Proposed high school diploma changes in Indiana raising concern among educators

New graduation requirements are due before the end of the year

 Indiana has to settle on its new graduation requirements before the end of the year.

In a law passed in 2023, it was decided that Indiana must change its future diploma tracks.

While educators in the state say its an improvement from the first draft, there are still concerns. 

The latest degree requirement proposal includes one base diploma.

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One difference between the current Core40 Indiana diploma and the proposed diploma is that it changes the required credit hours in certain subjects.

Students will also have the option to include an honors seal, and choose an emphasis in employment (workforce), enlistment (military) or education (college).

Depending on the specialty, students will have to complete additional classes, work-based learning credit hours or reach other benchmarks, like a certain score on the ACT or SAT.

"I am concerned because there is no general diploma track... I feel like my students, where would they fall? I feel like they're falling in the cracks if they can't reach that basic (proposed diploma)," said McCoy.

There is also concern about the base diploma being less rigorous than the current Core40 diploma.