The Indiana State Board of Education adopts course and credit requirements for earning a high school diploma. Current course and credit requirements went into effect for students who entered high school in the fall of 2012 (Class of 2016). Students have the option of earning an Indiana Diploma with the following designation(s):
- General;
- Core 40;
- Core 40 with Academic Honors (AHD); or
- Core 40 with Technical Honors (THD).
- Alternate Diploma
Graduation Pathways are required starting with the class of 2023.
Course & Credit Requirements
- Indiana Diploma with Core 40 and Honors Designation Requirements
- Indiana Diploma with Core 40 and Honors Designation Requirements - SPANISH
- Indiana Diploma with General Designation Requirements
- Indiana Diploma with General Designation Requirements - SPANISH
- Opt-out Provision; Opt-out Provision in Spanish
The Indiana General Assembly made completion of the Indiana Diploma with Core 40 designation a requirement for all students beginning with those who entered high school in the fall of 2007. The law includes an opt-out provision for parents who determine their students could benefit more from the Indiana Diploma with General Designation. The legislation also made Core 40 a minimum college admission requirement for the state’s public four-year universities beginning in the fall of 2011.
High schools must offer students the opportunity to earn any diploma designation approved by the State Board of Education and cannot require students with a disability to complete locally-required credits that exceed state credit requirements to earn a diploma, unless otherwise required as part of the student’s Individual Education Program (IEP). More information can be found here.
Resources
- State Approved Industry Certifications for Accountability, Honors Diplomas
- State Approved Industry Certifications for Work Readiness Waiver
- Indiana’s Academic Standards
- Core 40 General Information
- American Diploma Project
Graduation Pathways
Students in the 2023 and beyond must complete Graduation Pathways.
Note: there is a waiver option for the postsecondary readiness competency requirement for the graduation pathways but the other two components (diploma requirements and employability skills) would still have to be met.
Resources
- Graduation Pathways
- Graduation Pathways Checklist: Perkins V | Next Level Programs of Study (NLPS)
- Indiana Academic Standards
Alternate Diploma
The alternate diploma is a standards-based diploma available to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, pursuant to Indiana Administrative Code (IAC) 7-32-93.5, who participate in the state’s alternate assessment (I AM) and meet the criteria set forth in 511 IAC 6-7.1-10. The alternate diploma may not be awarded to any students aside from those identified as meeting the criteria outlined in 511 IAC 7-32-93.5 and for whom a case conference committee has determined the alternate diploma is appropriate.