Incoming High School Freshmen on Core 40 Diploma Track

INDIANA - Students entering high school this month will face many challenges over the next four years, but they won’t have to worry about whether or not they will be prepared for college and the workforce. That’s because they will be the first class required to graduate with the state’s Core 40 diploma in 2011.

“Core 40 is the academic foundation all Indiana students need for success after high school,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed said.

Reed noted that research shows students who take strong academic courses in high school are far more likely to enroll in college and to earn a degree. Employers also indicate that these same skills are critical for effectiveness in today’s workforce.

The Core 40 requirement, passed by the Indiana General Assembly in 2005, is designed to provide all Indiana students with a balanced sequence of academically rigorous high school courses in the core subjects of English/language arts, mathematics, science and social studies; physical education/health and wellness; and electives including world languages, career/technical and fine arts.

The legislation also made Core 40 a minimum college admission requirement for the state’s public four-year universities beginning in fall 2011. Additionally, students must complete the Core 40 track to be eligible for higher education awards and scholarships.

While Core 40 will be the default curriculum, parents who determine that their student could benefit more from the general diploma can choose to have their student opt-out of the curriculum. To do so, the student, the student’s parent or guardian and the student’s counselor (or another staff member who assists students in course selection) must meet to discuss the student’s progress and review the student’s career and course plan.

The Core 40 diploma track was established in 1994 after Indiana’s business, industry, labor, K-12 and higher education communities came together to identify the courses necessary to provide the academic foundation for success in college and the workforce. Core 40 completion rates have steadily increased since that time. More than two-thirds of Hoosier students graduated with a Core 40 or Honors Diploma last year.

For more information, see www.doe.state.in.us/core40 or visit the Learn More Resource Center at www.learnmoreindiana.org.

Source: Indiana Department of Education Press Release

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