Local educators keeping eye on proposed graduation changes

As the Indiana Department of Education and state officials mull a change to high school diplomas in Indiana, local educators are keeping tabs on the proposal and preparing for a possible change. 

Recently, the IDOE unveiled a proposal which aims to streamline the number of high school diplomas, while giving students flexibility to personalize learning. 

The proposal would align current graduation pathways with five characteristics of an Indiana Graduate Prepared to Succeed (Indiana GPS), which include: academic mastery, career and postsecondary readiness, communication and collaboration, work ethic and civic, financial and digital literacy. 

Should the proposal be adopted, the state's diplomas would include: Indiana GPS Diploma (a more flexible, personalized version of the current Core 40 diploma) and the Indiana GPS Diploma Plus, which includes foundational courses, as well as additional coursework necessary to earn credential of value and work-based learning experiences. 

A student's freshman and sophomore years would be focused around foundational courses, while their junior and senior years would see more personalization for the student. 

Greencastle Superintendent Jeff Gibboney said his district is paying attention to the proposal. 

"Nothing has been formally approved yet by the INDOE. We are paying close attention and planning accordingly," Gibboney told The Putnam County Post. 

Cloverdale Community Schools is paying very close attention to what may shake out from the proposal, according to Cathy Ames, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, for Cloverdale Community Schools. 

"The proposed Indiana GPS and GPS+ diplomas mark a significant shift towards a more flexible and personalized approach to education, recognizing diverse student interests and career paths, but raise significant concerns about its practicality and long-term effectiveness," Ames told The Putnam County Post. 

Ames said the new diplomas may emphasize personalized learning and career readiness, but they also risk diverting attention from foundational academic skills that are essential for all students and required by colleges. 

"By prioritizing work based learning experiences and industry certifications, the GPS diploma may unintentionally devalue traditional academic subjects and undermine the broad education that high schools should provide," Ames said. 

Ames said Cloverdale understands what the IDOE is trying to do, but has reservations about how great it will help its students. 

"At Cloverdale, we understand that they are trying to create a relevant educational experience, but coming from a small, rural corporation, it will be difficult to find the resources or partnerships needed to offer some of these high quality work based opportunities to students that will now be required," Ames said.