Steve Hinnefeld has a well-written post, explaining some of the twists and turns in the State’s plans to overhaul high school diploma requirements. I have not dug in on the subject and have been a little confused by some of the information I’ve seen. Steve does a good job of not losing me in the weeds. The plan would dump the existing CORE 40 and Academic Honors diploma, replacing them with “Graduate Prepared to Succeed” (GPS) and GPS Plus diplomas.
Read the School Matters post, but the even shorter version seems to be that the plan seems to discourage college readiness in favor of vocational training and job-based learning. But, as to the latter, the infrastructure is not in place to emulate “the Swiss model” of vocational training and internships. For example, Indiana doesn’t have a lot in the way of employer-funded internships or transportation enabling young people to get to and from jobs. Our current pool of counselors is likely inadequate to keep students on track and connect them with those opportunities that are available.
Educational attainment is a key factor in individual success and overhaul economic health of the state. This plan seems like it would exacerbate Indiana’s already comparatively low college enrollment rates. “The consensus seems to be that the GPS diploma will lower academic standards to where students may not be admitted to college while the GPS Plus option will be so demanding that very few students will pursue it.”
I am glad for two things when it comes to the kids I am raising:
1) we had them before the cost of decent childcare went from high to impossible
2) they’re getting out of the Indiana K-12 educational system just before Indiana Republicans turn it into a system designed to fill a bunch of jobs that no longer exist or won’t exist in 20 years.
I have a colleague who did his dissertation on the college readiness curriculum in Illinois. His data showed that not ONE college English dept was consulted about the content of the upcoming high school curruculum or testing. Does anyone think for a minute that Indiana will be any better when Illinois is superior to Indiana in its curriculum and requirements? The politicians have demonstrated over and over just how incompetent Indiana is in education. Just leave the politicians out of it and let the vouchers dry up. And how about decent funding? This state has a long history of “non funded requirements’ that proved failure in every case. I suspect that current money goes to ridiculous causes. No wonder that nobody wants to teach in Indiana.