STATEWIDE (NETWORK INDIANA) — Starting next year, public schools in Indiana will be able to begin offering up the state’s reworked plan for high school diplomas. The changes were unanimously passed by the Indiana Department of Education last week and now head to Attorney General Todd Rokita‘s desk for final sign-off. The goal of the new regulations, according to IDOE, are to address students’ readiness to join the workforce, but also to help them be better prepared to make the jump to college. Starting next academic year, schools can choose to require their high schoolers to earn 42 credits, which is two more than needed now to graduate. However, these credits will be more targeted towards a student’s chosen career path through what are called ‘seals’. This new system is getting mixed reviews from state lawmakers. “These seals mean a great deal to high school graduates in Indiana,” said State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D-Fishers). “But, I can’t stress enough how these seals, don’t mean much to those students who are pursuing opportunities outside of the state.” Wilburn said the final diploma model is a compromise as many public post-secondary institutions did not like the previous version, saying that the requirements would not be enough to attain enrollment. With the revised version, nearly all public colleges and universities in Indiana now support this new diploma. Still, Garcia Wilburn tells WISH-TV that it has its drawbacks. “It does not give enough time for school corporations to recruit additional school counselors,” Garcia Wilburn said. “Unfortunately, in our state, we have one of the worst ratios of students to counselors. It’s about 649 students to every one academic counselor.” “Indiana’s high school diploma redesign is a significant step toward ensuring students graduate prepared for a rapidly evolving world and workforce,” State Rep. Michelle Davis (R-Whitestown) said. “By emphasizing flexibility, academic rigor, and real-world experience, these updates reaffirm our commitment to investing in Hoosier students’ development and future success.” The new diplomas also place a greater emphasis on opportunities for apprenticeships, internships, and other formers of work while also getting high school or college credit on the job. The plan is set to be fully implemented at all state high schools by the 2028-2029 academic year. The post High school diploma changes await AG Rokita’s approval appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM.