Administrators Concerned About Proposed Graduation Requirements
SYRACUSE — Five representatives from the Wawasee Community School Corporation were among more than 130 superintendents, principals, counselors and others attending a meeting Friday afternoon, Nov. 17, at Homestead High School in Allen County. The meeting was concerning a state panel’s recommendations for new pathways graduation requirements for high schools.
The discussion was led by Dr. Jennifer McCormick, state superintendent of public instruction, and two State Board of Education members Dr. Steve Yager and Cari Wicker.
Those requirements have been termed controversial by some and several school districts, including Wawasee, have expressed deep concerns about the proposed requirements. Attending from Wawasee were Dr. Tom Edington, superintendent; Kim Nguyen, Wawasee High School principal; Vince Beasley, assistant principal of WHS; James Flecker, director of personnel and legal services for the school district; and Kevin Taylor, guidance counselor at WHS.
The Graduation Pathways Panel, made up of 14 persons with only two practitioners from K-12 public schools, was established as a result of House Enrolled Act 1003. It was tasked to “establish graduation pathway recommendations that create an educated and talented workforce able not just to meet the needs of business and higher education, but able to succeed in all postsecondary endeavors.”
On Nov. 7, the panel released recommendations that include students should take the SAT, ACT or similar college entrance exam instead of end-of-course assessments. The recommendations also include three graduation pathway requirements, all of which must be met by students beginning with the graduation class of 2023. Those include a high school diploma, learn and demonstrate employability skills and postsecondary-ready competencies.
Dr. Edington noted the high school diploma requirement would mean the general diploma, in place for more than 100 years in public schools in Indiana, would be dropped and at least a Core 40 diploma would be required. A Core 40 diploma requires more math, English and science to graduate.
Edington noted Wawasee’s graduation rate, using 2017 figures, would have dropped from 90 percent to 67 percent if these new requirements would have been in place. “Some of our students pursuing a general diploma take more of the career and technical education courses we offer,” he said. “It is helping to prepare them for the world of work.”
He said he is concerned some of those students would not pursue a Core 40 diploma and could be more likely to drop out of school. “We want the general diploma to be available for some students, but not all of them,” he said, noting academics is still important.
Special needs students would no longer have a diploma that works for them and to “help keep those students on track to graduate,” Edington said.
He noted the new graduation requirements appear to be politically motivated and do not take into account the circumstances faced by smaller school districts. “There are folks in Indianapolis who want it all,” he said. “They want kids on a career track to also excel in academics. That is noble,” but does not take into account those students “on the edge” or with special needs and who may struggle with more academic oriented subjects. Giving them a skill to learn is an incentive for those students to stay in school, he noted.
Edington said Yager and Wicker were receptive to the concerns expressed. Yager, a retired superintendent, was one of the two men who conducted the climate audit last year for the Wawasee district. Wicker is a middle school teacher in Huntington.
“They (Yager and Wicker) reminded us the state board is appointed by the governor and the rest of the board is more likely in favor of the increased graduation requirements,” Edington said.
New graduation requirements would mean Wawasee’s curriculum would need to be restructured possibly as soon as next August. The State Board of Education plans to vote on the proposed requirements Wednesday, Dec. 6, and Edington plans to attend the meeting.