State Board satisfied with new diploma, what you can expect next
Through poring over three different drafts, taking in hours of public feedback, and a bit of public shaming from the state’s universities, the Indiana State Board of Education adopts a new high school diploma.
The final draft of the new diploma is essentially the same as the second draft the Indiana Department of Education unveiled in August, which we unpacked in detail in our August 16 issue. This final iteration differs little from the second draft, with most of the changes being small adjustments to the seal requirements.
Next, the diploma now sits before Attorney General Todd Rokita (R), who has 45 days to sign off on the proposal. After that, the rule goes to the governor’s desk. With the current trajectory, the governor likely to sign the new diploma will be Governor-elect Mike Braun (R).
The passage of the final diploma before the state board this month concluded with a round of applause from all board members and others in the room. Board members enthused over the final draft – praising Secretary of Education Katie Jenner and the department for their work.
You may recall this is a contrast to how many board members were feeling earlier this summer, when a few publicly stated they weren’t sure they’d vote for the first iteration (and some we heard were even ready to bring forward their own proposals).
“This was really hard, messy, sometimes unpopular work, but where it landed is a really, really, really good place for kids,” admits board member B.J. Watts.
The road was bumpy to get to this point.
The board spent the better part of the summer collecting largely negative feedback on the first diploma draft from thousands of educators, parents, and students, who submitted their thoughts online and in person. The first draft was also unpopular among the state’s universities, with nearly all of Indiana’s public higher education institutions submitting letters opposing the first draft.
After the significant rework to the current iteration, all seven of the state’s public universities submitted letters of support for the final adoption of the new diploma.
Other organizations, including the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, the Indiana School Boards Association, the Indiana School Counselors Association, and the Indiana State Teachers Association, voice their support as well. Several employers around the state and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce drafted letters of support as well.
Looking back, Secretary Jenner tells your favorite education newsletter she doesn’t regret any part of the process of adopting the new diploma rule – though she admits she learned a lot, especially as a leader in the last year. She also recognizes that politics sometimes got mixed into the work at times.
“This year, we had multiple points where we were driving significant conversations during a gubernatorial election year, where we’ve had to navigate not only policy but also politics, but we had to get it done. There’s no time to waste, and we have to move the ball forward for students,” Dr. Jenner, who has told us on multiple occasions she tries to avoid the noise of politics in her work if she can, explains.
She continues, “I’m very glad where we are today, we made solid strides in multiple areas, and the momentum is such that it is only going to continue ahead into 2025 and beyond. So, I would not say I have any regrets, but I would say I have some learning moments that have made me better as a leader.”
As a refresh, high school students starting with the class of 2029 will earn the new base diploma, which mirrors the current Core 40 diploma, with a few changes to make it more flexible. Crucial to the new diploma is the focus on work-based learning and flexibility to allow students to choose their own path. This system comes in where students earn Honors Seals after completing a base diploma. These seals focus on college, workforce entry, or military enlistment – all of which we’ve broken down in detail in our August 16 issue and the October 11 issue.
Per the new diploma rule, any student who graduates early must complete an Honors or Honors Plus seal. The reasoning: Dr. Jenner explains they don’t want students speeding through high school and not finishing credentials, advanced classes, or an apprenticeship. “We want to make sure they leave with currency,” she says.
A couple of the key adjustments made from the second to final draft include adjusting some work-based learning hours requirements under the Enrollment Honors Plus Seal and the Employment Honors Seal to align the work-based learning experiences in 75-hour increments, based on feedback IDOE received from employers.
Additionally, IDOE includes some other options under the Honors Plus Enlistment Seal, requiring students to achieve either a 50 or higher on the ASVAB, enroll in ROTC at the collegiate level, or earn acceptance into a service academy, to complete that seal.
IDOE on its diploma two-pager adds a disclaimer of sorts at the top stating, “readiness seals are designed to be permeable, allowing students to update their graduation plan and pivot, if their original interests and goals change.” This was added to dispel misinformation that a 14-year-old freshman must pick one path and stick to it no matter what. This was a common concern when the new diploma was first presented, which prompted IDOE to put some clarification in writing.
The final diploma still does not explicitly require all students to take fine arts or foreign language classes, despite pushback from some students and teachers who argued such courses should be mandated for graduation. The Honors Enrollment Seal does require students to complete four foreign language credits to earn the seal, as requested by the state’s universities.
Of this decision, Dr. Jenner explains the new diploma options will provide students more flexibility to fit art and foreign language classes into their schedules if they so choose. There are also opportunities for students to use extra or co-curricular activities in the fine arts to count toward some seal requirements, such as demonstrating skills in communication, collaboration, and work ethic. She also encourages local officials to create pathways to work-based learning in the arts for students interested in that path.
So, the diploma rule passed, what’s next?
Early next year, IDOE will provide schools with guidance on, course lists, work-based learning, and credentials of value. Guidance for transportation logistics will also be provided.
Along with that, the department is working on building a landscape analysis of work-based learning best practices – pulling from schools around the state that already have programs in place. This would be shared with districts statewide to assist them in implementing work-based opportunities into their schools.
Developing an accountability system for the new diploma will take a little longer as the department and the board plan to build a new accountability framework next year for all schools. The new diploma structure will be folded into that new framework. The IDOE is collaborating with stakeholders and lawmakers to define how student performance and seal attainment will be measured. The General Assembly will also be involved in the process.
We’ve also already reported that the department plans to ask lawmakers to incentivize the diploma seals in the school funding formula.
Additionally, IDOE plans to develop an AI-powered advising tool to assist students in exploring their educational pathways. This tool would likely begin with a career aptitude test and then suggest courses and schedules to help students earn their diploma and specific seals for enrollment, employment, and enlistment.
Dr. Jenner posed this as a method to help parents and students who may need extra help in navigating the diploma pathways, and also lift some burdens off of school counselors.
Such a tool will require some financing and Dr. Jenner did not reveal if this would be included in her budget ask to lawmakers come January. She did say that the department is also looking at how it could reallocate some existing funds to help pay to build this tool. IDOE plans to send out an RFP to find a contractor to build the system.
Schools can start adopting the new diploma and seals as early as the 2025-26 school years. Schools that do choose to pilot early must require students receiving the new diploma to earn one of the seals.
What’s still unclear is how the state plans to pay for the extra costs predicted to come with implementing the new diploma. Expect to see some ask about this when IDOE appears before the House Committee on Ways and Means in January with its budget proposal.
The proposed rule changes will increase costs for schools as they expand work-based learning opportunities, estimated at about $1,697 per student. Costs will vary based on factors like school size and existing infrastructure. Additional expenses may arise from teacher credentialing and increased counseling needs. Schools might offset these costs through grants and Career Scholarship Accounts.
Administrative expenses at the state level are estimated at $500,000, with additional licensing costs of $25,000 per year and updates to the ED-Fi data standard model costing between $300,000 and $500,000. These changes aim to streamline data transmission and improve tracking of student progress.
Now that we have the updated revenue forecast – which projects small growth in fiscal year 2026, and almost flatlining in FY 2027 – it’s uncertain how much new money will be available for K-12, which already consumes about one-half of the state budget. Budget writers in the General Assembly are warning that many services the state pays for cost a lot more now, particularly Medicaid, which is projected to grow enormously in the next two years.
As a result, IDOE may have to look at how to reorganize its budget to pay for additional costs associated with diploma implementation, which Dr. Jenner has mentioned the department is currently planning for by focusing on funding effective programs and reallocating resources from less successful ones.
In terms of how lawmakers are reacting, the new diploma is earning high praise from Republican lawmakers and leaders.
House Committee on Education Chair Bob Behning (R) of Indianapolis and Senate Committee on Education and Career Development Chair Jeff Raatz (R) of Richmond, who both played a role in ushering forward the legislation to redesign the diploma, express to us their approval and excitement for the new graduation requirements.
“We had given the state board and the department and charge to come up with a redesign, and I believe that the direction they’ve gone is going to be in the best interest of students, and really will make high school more relevant to a lot more kids,” Rep. Behning asserts.
Meanwhile, some Democrats still aren’t satisfied. Recall House Democrats led a charge opposing the first diploma draft this summer and continued to question the logistics of implementing the new graduation requirements following the second draft.
Rep. Ed DeLaney (D) of Indianapolis made his feelings known to Dr. Jenner during IDOE’s budget presentation to the State Budget Committee on Monday. He questioned how much of a financial burden the new requirements will be on schools, and how IDOE plans to deal with shortages of counselors and teachers.
In her response, Dr. Jenner recognized some logistics of implementation, such as transportation and work-based learning requirements, all of which IDOE will present guidance. She also reiterated that the department plans to share best practices from around the state to help schools.
Rep. DeLaney then proceeded to criticize the State Board of Education, stating he believes they went too far in the diploma overhaul without seeking further approval from the General Assembly. He revealed he plans to propose legislation to require lawmakers to approve the new diploma before its implemented.
“We’ve passed about a 10-word item saying, look at our diplomas. There was a statewide controversy, and we’re not
being asked to approve of this,” Rep. DeLaney remarked. “I for one will be asking the General Assembly to look at this because we’re going to own it, we’re going to have to pay for it, and we didn’t create it.”
Discussion about the diploma continued between Rep. DeLaney and Dr. Jenner, getting a bit heated for a moment as the two disagreed. “I think the costs are going to be enormous. The school districts are worried about the costs. The parents are in a state of utter confusion,” Rep. DeLaney argues. “I think that the State Board of Education ran away with what could have been very simple task.”
“I 100% disagree with that,” Dr. Jenner responded. “As a state, we had – we had to think about how to make the four years of high school as valuable as possible for Indiana students. We had communities around the state who will provide incredible access for kids. So, I wholeheartedly we have to as much as we can support more access for experiential learning, credentials of value, and flexibility in coursework to get that done. I stand ready for the next four years to support implementation.”
This is likely not the last we’ll hear of the new diploma. Stay tuned as we continue to follow the beginnings of implementation into next year.