5460- GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
It is the policy of the School Board to acknowledge each student's successful completion of the instructional program appropriate to the achievement of School Corporation goals and objectives as well as personal proficiency by the awarding of a diploma at fitting graduation ceremonies.
The Superintendent is directed to provide each student in grade 12 and the parent of each student in grade 12 a notice regarding the existence of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and a description of the process, benefits, and requirements of completing the FAFSA. This notice also shall include approximate annual tuition costs of each State educational institution of higher education in Indiana and State scholarships, grants or other assistance available to students in Indiana. The Superintendent may use the model notice prepared by the Commission of Higher Education or develop a local notice containing the required information.
A graduation plan shall be developed, in consultation with the student's school counselor and after seeking consultation with each student's parents, by the time each student completes 8th grade. This plan will be part of each student's permanent student record and accessible to a parent of the student pursuant to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Each plan shall include:
- a statement of intent to graduate from high school;
- an acknowledgment of the importance of:
- good citizenship;
- school attendance; and
- diligent study habits;
- the subject and skill areas of interest to the student;
- the postsecondary goals of the student aligned with the graduation pathway requirements pursuant to State law;
- a program of study under the college/technology preparation curriculum adopted by the State Board under I.C. 20-30-10-2 for grades 10, 11, and 12 that meets the interests, aptitude, and postsecondary goals of the student;
- assurances that upon satisfactory fulfillment of the plan, the student:
- is entitled to graduate; and
- will have taken at least the minimum variety and number of courses necessary to gain admittance to a State educational institution;
- An indication of assessments that the student plans to take voluntarily during grade 10 through grade 12 and which may include any of the following:
- The SAT Reasoning Test;
- The ACT Test;
- Advanced placement exams;
- College readiness exams approved by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE);
- Workforce readiness exams approved by the Department of Workforce Development, established under I.C. 22-4.1-2; and
- Cambridge International examinations.
- For students graduating in 2029 and subsequent years, or others graduating in 2026, 2027, or 2028 who are pursuing the New Indiana Diploma, the student's in tent to pursue one or more diploma seals or an individualized plan that includes the courses and activities a student intends to complete that are aligned with their enrollment, employment, or enlistment goals after high school
The Board shall award a high school diploma to every student enrolled in this Corporation who meets the requirements of graduation established by this Board as provided by the State.
To earn a standard Indiana high school diploma, students in the graduating class of 2023, and each graduating class through 2028, must satisfy all three of the graduation pathway requirements established by the State. To be eligible to receive a diploma, a student shall: 1) meet the credit requirements of the State as provided by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) learn and demonstrate employability skills through one of three methods as defined by the IDOE. Students in the graduating class of 2029 and each graduating class thereafter must satisfy the graduation requirements for the New Indiana Diploma enumerated in 511 IAC 6-7.2.
Students enrolled in the Corporation shall have the opportunity to earn the standard Indiana high school diploma with any of the designations approved by the Indiana State Board of Education, and for those pursuing the New Indiana Diploma requirements, the opportunity to earn one (1) or more of the diploma seals.
The Corporation may award a standard Indiana high school diploma with a general designation, Core 40 designation, Core 40 with academic honors designation, or Core 40 with technical honors designation. Students pursuing the New Indiana Diploma requirements may earn the Enrollment Honors Seal, Employment Honors Seal, Enlistment Honors Seal, Enrollment Honors Plus Seal, Employment Honors Plus Seal, and/or the Enlistment Honors Plus Seal.
The Board shall issue a diploma for a deceased student at the request of a parent (as defined in I.C. 20-18-2-13) of the student if the student:
died while enrolled in grade 12 of a school in the Corporation; and
was eligible academically or on track to meet the requirements for the diploma at the time of death.
A student who is issued a diploma pursuant to this provision may not be considered a graduate for purposes of I.C. 20-26-13.
Students with disabilities who have completed and are ready to exit their programs may participate in graduation activities and shall be awarded, as appropriate,
- a diploma;
- an alternate diploma for students with significant cognitive disabilities;
- a certificate of achievement (I.C. 20-32-3); or
- a certificate of course completion.
The Corporation shall not require students with disabilities to complete locally required credits that exceed State credit requirements to receive a diploma unless otherwise required as part of the student’s individualized education program (IEP).
The Board shall award an alternate diploma to students with significant cognitive disabilities who meet the criteria established by the State Board. Not more than the greater of: A) one percent (1%) of the Corporation's graduation cohort that receives an alternate diploma; or B) three (3) students; may be counted as having graduated for purposes of determining the Corporation's graduation rate.
The Board shall award a certificate of achievement to a student who meets the criteria under I.C. 20-32-3, namely, who completes the minimum courses required for high school graduation but does not satisfy all three (3) of the Graduation Pathway Requirements, unless the student meets the criteria for waiver under State law, in which case the Board shall award a diploma to the student.
The Board shall award a certificate of completion to a student who is on a non-diploma track as determined by the student's case conference committee and indicated on the student's IEP if the student completes the requirements for the certificate of completion set by the case conference committee.
The Board shall award a high school equivalency certificate to any individual who meets the criteria established by State law.
Additional Requirements for Students with Disabilities
During the student’s annual case review held when a student with a disability is enrolled in 8thgrade, the case conference committee shall review and discuss with the student's parent (and the student, if appropriate):
the types of designations available for the high school diploma students may receive in the State of Indiana;
the course requirements for each type of designation; and
employment and career options for the student and the type of academic, technical, and vocational preparation necessary to achieve the employment or career.
The student's IEP must include the type of designation for the diploma the student will seek and courses that will allow the student to progress toward the diploma in a timely manner.
Beginning in grade 9 and in addition to the annual case review, the student's teacher of record shall communicate at least once each grading period with the student's parent concerning the student's progress toward diploma with the selected designation. If the parent requests a meeting with the teacher of record to discuss the student's progress, the teacher must meet with the parent in a timely manner. Such a meeting does not constitute a case conference committee meeting, and a request for such a meeting does not abrogate a parent's right to call for a meeting of the case conference committee at any time.
Each student is required to meet:
the academic standards tested in the graduation examination;
the course and credit requirements adopted by the IDOE which includes flexibility to meet the physical education credits as provided for in AG 5460;
additional graduation requirements established by the Board provided, however, that the Board shall not require students with disabilities to meet requirements that exceed those required by State law.
Upon the request of the student’s parents, the student may be exempted from the Core 40 curriculum requirements and be required to complete the general curriculum to graduate as required by State law. Also, school officials may initiate a discussion with the parents about exempting a student from the Core 40 curriculum if the student does not pass at least three (3) courses required under the Core 40 curriculum or if the student scores in the twenty-fifth percentile or lower the first time the student takes the graduation exam. If the parent makes the decision to exempt the student from the Core 40 requirement, the student will be required to complete the general curriculum as required by State law.
Commencement exercises will include those students who are eligible for a diploma, certificate of achievement, or certificate of course completion as certified by the high school principal. No student who has completed the requirements for graduation shall be denied a diploma as a disciplinary measure. A student may be denied participation in the ceremony of graduation when personal conduct so warrants.
NOTE: DENYING PARTICIPATION IN COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES TO SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS WHO HAVE COMPLETED THEIR PROGRAM VIOLATES 511 I.A.C. 7-42-10(b). THEREFORE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT OR A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION ALSO BE PERMITTED TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES.
Revised 3/19/18
Revised 2/11/19
Revised 12/16/24
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