Course Titles & Descriptions

BRIEF SUMMARY

Course descriptions provide brief descriptions of kindergarten, elementary, middle level and high school curricular areas. These descriptions assist schools in communicating, in a broad context, the content of programs and courses.  (IDOE, https://www.doe.in.gov/ccr/course-titles-and-descriptions)

KEY POINTS

• Code numbers listed before each program/course title and description are used for Indiana Department of Education data reporting.

RESOURCES

• (Added 12/10/24, Sam Rourke, CHE): CTE Supplement toCourse Description Guide:  The supplemental informational for the CTE section of the Course Titles and Descriptions was released in our November CTE newsletter and also posted on IDOE’s site. The IDOE webpage also includes information about a forthcoming companion document. A few individuals reached out and mentioned some hyperlinks were not working within the CTE supplemental document. You can find the version with hyperlinks fixed here.  Please reach out to CTE@che.in.gov with any questions regarding CTE courses.

• 2025-2026 Elementary/Middle and High School Course Titles and Descriptions (CTDs) Now Available – The 2025-2026 High School CTDs and 2025-2026 Elementary and Middle School CTDs provide important guidance as school leaders prepare their course and content offerings for the upcoming year. In addition to core content and general elective course updates, the 2025-2026 High School CTD includes updates specific to career and technical education course offerings. Codes listed before each program/course title and descriptions will be used for IDOE data reporting. IDOE is finalizing a separate companion document for the 2025-2026 school year which will include information such as course codes and titles, course durations, available credits, recommended and required course prerequisites, dual credit designations and which course(s) support a variety of Graduation Pathways. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.

• 2024-25 Course Titles & Descriptions (November 2023)
  • (Added 3/1/24, IDOE Student Pathways Department):  Pursuant to Indiana Code (IC) 20-30-5-19, IDOE defined guidance to support schools in the implementation of the recently legislated personal financial responsibility course. Pursuant to IC 20-30-5-24, the Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE), in collaboration with the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE), adopted career planning and coaching standards for a career awareness course. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
• 2023-24 Course Titles & Descriptions (November 2022)
• 2022-23 Course Titles & Descriptions IDOE Memo (November 2021)

SHARED WISDOM

• (Added 12/10/24, Miaya Scott – CHE): Principles Courses in 8th Grade:  A principles course can be offered to 8th grade students and credit will be received by the students towards their NLPS pathway. However, because principles courses contain dual credit content designed for high school students (which can’t be awarded to 8^th graders), offering Principles courses at the 8^th grade level is discouraged. In addition to this, Principles courses are not eligible to receive CTE funding at the 8th grade level. Preparing for College and Careers and Introductory CTE courses are usually the best option for 8th grade students and currently a total of nine introductory courses in addition to PCC are available for funding at the 8^th grade level. To learn more about which Introductory courses are funded at the 8th grade level, please refer to our 2024-2025 funding memo here.   If you have additional questions related to CTE, please email our programming team at CTE@che.in.gov
• (Added 11/05/24, Linsay Osos – CHE)): Computer Science Requirement 2029: I just wanted to share that there has been an updated memo, released by IDOE on August 30, 2024 with support from the CTE team at the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, that provides links to the updated standards for 4565 Computing Foundations for a Digital Age (the preferred course to meet the requirement).  If you have any questions about the courses in the memo you can contact the CTE team through our general inbox at CTE@che.in.gov or IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning teachingandlearning@doe.in.gov.
• (Added 10/15/24, CounselorTalk – Sam Vidal, CIESC):  I previously asked about possible curriculum for PCC, PFR, and Computer Science courses. I was able to find several options for PFR and PCC, but not for Computer Science’s new course requirements. I will keep researching and welcome any information you find. Here is a summary of my notes:

  • PCC and PFR:

    • Indiana Online iCAP courses are a great option for schools and high quality!
    • They offer PCC and PFR curriculum (and more)
    • The school point of contact will need an account with Indiana Online in order to be able to register students. Please contact Kim Hendrick, khendrick@indianaonline.org, or at 317-759-5544 for registration information.
    • Here is the most recent memo for Personal Financial Responsibility.
    • Everfi Free Curriculum– not sure if this meets the requirements; seems very brief with 20-min lessons.
    • Standards (PFR is on page 456)
    • Another quality option for PCC is The Preparing for College and Careers Network from Inspire Success

  • Computer Science:

    • Most recent memo for CS.
    • I also saw some vendor options listed on this HQCM list.
    • I will keep researching this but it is possible something might be coming from CIESC in the future! Stay tuned!
• (Added 4/23/24, CounselorTalk): 
  • Q: Does anyone know where we can access the document that has state courses and the teacher licensing requirements to teach the class?
  • A: https://www.in.gov/doe/files/high-school-only-5.3.23.pdf
• In November 2011, the State Board of Education approved the inclusion of a “Quantitative Reasoning” requirement to all diploma types, among other changes. A quantitative reasoning course is a high school course that advances a student’s ability to apply mathematics in real-world situations and contexts and deepens a student’s understanding of high school mathematics standards.
• Indiana schools can submit a nonstandard course waiver to offer courses that are not found in the approved course list. Schools must have an approved nonstandard course waiver prior to offering a course or awarding credit for a course that is not in the state approved course titles and descriptions document.
• Integrated Chemistry Physics does qualify as a quantitative reasoning course.  (Posted on Counselor Talk by Jennifer Jensen, Assistant Director for Curriculum & Instruction, Indiana Department of Education-December 2018)

CONTENT FEEDBACK

If you have suggestions, feedback, or resources, please email counselor1stop@inspiresuccess.org and let us know.