GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS | Administrative Guideline Manual

5460 - GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Graduation must be earned by passing all mandated subjects and earning total credits required for the specific diploma sought. A minimum of forty (40) credits is necessary for high school graduation. If the School Corporation offers Cambridge International courses, the successful completion of a Cambridge International course shall count as high school credit towards completing Indiana graduation requirements.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Requirement

Each student must complete and submit the FAFSA by April 15th of the student's senior school year, unless:

the parent/guardian or the student, if the student is an adult or emancipated minor, submits a signed waiver certifying that the student understands what the FAFSA is and declines to complete it (see fm5460F1 - Free Application for Federal Student [FAFSA] Completion Waiver); or
the student's principal or school counselor waives this requirement for a student or group of students due to the principal or school counselor being unable to reach the parents of the students by April 15 of the school year after documenting at least two (2) reasonable attempts to contact the parents.

GRADUATION PATHWAYS

In order to earn an Indiana diploma with a designation of general, CORE 40, CORE 40 with technical honors or CORE 40 with academic honors, a student must satisfy all three (3) of the Graduation Pathway Requirements:

Requirement 1: High School Diploma - A student must meet statutorily defined diploma credit and curricular requirements.
Requirement 2: Learn and Demonstrate Employability Skills - A student must complete at least one of the options below.

Options:
1. Project-based learning - The student is to gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time investigating and responding to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge. The student engages in a rigorous, extended process of asking questions, finding resources, and applying information. The students often will make their project work public by explaining, displaying, and/or presenting it to people beyond the classroom. The demonstration of to the acquired knowledge/skills must be validated locally by the student work product and school validation; including one of the following:
  1. completion of a course capstone;
  2. completion of a research project;
  3. completion of Cambridge International Global Perspectives and Research;
  4. completion of the AP Capstone Assessment; or
  5. other with approval of the State Board of Education.
2. Service-based learning - The student engages in meaningful service to enrich and apply academic knowledge, learn civic and personal responsibility and other employability skills, and to strengthen the community. The demonstration of the acquired knowledge must be validated locally by the student work product and school validation through:
  1. participation in a meaningful volunteer or civic engagement experience;
  2. engagement in a school-based activity, such as a co-curricular or extracurricular activity or sport for at least one academic year; or
  3. other with the approval of the State Board of Education.
3. Work-based learning - The student will reinforce academic, technical, and social skills learned in the classroom through collaborative activities with an employer partner. The student will apply classroom theories to practical problems, to explore career options and pursue personal and professional goals. The demonstration of the acquired knowledge/skills must be validated locally by the student work product and school validation b through:
  1. completion of a course capstone;
  2. completion of an internship;
  3. obtaining the Governor's Work Ethic Certificate;
  4. employment outside the school day; or
  5. other with approval of the State Board of Education.
Requirement 3: Postsecondary-Ready Competencies - A student must complete at least one of the options below:
1. Honors Diploma - Fulfill all requirements of either the academic or technical honors diploma;
2. ACT - achieve the college-ready benchmarks;
3. SAT - achieve the college-ready benchmarks;
4. ASVAB - earn at least a minimum AFQT score to qualify for placement into one of the branches of the United States military;
5. State - and Industry- recognized Credential or Certification - earn a certification or credential approved by Indiana's Department of Workforce Development;
6. Federally-recognized Apprenticeship - successfully complete a federally-recognized internship under a program registered under the Federal National Apprenticeship Act (29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.) or administered by the United States Department of Labor;
7. Career Technical Education Concentrator - must earn a C average or higher in at least two non-duplicative advanced courses (beyond an introductory course) within a Next Level Program of Study Sequence;
8. AP/IB/Dual Credit/Cambridge International courses or CLEP Exams - must earn a C average or higher in at least three courses one of which must be in a core content area;
9. Locally created pathway - locally determined competencies and/or assessments beyond the current Postsecondary-Ready Competencies (PRCs) that demonstrate a student has the necessary knowledge and skills to be successful after high school when the created pathway meets the framework from and earns the approval of the State Board of Education.

Each Indiana diploma awarded shall include one of the following designations and require earning the credits listed for each designation:

GENERAL

The following are the requirements for the General designation (minimum of forty [40] credits required):

Language Arts	eight (8) credits (including six (6) credits in literature, composition, and speech; two (2) credits may be from business technology, family and consumer sciences, technology education, or career-technical courses having a predominately language arts content; two (2) credits may be waived if student completes a Level III world language course)

Social Studies	four (4) credits (including two (2) credits in U.S. History, one (1) credit in U.S. Government, including taking the naturalization examination provided by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and two (2) credits in another social studies, global economics, or consumer economics course) The passing score on the naturalization examination is a score of not less than sixty percent (60%). The School Corporation will provide to the Indiana Department of Education the number of students who took the naturalization test in a school year and the number of students who received a passing score.

Mathematics	four (4) credits (including two (2) credits Algebra I or Integrated Mathematics unless the student has completed Algebra I or Integrated Mathematics before entering high school; two (2) credits may be from business technology, family and consumer sciences, technology education, or career-technical courses having a predominately mathematics content; students must earn at least two (2) credits in mathematics or quantitative reasoning during their junior or senior year)

Science	four (4) credits (including two (2) credits in Biology I; all science credits must include content from more than one of the major science discipline categories of life science, physical science, and Earth and space science; two (2) credits may be from family and consumer sciences or career-technical courses having predominately science content)

Health and Wellness	one (1) credit (may be waived if the student has earned three (3) credits from courses in child development and parenting, human development and family wellness, interpersonal relationships, nutrition and wellness, or preparing for college and/or careers or two (2) credits in Integrated Health Sciences I and Integrated Health Sciences II courses; one (1) credit substitution of either a science, family and consumer sciences, or health and physical education credit may be allowed for a student who qualifies under the religious objection provision in I.C. 20-30-5-9)

Physical Education I & II, as adapted as necessary	two (2) credits in physical education I and II

College and Career Pathway	six (6) credits – electives selected in a deliberate manner to take full advantage of career exploration and preparation opportunities (the college and career pathway is recommended but not required if a student, after completing grade 11, transfers to a school accredited by the State Board of Education from a school not accredited by the State Board of Education, including a school outside Indiana, or initially begins coursework under the Core 40 diploma and changes to the requirements of this section; however, a student still must earn a minimum of 40 credits)

Flex Credit	five (5) credits as follows: additional courses to extend the college and career pathway courses involving workplace learning such as career exploration internship, preparing for college and/or careers, business cooperative experiences, cooperative family and consumer sciences, industrial cooperative training, interdisciplinary cooperative education, and marketing field experience advanced career-technical education, college credit additional courses in language arts, social studies, mathematics, science, world languages, fine arts

Electives	six (6) credits

CORE 40

The following are the requirements for the Core 40 designation (minimum of forty (40) credits required)

Language Arts	eight (8) credits (including a balance of literature, composition and speech)

Mathematics	six (6) credits (must include one of the following course sequences: Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II or Integrated Mathematics I, Integrated Mathematics II, and Integrated Mathematics III; must earn either two (2) mathematics credits or two (2) physics credits during the last two (2) years in high school; must earn six (6) mathematics credits after entering high school; must be enrolled in a mathematics or quantitative reasoning course each year of high school)

Social Studies	six (6) credits (including two (2) credits in U.S. History, two (2) credits World History/Civilization or Geography/History of the World, one (1) credit in U.S. Government, including taking the naturalization examination provided by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and one (1) credit in Economics The passing score on the naturalization examination is a score of not less than sixty percent (60%). The Corporation will provide to the Indiana Department of Education the number of students who took the naturalization test in a school year and the number of students who received a passing score.

Science	six (6) credits (including two (2) credits in biology, two (2) credits chemistry, physics, or integrated chemistry-physics, and two (2) credits in any additional Core 40 science course)

Physical Education I and II, adapted as necessary	two (2) credits in physical education I and II

Health and Wellness	one (1) credit

World Language	Recommended

Directed Electives	five (5) credits (World Languages, Fine Arts, and/or Career-Technical courses)

Electives	six (6) credits (College and Career Pathway recommended)

CORE 40 WITH ACADEMIC HONORS

The following are the requirements for the Core 40 with Academic Honors designation (minimum of forty-seven (47) credits required):

Language Arts	eight (8) credits (including a balance of literature, composition, and speech)

Mathematics	eight (8) credits (credits must include one of the following course sequences: Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II and two (2) additional credits in Core 40 mathematics courses or Integrated Mathematics I, Integrated Mathematics II, and Integrated Mathematics III and two (2) additional credits in Core 40 mathematics courses; student must earn either two (2) mathematics credits or two (2) physics credits during the student's last two (2) years in high school; student must earn six (6) mathematics credits after entering high school; student must be enrolled in a mathematics or quantitative reasoning course each year of high school)

Social Studies	six (6) credits (including two (2) credits in U.S. History, two (2) credits in World History/Civilization or in Geography/History of the World, one (1) credit in U.S. Government, including taking the naturalization examination provided by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and one (1) credit in Economics) The passing score on the naturalization examination is a score of not less than sixty percent (60%). The Corporation will provide to the IDOE the number of students who took the naturalization test in a school year and the number of students who received a passing score.

Science	six (6) credits (including two (2) credits in biology, two (2) credits chemistry, physics, or integrated chemistry-physics, and two (2) credits in any additional Core 40 science course)

Electives	six (6) or eight (8) credits, depending on the number of credits earned for World Languages (College and Career Pathway recommended)

A student must earn a grade of "C" or higher for credit to count towards the minimum credits required. A student must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of "B" or above in all courses.

Additional Requirements - Complete one (1) of the following:

Advanced Placement AP courses (four (4) credits) and corresponding AP exam
dual high school/college credit courses from the priority course list resulting in six (6) verifiable transcripted college credits
two (2) of the following: 1) a minimum of three (3) verifiable transcripted college credits from the priority course list; 2) two (2) credits in one or more AP course(s) and the corresponding AP exam(s); and 3) two (2) credits in an International Baccalaureate IB standard level course and the corresponding exam
the SAT test with a composite score of 1250 or higher and a minimum score of 560 on the math section and 590 on the evidence-based reading and writing section
The ACT test with a composite score of 26 or higher and completion of the written section
four (4) credits in IB courses and complete corresponding IB exams

A student who has earned an international baccalaureate diploma is eligible to receive a Core 40 designation with academic honors designation.

CORE 40 WITH TECHNICAL HONORS

The following are the requirements for the Core 40 with Technical Honors designation (minimum of forty-seven (47) credits required):

Language Arts	eight (8) credits (including a balance of literature, composition, and speech)

Social Studies	six (6) credits (including two [2] credits in U.S. History, two [2] credits in World History/Civilization or in Geography/History of the World, one [1] credit in U.S. Government, including taking the naturalization examination provided by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and one [1] credit in Economics) The passing score on the naturalization examination is a score of not less than sixty percent (60%). The Corporation will provide to the IDOE the number of students who took the naturalization test in a school year and the number of students who received a passing score.

Mathematics	six (6) credits (credits must include one of the following course sequences: Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II or Integrated Mathematics I, Integrated Mathematics II, and Integrated Mathematics III; student must earn either two (2) mathematics credits or two (2) physics credits during the student's last two (2) years in high school; student must earn six (6) mathematics credits after entering high school; student must be enrolled in a mathematics or quantitative reasoning course each year of high school)

Science	six (6) credits (including two (2) credits in biology, two (2) credits in chemistry, physics, or integrated chemistry–physics, and two (2) credits in any additional Core 40 science course)

Physical Education, I and II, adapted as necessary	two (2) credits in physical education I & II

Health and Wellness	one (1) credit

World Language	Recommended

College and Career Pathway	six (6) credits

Electives	twelve (12) credits

Additional Requirements for the Core 40 with Technical Honors Designation

Must earn:

a minimum of six (6) credits in the college and career preparation courses in a state-approved college and career pathway, and
either a Pathway designated industry-based certification/credential or Pathway designated dual high school and college credit courses from the priority course list resulting in six (6) verifiable transcripted college credits

Must complete one (1) of the following:

Any of the options listed under 511 IAC 6-7.1-6(g) for the Core 40 with academic honors diploma
Earn the following minimum scores on WorkKeys: Reading for information, Level 6; Applied Mathematics, Level 6; and Locating Information, Level 5
Earn the following minimum scores on Accuplacer: Writing, 80; Reading, 90; and Math, 75
Earn the following minimum scores on Compass: Algebra, 66; Writing, 70; and Reading, 80

GPA Requirements – Only courses in which the student earns a grade of "C" or higher count towards the required credits listed above and the student must earn a cumulative GPA of "B" or higher.

Revised 11/10/09
Revised 1/12/16
Revised 12/11/18
Revised 1/14/20
Revised 1/12/21
Revised 7/12/22