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Diploma Requirements

Indiana CORE 40

Education, business, labor and government leaders of the State of Indiana have agreed upon the educational expectations called the Indiana CORE 40. Indiana's CORE 40 curriculum provides the academic foundation all students need to succeed in college and the workforce.

Students:

  • Must meet the CORE 40 standard to be considered for admission to an Indiana four-year college or university.
  • Should meet the CORE 40 standard to ensure success in one- and two-year college and technical training programs.
  • Should meet the CORE 40 standard to ensure success in the workforce.
  • Each student will be assisted by his or her guidance counselor to create a career and course plan, designing programs of study for grades 9 through 12. The plan will direct students toward achievement of life goals beyond high school.

Core 40 Diploma Requirements

  • English/ Language Arts - 8 Credits
  • Mathematics - 6 Credits
    • 2 Credits: Algebra I
    • 2 Credits: Geometry
    • 2 Credits: Algebra II
  • Science - 6 Credits
    • 2 Credits: Biology I
    • 2 Credits: Chemistry I, Physics I or Integrated Chemistry-Physics
    • 2 Credits: any CORE 40 science course
  • Social Studies - 6 Credits
    • 2 Credits: U.S. History
    • 2 Credits: World History of the World 
    • 1 Credit: Economics
    • 1 Credit: U.S. Government
  • Directed Electives - 5 Credits Physical Education - 2 Credits
    • World Languages, Fine Arts, Career/ Technical
  • Health and Wellness - 1 Credit
  • Electives - 6 Credits

TOTAL - 40 Credits

CORE 40 with Academic Honors Diploma Requirements

  • All requirements included in CORE 40
  • 2 additional CORE 40 math credits
  • 6-8 CORE 40 world language credits (6 credits in a single language or 4 credits in each of 2 languages)
  • 2 CORE 40 fine arts credits
  • Earn a grade of "C" or above in courses that will count toward the diploma
  • Maintain a cumulative grade of "B" or above
  • Complete one of the following:
    • Two Advanced Placement courses and corresponding AP exams
    • Academic, transferable dual high school/college courses resulting in 6 college credits
    • One Advanced Placement course and corresponding AP ec\xam and academic transferable dual high school/ college course(s) resulting in 3 college credits.
    • Score 1200 or higher combined SAT math and critical reading
    • Score a 26 composite ACT
    • An international Baccalaureate Diploma

CORE 40 with Technical Honors Diploma Requirements

  • All requirements included in CORE 40
  • Earn a grade of "C" or above in courses that will count toward the diploma 
  • Maintain a cumulative grade of "B" or above
  • Complete a career-technical program resulting in 8-10 credits
  • Complete State recognized certification requirements by completing two of the options below, one of which must be A or B:
    • Take WorkKeys, an industry-driven assessment and score at or above a designated level on each of the three core readiness subject areas (Mathematical Reasoning, Reading for Information and Locating Information)
    • Technical, transferable dual high school/ college credit courses resulting in 6 college credits*
    • Professional career internship or cooperative education.*
    • A state approved industry recognized certification*

* Must be in the Career-Technical area of study 

General High School Diploma Requirements

For students who enter high school in 2007-2008 or later to graduate with less than CORE 40, the following opt-out process must be completed:

  • The student, the student's parent/guardian, and the student's counselor (or another staff member who assists students in course selection) meet to discuss the student's progress.
  • The student's career and course plan is reviewed
  • The student's parent/guardian determines whether the student will achieve greater educational benefits by completing the general curriculum or the CORE 40 curriculum
  • If the decision is made to opt out of CORE 40, the student is required to complete the course and credit requirements for a general diploma and determine the career/academic sequence that they will pursue

General Diploma Course and Credit Requirements:

  • English/ Language Arts - 8 Credits
  • Mathematics - 4 Credits
    • 2 Credits: Algebra I
    • 2 Credits: any math course
  • Science - 4 Credits
    • 2 Credits: Biology I
    • 2 Credits: any science course
  • Social Studies - 4 Credits
    • 2 Credits: U.S. History
    • 1 Credit: U.S. Government
    • 1 Credit: any social studies course
  • Directed Electives - 5 Credits Physical Education - 2 Credits
    • World Languages, Fine Arts, Career/ Technical
  • Health and Wellness - 1 Credit
  • Career Academic Sequence - 6 Credits
  • Flex Credit - 5 Credits
    • To earn 5 Flex Credits a student must complete one of the following:
      • Additional credits to extend the career academic sequence
      • Courses involving workplace learning, which may include the following courses:
        1. Career exploration internship
        2. Professional career internship
        3. Business cooperative experiences
        4. Cooperative family and consumer sciences
        5. Industrial cooperative education
        6. Interdisciplinary cooperative education
        7. Marketing field experience
      • High School/ College dual credit courses 
      • Additional courses in:
        1. Language Arts
        2. Social Studies
        3. Mathematics
        4. Science
        5. World Language
        6. Fine Arts
  • Electives 6 Credits

TOTAL - 40 Credits

Graduation Qualifying Exams

In addition to meeting SBCSC credit requirements, each student must pass the Graduation Qualifying Exams (GQUE) established by the Indiana Department of Education. Students will be required to pass End-of-Course (ECA) in Algebra I and Enlglish 10

Waiver to Earn a Diploma

Students who do NOT pass the GQE and have met the SBCSC and the Indiana course credit requirements can qualify for a waiver and earn a diploma in the following ways:

  • Meet all of the following criteria:
    • Take the GQE in each subject area in which the student did not achieve a passing score at least one time every school year
    • Complete remediation opportunities provided by the student's school in each subject during each of the junior and senior years 
    • Maintain a school attendance rate of at least 95 percent accumulated over all four years
    • Maintain at least "C" average or the equivalent in the courses comprising the credits specifically required for graduation by the State Board of Education (8 credits in English, 4 in social studies, 4 in mathematics, 4 in science, 1 in health and 1 in physical education)
    • Obtain a written recommendation from a teacher of the student in each subject area in which the student has not achieved a passing score

  or

  • Complete all components of the CORE 40 curriculum with a grade of "C" or higher in all required and directed elective courses

If any of the above requirements (1 or 2) are not met, the student will not receive a high school diploma.