Graduation Pathways (Indiana)

Beginning with the graduating class of 2023, Indiana high schools students must satisfy all three of the following Graduation Pathway Requirements by completing one of the associated Pathway Options

BRIEF SUMMARY

Beginning with the graduating class of 2023, Indiana high schools students must satisfy all three of the following Graduation Pathway Requirements by completing one of the associated Pathway Options:

  1. Earn one of the following High School Diploma designation options:
  • General Diploma;
  • Core 40 Diploma;
  • Academic Honors Diploma;
  • Technical Honors Diploma.
  1. Learn and Demonstrate one of the following Employability Skills options:
  • Completion of a project-based learning experience;
  • Completion of a service-based learning experience ;
  • Completion of a work-based learning experience.

AND

  1. Demonstrate one of the following Postsecondary-Ready Competencies:
  • Honors diploma: Fulfill all requirements of either the Academic or Technical Honors diploma;
  • ACT: Earn the college-ready benchmark scores;
  • SAT: Earn the college-ready benchmarks scores;
  • Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB): Earn at least a minimum Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score to qualify for placement into one of the branches of the US military;
  • State- and Industry-recognized Credential or Certification;
  • State-, Federal-, or Industry-recognized Apprenticeship;
  • Career-Technical Education Concentrator: Earn a C average or higher in at least six (6) high school credits in a career sequence;
  • AP/International Baccalaureate/Dual Credit/Cambridge International courses or College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Exams: Earn a C average or higher in at least three (3) courses;
  • Locally created pathway that earns the approval of the State Board of Education by meeting its framework.

See also Graduation.

KEY POINTS

  • Students need to only complete one bullet under each of the 3 options listed above.
  • Both Honors diplomas satisfy both the diploma and postsecondary-ready competency requirements.  This is because both Honors diplomas require a minimum of 47 high school credits and include postsecondary-ready competencies.

RESOURCES

SHARED WISDOM

  • (Added 4/2/24, CounselorTalk): Graduation Pathways Sample Waiver Form
  • (Added 2/1/24, CounselorTalk):
    • Q: I know this has been addressed before, but what class starts the personal finance requirement? Is it 2028? Also, I received a memo in November of 2023 stating that we needed to have a career awareness course that added standards to the PCC course. Where can I find this course – title and number? And is this course now required? We have our 8th graders take Exploring College and Careers and have removed PCC as a local requirement.
    • A: Preparing for College and Careers Update: As shared in December, the Review Document includes updated standards for the Preparing for College and Careers (PCC) course. PCC standards have been updated to allow the course to meet the Career Awareness Course requirement in HEA 1002. These updated standards were approved by the State Board of Education at their December meeting. A memo that Board members received summarizing the requirements outlined in HEA 1002 and the changes made to PCC standards can be found here.
    • A: Financial Literacy Requirement: Pursuant to Indiana Code (IC) 20-30-5-19 (2023), each school corporation, charter school, and state accredited non-public school must include instruction concerning personal financial responsibility in its high school curriculum. This requirement begins with the 2028 cohort. The CTE team has collaborated with IDOE staff to provide guidance in support of implementing this requirement. IDOE plans to release a memo this Friday through Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Jenner’s weekly newsletter.
  • (Added 1/12/24): 
    • Q: I’ve heard 3 different things as far as pathway grades and what they need to be for a student to graduate.  I’ve heard that all 3 classes taken in a pathway have to be a C or better, I’ve heard that the average grade of all the pathway classes needs to be a C, and I’ve also heard that only 2 of the 3 pathway classes needs to average to a C.  So I thought I’d come to the experts :).  Can someone please confirm which one is correct?
    • A:  Please see the bottom of page 3 of the newsletter embedded here:  You can find information regarding CTE Concentrator status and GPA requirements in our FAQ document (Q4, page 11) and in a previous newsletter. Access the newsletter here (pages 3 &4).
  • (Added 11/12/23, CounselorTalk): Rethinking K-12: Now and in the Future (slide deck from IDOE, May 2023)
  • (Added 8/28/23 Sarah Newton, Crawfordsville High School): 
    • Q: I thought there was written guidance regarding graduation pathways and students moving in from another country during their senior year. Does anyone know where I can find it?
      • A: Here is what I received from Michelle Clark.
        • Here is what the Guidance Policy states:
          • F-4. What about students who move from out-of-state? If a student in the graduating cohort of 2023 and beyond moves from a different state into Indiana, the student must complete the Pathways in order to graduate. Our neighboring states – Illinois and Kentucky – have similar systems to Pathways, which may allow transference of students’ credentials. Graduation Pathways Policy Guidance November 16, 2018 52 In addition, the student may be eligible for a waiver from the postsecondary-readiness component of the Graduation Pathways. See B-11.
          • Also, There are provisions for students who come in during their Senior year. If there is not a way for them to graduate with any of the 9 post-secondary competencies, they can earn the waiver by attempting at least one of the PRCs.
          • To qualify for a waiver from the postsecondary-readiness competencies, a student will have been unsuccessful in completing a postsecondary-readiness competency requirements by the conclusion of his/her senior year. This includes:
            • A student who was in the process of completing a competency at one school that was not offered by the
            • school to which the student transferred; and
            • A student who has attempted to achieve at least three separate postsecondary-readiness competencies.
            • Each attempt must be done in good faith and as a true potential demonstration of achievement.
          • If a student transfers from a non-accredited public school, a school out of state, or a school out of the country during his/her senior year, that student must demonstrate at least one unsuccessful attempt of a Postsecondary-Readiness Competency to qualify for a waiver.
          • For a student to receive a waiver, the student must:
            • (1) Maintain at least a “C” average, or its equivalent, throughout the student’s high school career in courses comprising credits required for the student to graduate;
            • (2) Maintain a school attendance rate of at least 95% with excused absences not counting against the student’s attendance;
            • (3) Satisfy all other state and local graduation requirements beyond the postsecondary-readiness competency requirements, including all diploma and employability skills requirements; and
            • (4) Demonstrate postsecondary planning, including:
              • (A) College acceptance;
              • (B) Acceptance in an occupational training program;
              • (C) Workforce entry; or
              • (D) Military enlistment.
          • Satisfying the waiver conditions will be approved by the principal of the student’s school.
          • If you have further questions, please reach out to the Pathways team at DOEgradpathways@doe.in.gov
  • (IDOE, April Graduation Pathways Webinar – Follow Up Q & A): 

    • Q: For the tech honors diploma option should the language now be 2 advanced courses or be a concentrator instead of earning 6 credits in the college and career prep courses? A: The Office of CTE shares technical honors diploma guidance in their October newsletter.

    • Q: I have also asked about virtual pathways. I have been told in the past that virtual pathways can be used if the online classes align with the courses, but they would not be funded. This is fine, but now I’m confused because I saw something the other day that said that even unfunded virtual pathways had to be on the approved virtual list. A: The Office of CTE shares their online/virtual policy in their April newsletter. The overview of that policy can be found on Page 1 here, along with the full guidance document.

    • Q: For the CTE Concentrator Pathway do students need to complete the Capstone portion or just the Principles and Concentrator A & B? A: The Office of CTE shares the policy in their April newsletter. Students using NLPS courses to earn CTE concentrator status must receive a C average (as determined by your local grading scale) or higher in All concentrator sequence courses (Principles, Concentrator A, and Concentrator B) for the purposes of Graduation Pathways.  The Capstone course may be used if it would benefit a student’s GPA, supporting the C average requirement for concentrator status. A school may choose to include the cumulative grade average earned in this capstone to meet the C average requirement. By using the capstone, the C average would be based on grades earned in all of the following courses: Principles, Concentrator A, Concentrator B, and the cumulative capstone grade.

      If you have any questions, please email us at DOEGradpathways@doe.in.gov.

  • (IDOE, April, 2023 – via CounselorTalk): Q:Can a senior graduate mid-year with a waiver?  The student has met all other criteria and would be eligible next year to graduate mid-year but may not be able to complete requirement 3.  He has attempted 3 different items.                                                                                                                                                  A: Students are not allowed to utilize a Graduation Pathways Waiver to graduate early. If using the Waiver of Postsecondary-Readiness Competency, students must complete their Senior year. This information comes from the State Board of Education Grad Pathways Guidance: “To qualify for a waiver from the postsecondary-readiness competencies, a student will have been unsuccessful in completing a postsecondary-readiness competency requirements by the conclusion of his/her senior year.” If you have additional questions, please contact the IDOE at DOEGradpathways@doe.in.gov.
  • (IDOE, March, 2023):Student Academic Record Collection Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Resource: Changes implemented for reporting course enrollments (student academic record replacing course completion collection) and outcomes will impact all schools that report course-level data to IDOE. These updates are occurring to improve the completeness of academic records for each student, to support metrics on the Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed dashboard, and to monitor Graduation Pathways progress. The full memo is available here and the related FAQ document is available here. Contact IDOE’s Data Exchange Team with any questions.
  • (CounselorTalk February, 2023) HB 1635 is a proposed bill, so currently you can still utilize a passing ASVAB score to meet the Box 3 requirement for the class of 2023. If you have any further legislative questions, you can direct those to Katie Beth Mueller, the Director of Legislative Affairs at the Department of Education at KMueller@doe.in.gov
  • (CounselorTalk January, 2023) IDOE’s Graduation Pathways January Webinar Slide Deck
  • Working on a Locally Created Pathway (December 2022)
    • All Locally Created Pathways currently approved by the State Board of Education can be found on this document on the IDOE Graduation Pathways website.
    • Schools/Districts may choose to adopt an approved Locally Created Pathway & must follow the criteria set forth in the application submitted by the author of the LCP.
    • Details for adopting specific LCP’s can be found here: Adopting a LCP Guidance
    • If a school or district would like to adopt an LCP for their use, they must complete the Notification Form (Adopting a LCP Notification Form) on our website.
    • Additionally, if a school or district wishes to create a new LCP that is not aligned with anything already approved, the application window opens annually at the beginning of March and closes at the end of April.
    • For further information, contact DOEGradpathways@doe.in.gov
  • Creative Ideas for helping students qualify for the Graduation Pathway Waiver (Counselor Talk, January 2022)
    • Q: Does anyone have any creative thoughts or ideas about helping students to earn the graduation pathway if they cannot or will not attend a career center program? We have some students who are alternative or going virtual and have other life issues such as having a child, working, etc and it is not practical for them to attend our career center half the day. I know that they have to attempt three items in bucket three, and it is easy to have them all come in and attempt the ASVAB and the SAT, but I’m at a bit of a loss on a third item on that list for our more non-traditional students.
    • Replies:
      • We use Edmentum for Culinary.  There is a Culinary I semester 1 and 2 and Culinary II LOOKS like a one-semester class BUT it says to spread content over two, so we are exempting kids from the last half and doing a grade for semester 1 and exempting the first half and taking a grade for semester 2.
      • For ours we offer the SAT, ASVAB, and ACT during the school day. Then every student has attempted 3 pathways and can qualify for the waiver. From there we try to get them to a concentrator, but for the reasons you mentioned we’re not always able to.
      • We run certifications for students.
      • Doesn’t every student technically begin high school “attempting” to earn an honors diploma?
      • We rely on dual credit a lot. We have a few dual credit classes we offer virtually so that helps. Plato also has some business classes we were able to make work for Perkins IV and Perkins V pathways.
      • Do you have any pathways available at your school for them to attempt (not at the career center)? Or maybe online CTE classes through a program such as Edmentum? We have our students take the SAT, ASVAB, and attempt a pathway that our school, not the career center, offers. Just throwing some ideas out there for you.
  • From Michelle Clarke, IDOE (April 2021): Here is information regarding waivers, typically schools who have over 10% of students earning waivers would be considered high graduation waiver rates. Both the ISTEP and Grad Pathways waivers are both considered “waivers”.According to IC 20-32-9-4(b), the Indiana Department of Education must identify schools to be placed on notice as a school with high graduation waiver rates based on the criteria developed by the Indiana State Board of Education, in consultation with the Indiana Department of Education, pursuant to IC 20-32-9-4(a).
    After being identified by the Department, the Indiana State Board of Education must put the school and school corporation on notice that the school has exceeded the number of graduation waivers under the criteria established, pursuant to IC 20-32-9-4(a).
    As a result of this identification, the school corporation must comply with the requirements of
    IC 20-32-9-4 outlined below:

    • First Year – IC 20-32-9-4(c): The first year a school is identified, upon receiving notice, the school corporation, on behalf of the school, is required to develop and submit a school wide remediation plan to the Indiana Department of Education, Contact Jennifer Jensen at jjensen@doe.in.gov(link sends e-mail).
    • Second & Subsequent Years – IC 20-32-9-4(d): If the school is identified in the second or a subsequent year after the initial identification, upon receiving notice, the school is required to collaborate with the IDOE to develop and implement a revised school wide remediation plan.

Students can absolutely use the Graduation Pathways to graduate and that is encouraged if they do not pass ISTEP.  Schools are not penalized if we use Graduation Pathways. They are penalized if a student has to use a waiver for the Graduation Pathway, which means the student attempted at least 3 Post-Secondary Ready Competencies but was not able to meet any of the minimum requirements for the competencies.

  • Q: I have several students who have told me they already “passed” the ASVAB for Graduation Pathways but the score sheets I received are actually PICAT scores. The recruiter I spoke with said that the PICAT can replace the ASVAB for enlistment. Can we use PICAT scores for Graduation Pathways?
    • A: The answer to the question is NO. The PICAT cannot be used for the Graduation Pathway, nor is it a valid ASVAB test for enlistment until individual takes a verification test. If someone from the recruiting command needs validation of PICAT usage, please direct them to my office. Furthermore, please instruct your students NOT to go to the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) to take ASVAB test for Graduation Pathway. The MEPS administer the ASVAB ONLY to individuals interested in joining the military, as stated before, there are two ASVAB programs: Enlistment and Student. One last comment about the PICAT, schools should NOT allow recruiters to come into your school to administer PICAT to your students! Lastly, I have attached three important documents that was sent to schools a few weeks ago. Schools MAY SUBMIT an ASVAB Reservation Form for testing in SY 2021-2022 – Use SY 21-22 Reservation Form as the subject of your email. Schools will be allowed to test once in the fall and once in the spring. You may want to consider submitting both forms at the same time. Your email date will be used for scheduling sequence. Please send your reservation form to the mail-box listed in the attached “New ASVAB Changes & Information document”. Incomplete forms will be returned to you! If you have not completed the Post Test Interpretation Moodle training, contact me for re-nomination. If you have, I will be contacting you shortly to complete Observation (see attached). As a reminder, the primary reason the ASVAB is administered in schools is Career Exploration: Individuals interested in the Military and Graduation Pathway are tremendous benefits of ASVAB testing. The AFQT score (31) is used for both military (score good for two years) and pathway. (from, Dr. Nathaniel Grandberry, ASVAB-CEP Program Manager, April 2021)
  • Q: As my school is finalizing course selections for next school year with the hopes of implementing NLPS classes as well, we have one question about the graduation requirements for the 2023 and 2024 cohort. If we choose to use Perkins 5 as it pertains to “Grad Pathway Requirement #3 – Career Technical Education Concentrator”  we keep seeing the verbiage “2 advanced HS courses in a state-approved CTE pathway.” Does this mean that these students ONLY need these 2 classes with a C average to meet that bucket requirement for graduation, or does that also include any prerequisites for those courses as corresponding on this chart?
    • A: Indiana’s Office of CTE says the Concentrator A and Concentrator B courses in the Perkins V Next Level Programs of Study (NLPS) are the advanced courses required for students to be a CTE concentrator. You probably know that each NLPS Concentrator A and Concentrator B course has a required prerequisite of the associated Principles course – so those three courses would need to be completed for a student to meet the Grad Pathways “Concentrator” designation.
  • Q: What is everyone’s interpretation of how the Class of 2023 and 2024 can earn a Technical Honors Diploma under Perkins V?
    • A: I just sat in on a Next Level Programs of Study webinar and they said that it should be more aligned with the Tech Honors diploma requirements so this should help!
    • A: This spreadsheet is one that Tony Harl sent out last year as a transition THD chart for the years going from PV to NLPS.
  • Q: My colleagues and I are having some trouble with some of the items outlined by the state for meeting Bucket #2 requirements- “defined outcome experiences”. Can you respond with items your students have used to fill Bucket #2 for graduation pathways OTHER than the biggies (JROTC, JAG, Varsity Sport)?
    • A: We use a 5 year plan.  Here is a LINK to our Tier 2 (bucket 2) website page for kids to look at. The 5 yr plan is toward the bottom.
    • Here is the one-pager that we have developed as we are working toward tracking Bucket Two. I would value anyone’s input on things that you have identified that we have not included.
  • Q: For the dual credit requirement for the pathways, it states students must earn at least a C average in at least three courses.  Does that mean they have to earn 9 dual credits in 3 college courses or 3 different high school courses? For example, our AP US History is 6 dual credits. Semester one, HIST 101, semester two HIST 102. Our speech is COMM 101. Would a student meet the box three dual credit requirements if they had AP US History and Speech?
    • A:  I wanted to clarify this question regarding the Post-Secondary Competencies. For the Dual Credit/AP/IB/Cambridge/ CLEP it is 3 separate courses, it does not go by credits. So even if a course is 6 dual credits, it only counts as 1 of the 3.  Here is the guidance document that explains it in more detail. (Michelle Clarke, IDOE, December 2020)
    • A: These links should prove helpful to bring definition for you.  Indiana CTE page: https://www.in.gov/gwc/2437.htm  and the new Career Guide put out by the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet: http://www.flipcareerguide.com/books/rgoz/#p=1
  • To clarify in regards to the 11th Grade ISTEP: A new memo went out and this year’s Juniors (Class of 2022) will take the ISTEP in the Spring for accountability purposes for the USED. (This is for FEDERAL accountability, not state).  Here is the memo: https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/INDOE/2020/07/09/file_attachments/1492361/istep-2020-2021-participation-requirements.pdf.  Contact IDOE Assessment- INassessments@doe.in.gov with further questions. (Michelle Clarke, October 2020)
    • Students in Cohorts 2019-2021 may still participate in the Spring 2021 Retest.
    • Even if the student is using the Grad Pathways, they have to test this Spring (Cohort 2022).
    • Students in Cohort 2021 using Grad Pathways do NOT have to retest (unless there is a chance they would need a Waiver).
  • Q: Does anyone know if the new SAT requirement for the class of 2023 (SAT given in spring of 2022) will be with or without the essay part included?
    • A: The information on the IDOE website at https://www.doe.in.gov/assessment/high-school-assessment says “The SAT is taken at school during the school day at a time specified by IDOE. It is an online assessment with paper provided as an accommodation only. The SAT consists of multiple-choice and numeric response items along with one essay.”
  • Q: Looking for the Grad Pathway waiver form specifically.
  • College Entrance Exam Vendor Selection – memo from IDOE (April 17, 2020)
  • Q:  I have a few seniors that earned the required score on the ASVAB, will have completed a CTE concentrator by the end of the year, and earned dual credits in 3 courses. On the end of the year INTERS report, I have to report which students graduated using a CTE concentrator.  My question is, is there any advantage/disadvantage to reporting these students that fulfilled two or three of the postsecondary competencies one way or the other? I know we get money for students that take CTE courses, so I got to thinking about graduating with a CTE concentrator and if there’s any advantages to that. Does that make sense? Does it matter which postsecondary competency I report to the state?
    • A: I reached out to our local career center (Area 30) where we send a lot our students half day. This is what she said:
      Hi Hannah, the concentrator status is something we report to the state through our inters reporting system so we would need to know if any students who did not come to Area 30 were concentrators. We used to get money for concentrators but that was removed from the state budget this year. We do get to count your concentrators as a positive on our report but as far as counting them on the grad pathway report it does not make a difference to us.
    • A: As far as I know , there is no advantage. One disadvantage I have heard is for “too many” students to graduate with the ASVAB requirement and if so, they will probably eventually take it away. So last year if any kid earned an ASVAB score and another requirement, I always listed the other requirement.
  • Q: Looking for computer-based record keeping strategies regarding Graduation Pathways.
    • A: We have Harmony 3, and I am happy with it.  They have updated it for Graduation Pathways. We can document Box 1, 2, 3 and there is the option to upload student documents, employer verification, etc.
    • A: We keep hearing that PowerShool is supposed to have a Graduation Pathways page soon, but I haven’t seen anything yet. Right now, we’re tracking by hand because our district doesn’t want to pay for the tracking program we found since PowerSchool has said they might have something
    • A: We are using SFS (Standard For Success). We use SFS for our evaluation system and they developed a program to track pathways that pulls data from your SMS (we use PowerSchool). You have to purchase the program, but so far I think it’s going to be a huge help.
    • A: I made this google doc.  We input the information into Harmony but I like to see it all together in one spot instead of looking at each student individually.
    • We use PowerSchool and have created a field for the new information.
  • Reporting in InTERs (Counselor Talk, June 2013):
    • If we have student that transfers from my school to another, they get an email that the data doesn’t validate the GR data – do I have to fix the issue or can the new school fix the issue based off my transcript? Either can fix it.  It really should be fixed by the district that taught the student the missing course but it could be either way.
    • How will we know if other schools have correctly documented the Inters report?  The GR report will be generating kickback emails when the InTERS data doesn’t validate the GR data.
    • Can we correct the report if the state reporting is incorrect if we have documentation stating otherwise?  There will be time allowed to make corrections to either the GR or InTERS or both.
    • Will we have to contact the student and let them know they are undergraduated?  No, this will not impact students that have graduated.  Only the school grad rate.
    • How does THAT impact students heading to further education and state financial aid?  No impact.
  • From IDOE Office of Career and Technical Education: For the graduation pathways-CTE concentrator pathway, as you know, the student must show as a concentrator in InTERS.  Now, also, each student opting in for this graduation pathway must be marked in InTERS as opting into this pathway and whether or not they are opting into Perkins 4 or Perkins 5.  Keep in mind, this only has to be done for those students that opt in.  You can access InTERS through your area CTE director or by contacting Chris Deaton (at DOE) at cdeaton2@doe.in.gov.  The InTERS system can be found at https://cte.inters-dwd.com/ (April 2019)
  • InTERS_Login/
  • Q: I have a question about project-based learning. It is my understanding that there is research involved and the a presentation of the project. I am trying to find out if 4H projects will work. I know that not all are presented in person, but trying to see if completing the project and having it judged would work for this box? I know some are actually presented, but what about those that are not presented?
    • Response: All projects in 4-H are completed during a sustained period of time and have an end product. That is enough to qualify it for project-based. All 4-H projects include record sheets you can use for verification OR a pic of the project would work too!
  • Q: If anyone’s school does service projects, could you please send me a list of some of the activities that have been done in your school?
    • A: You can find project ideas on the generationon.org website.  Click here to go to the project idea page.  I am the INSPIRE3 Northeastern Indiana Field Rep (INSPIRE was formerly called generationOn Indiana).  My role is to share service learning resources with schools.  Everything we share is free, plus we have mini grants to support your service learning projects!
  • Q: I just want to clarify because it was my understanding that in order to qualify for the concentrator, not only did the student need to complete the courses that are listed in the documentation provided by IDOE, but these courses must also be taught by a vocationally licensed teacher
    • A: There are two different course codes for Anat and Phys: one code is non-CTE, and the other is CTE.  If you are not offering a CTE Health Science program, then use the non-CTE code.   All CTE courses should be taught by someone with the appropriate industry experience, background, or credentials.  A teacher will need to have the appropriate license identified in the assignment code for CTE courses…those course codes are what we use to track CTE funding, concentrator status, among many other items for state and federal reporting purposes. (From Stefany Deckard, IDOE, Feburary 2019)
  • Q: I have a Junior who is planning to graduate at the end of this year who has not passed one part of ISTEP+.  Can she graduate early using Graduation Pathways?  (Counselor Talk, January 2019)
    • A:  Students are able to graduate early utilizing Graduation Pathways (successfully completing each part of Grad Pathways).  However, students are not allowed to utilize a Graduation Pathways Waiver to graduate early. If using the Graduation Pathways Waiver students must complete their Senior year. (Ben Carter, IDOE)
  • Indiana State Board of Education Course Sequence for Concentrator Status 12 12 18
  • IDOE Memo Concentrator Courses_December 2018
  • Q: We have a 5th senior who is part of the class of 2018 cohort. Can those students graduate via pathways? (Counselor Talk, November 2018)
    • A: We understood that 5th year seniors are under the ECA umbrella and must either pass or earn their waiver for the ECA.  Thye CAN NOT graduate via the pathways program.
    • A: Yes, if your school board approved the pathways
    • A: It only starts with the class of 2023.
    • A: We were told “yes”…please let me know if you find out otherwise.
    • A: I think “yes”, because students in Class of 2018 could.
    • A: Yes, we graduated kids last year with pathways instead of waivers if they qualified.
  • ECA cohorts CAN opt into the grad pathways. (Counselor Talk, November 2018)
  • Q: What other high schools are NOT ISTEP TESTING juniors or seniors that passed the ASVAB and meet the other requirements of the Graduation Pathways? (Counselor Talk, November 2018)
  • Regarding Project Based Learning (from Counselor Talk, November 2018)
    • We actually just completed our PBL today, the project is in it’s 21st year! I’ve had other local schools ask for this information, I’ve included the google doc below (see RESOURCES).  I asked Ben Carter for his thoughts on our project, he said to count this as a best practice, students would need to go into the field and job shadow after interviews. I also clarified how we track this because we don’t want to keep copies of the portfolio. This project is counted as a test grade in the senior English class, Ben said recording the grade in the grade book and outlining the rubric in the syllabus counts for tracking. (Seeger High School)
    • The PLTW Biomedical Medical 2nd year course (MI) requires student to develop a research project that they have to formally present to a group of STEM professionals. The PowerPoint serves as evidence or a work product of the real work which is the creation of an innovative idea presented to an outside group which is what PBL is all about (see RESOURCES below). (Blackford High School)
  • From Amanda Culhan, IDOE, August 2018:
    • Graduation Pathway information and resources are now posted to this website: https://www.doe.in.gov/graduation-pathways.The State Board of Education approved the graduation pathways in December, which you can find here.The State Board approved the guidance, which you can find posted to the Graduation Pathways page. Also included on this page are the appendices and resources section of the guidance document.Graduation Pathways are required for the graduating class of 2023 (current 8th graders).Students in cohorts prior to 2023, may graduate using the graduation pathways in lieu of the graduation exam, if the school makes the graduation pathways available as an option prior to the 2023 cohort. To graduate using the graduation pathways, the student would need to meet all three boxes (checking off one item per box (diploma requirements, employability skills, and postsecondary-readiness competencies)).I would suggest reading through the guidance document as it is pretty detailed and provides examples and resources. The trickiest requirement is the employability skills/box 2 but there are guidelines and examples of what would qualify.If you have questions, we have a general help email here: DOEGradpathways@doe.in.gov
  • The Graduation Pathways requirements will start with freshmen beginning high school in 2019-20.  This is the graduating class of 2023.
  • Students graduating in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, or 2022 may satisfy graduation requirements by either passing the current graduation qualifying exams (ISTEP 10 or ECAs) or completing the Graduation Pathways. The option to satisfy graduation requirements through completion of the Graduation Pathways is dependent upon whether the student’s school makes this opportunity available.
  • Q: With the new Indiana Graduation Pathway requirements, it doesn’t appear that there are currently state testing requirements. If this is so, will this potentially benefit students that have struggled with passing state required exams?
    • A: Students will still have to take a test for accountability purposes. The test for accountability (and graduation if not using pathways) is the ISTEP+ grade 10 in ELA and Math through the class of 2022. The graduating class of 2023 will take a college entrance exam for accountability purposes – as juniors during the 2021-22 school year. The college entrance exam is also an option under box 3 of the pathways. So, if using the graduation pathways to graduate, students won’t need to pass a state assessment but they will have to continue to take one for accountability purposes. (Amanda Culhan, School Counseling Specialist, Indiana Department of Education, July 2018)

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