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Indiana teachers concerned new requirements will keep students from graduating

Posted at 9:19 PM, Dec 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-07 22:29:14-05

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana teachers are raising concerns over new graduation guidelines that were passed by the Board of Education on Wednesday, saying the new requirements could hurt, not help many students.

“If nothing changes, and looking at the data we have today, there are going to be a significant number of students who won’t qualify for graduation,” said Teresa Meredith, President of the Indiana State Teacher’s Association.

Before Wednesday’s vote, students simply had to pass the ISTEP exam and finish their End-of-Course Assessments to graduate, but now, students beginning high school in 2019 have much more to do to prepare for graduation and life after.

“I’m not so sure that putting students in the workplace sooner is the best way to do that,” said Meredith.

READ | New graduation requirements start with class of 2023

The new guidelines mean students not only have to earn enough credit hours to pass their classes, but they also must complete a work project or service-based learning, and earn an honors diploma or get a sufficient score on the ACT or SAT if they want to enlist in the military or go to college. If they don’t plan on going to college, they can get an apprenticeship instead.

The new requirements won’t begin until 2019’s freshmen class but the Indiana Teacher’s Association says they will continue to push for the guidelines to change before they take effect.

Learn more about the new requirements here.

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