, world language, and career technical education, the new diploma will require students to earn 12 personalized electives, encouraging them to align those courses to their readiness seals. Education officials have pointed out that Indiana does not currently require world language courses other than for students earning the Academic Honors diploma. Students wishing to earn the new Honors Enrollment seal will still have to complete four world language credits.

For fine arts, Jenner said she would encourage districts to consider creating local graduation pathways that emphasize performing arts. She also said students may use fine arts in the updated requirements to demonstrate communication, work ethic, or other skills.

Support and Feedback

The new diploma requirements were developed with considerable input from the Indiana School Counselor Association, the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, and other key educational groups. Support for the new diploma plan has been widespread among higher education institutions. Universities, state education groups, and superintendents have expressed their approval, recognizing the potential benefits for students’ futures.

The Indiana State Board of Education is open to further public comment to refine the proposed changes based on stakeholder input. Educational groups, including the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, Association of School Principals, and the Indiana School Counselor Association, have also expressed strong support.

Additional Changes and Considerations

Several key changes and considerations have been incorporated into the final draft of the new diploma requirements:

Requiring 75 hours of work experience for students who want to earn the Honors Plus Enrollment seal, rather than 100 hours. This change was made because the state’s CTE requirements are in 75-hour increments.
No longer requiring college-bound students to pass the exams related to their Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or Cambridge courses.
Additional ways that students can earn the Honors Employment seal, including through a locally approved graduation pathway, or through a work opportunity paid for through Career Scholarship Accounts.
Additional ways that students can earn the Honors Plus Enlistment seal, including acceptance to a service academy, or enrolling in collegiate-level ROTC.
The graduation requirements also now specify that students can pivot between enrollment, employment, and enlistment pathways as needed. Students who wish to graduate early must also complete a seal.

Core 40 Diploma

To earn a high school diploma, students must complete a minimum of 40 credits for a Core 40 diploma and meet all of the graduation requirements. Students must also take a math or quantitative reasoning course each year in high school. The completion of Core 40 is an Indiana graduation requirement. Courses with a “Pass/Fail” grade cannot be counted as classes for athletic eligibility. They cannot count toward the graduation requirements for a Core 40 diploma. Indiana’s Core 40 curriculum provides the academic foundation all students need to succeed in college and the workforce. Students must complete a Core 40 diploma to be considered for regular admission to Indiana public colleges offering bachelor’s (4 year) degrees.

The Indiana General Assembly made completion of the Indiana Diploma with Core 40 designation a requirement for all students beginning with those who entered high school in the fall of 2007. The law includes an opt-out provision for parents who determine their students could benefit more from the Indiana Diploma with General Designation. The legislation also made Core 40 a minimum college admission requirement for the state’s public four-year universities beginning in the fall of 2011.

High schools must offer students the opportunity to earn any diploma designation approved by the State Board of Education and cannot require students with a disability to complete locally-required credits that exceed state credit requirements to earn a diploma, unless otherwise required as part of the student’s Individual Education Program (IEP).

Alternate Diploma

The alternate diploma is a standards-based diploma available to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, pursuant to Indiana Administrative Code (IAC) 7-32-93.5, who participate in the state’s alternate assessment (I AM) and meet the criteria set forth in 511 IAC 6-7.1-10.

Graduation Pathways

Graduation Pathways are required starting with the class of 2023. Students in the 2023 and beyond must complete Graduation Pathways. Note: there is a waiver option for the postsecondary readiness competency requirement for the graduation pathways but the other two components (diploma requirements and employability skills) would still have to be met.

The Path Forward

After approval from the State Board of Education, the new graduation requirements will require a 45-day review period by the Attorney General. The final draft of the plan earned support from a long list of organizations and universities, including the groups representing Indiana teachers, principals, superintendents, and school boards.

The new diploma rules now need signatures from Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and either Gov. Eric Holcomb or Mike Braun, the governor-elect, once he takes office next month. By early next year, education officials also have plans to roll out lists of courses, work-based learning opportunities, and credentials that students could use to meet the requirements. Jenner said the department will also seek during the next legislative session to align school funding with the new seals, so that schools will be incentivized to help students earn a seal.

Later, the department intends to seek proposals to develop a counseling tool to help students choose a pathway and measure their progress through it. Education officials also said they’ll seek flexibility on who can teach high school and college courses, as well as a new accountability system aligned to the diploma requirements.

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