Indiana Department of Education proposes changes to diplomas

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A Hamilton County lawmaker is worried a proposed redesign of Indiana’s high school diploma requirements is lacking in important subject areas.

The Indiana Department of Education unveiled plans to revise the current requirements so they include more work-based learning opportunities.

Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D-Fishers) said language, health education, and world history requirements would be removed.

“I’m concerned that my Hoosier graduates wouldn’t be able to receive acceptance into Indiana University or Purdue [University],” Garcia Wilburn said. “Two universities that attract students from all over the globe.”

State Education Secretary Dr. Katie Jenner said the current diploma requirements are outdated. Jenner says the new proposal gives students the option to choose a path that emphasizes vocational or educational skills.

The Indiana Department of Education held a series of hearings this summer to rollout the proposed changes. Another meeting is scheduled for Tuesday July 30, at 10 a.m., where parents can weigh in with their concerns.

The state has until December to adopt the new diploma requirements under a bill passed by the state legislature in 2023 , which Garcia Wilburn voted against.

“The emphasis of the bill was to quote reimagine high school,” Garcia Wilburn said. “I believed at the time that we already had significant structures in place in partnerships with our community colleges that would really allow those students that desired a more vocational pathway to pursue that.”

Garcia Wilburn is holding a listening session for her constituents at the Hamilton-East Library on Monday July 29 at 6:30 p.m.

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