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Purdue University’s president says Indiana’s proposed changes to high school diplomas do not meet the school’s admission standards in math, social studies and world languages.
In a letter sent to top state education leaders last week, President Mung Chiang said several changes to the diplomas do not meet what have been the entry criteria at the Big Ten Conference university.
High school curriculum is an important factor in college admission, Chiang said in the letter.
“Not all students will attend college,” Chiang wrote. “However, all students should clearly understand college admission requirements and be offered the coursework needed to be admitted to and succeed in college.”
Just fewer than half of the 8,568 first-time, first-year fall 2023 students at Purdue’s West Lafayette campus are in-state students, excluding international students.
The Indiana Department of Education, or IDOE, and the Commission for Higher Education could not be reached for comment.
The letter from the leader of one of the state’s flagship research universities comes as IDOE seeks revisions to its initial plan for diplomas. The department closed its first wave of public comment on Tuesday.
Education Secretary Katie Jenner previously said a revised draft of diplomas will be made public in August after the State Board of Education weighs in.
A 2023 state law tasks the state board to adopt new requirements by the end of the year. The department delayed its timeline by a few months but expects to meet the deadline.
“We will not break the law as a State Board of Education,” Jenner said.
Students will no longer be required to take the SAT or ACT to graduate—both standardized exams are highly-encouraged for admission at Purdue and several other state universities. Chiang said that’s one of several factors that could impact students who wish to be admitted to Purdue.
Purdue asked the education department to create an enrollment seal that would align with requirements for “competitive applications” to other research universities in the state.
Under the department’s plan, the state would stop offering most existing diplomas—such as the Core 40, honors and technical—with the Class of 2028.
‘Disaster for students’
Many families and community members have expressed concern about dissolving the current honors diploma.
Leaders of the School Town of Munster came out against several parts of the proposal, specifically plans to sunset the honors diploma.
“Losing the academic honors diploma will be a disaster for our students who want to go onto higher education,” said John Doherty, school board president for the district.
Doherty, who spoke at a public hearing about the diplomas on Tuesday, asked if the state board sought input from the Commission for Higher Education.
Chiang said in the letter that Purdue students who completed an Honors diploma performed better than those earning the remaining diplomas, such as Core 40.
Those honors students were also more likely to have a higher first semester GPA and greater retention rate, according to 2017 data cited by Chiang.
Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D-Fishers), who hosted informational events in her Hamilton County district, said parents and educators have shared an “outpouring of concern” about the new model.
Garcia Wilburn called for the state’s Honors diploma to be reinstated in the next draft. She said the laws passed by lawmakers did not call for a complete rework of the high school diploma system.
“They just called upon you to add a workforce training-based diploma,” Garcia Wilburn said.
Jenner said the new rule needs to be passed by December, but that even more work will come after that.
“It’s going to take months working with educators, working with students, parents and families, stakeholders, business industry, some of whom you heard today, to build out that guidance and support that we need,” Jenner said. “The systems that we need.”
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Two decades of declining educational attainment corresponding with two decades of Republican control of education. We keep losing big employers to neighboring states that have more college graduates, and we decide to double down on having even fewer of them by lowering standards. Indiana Republicans must think there’s not a future in Indiana worth investing in.
What a mess – the fact the DOE apparently didn’t consult with CHE/Purdue shows there are fundamental flaws in the development of the new diplomas. Need to pause and reset.
Incidentally, for all the good he did, this is Mitch Daniels biggest stain as Governor…. he started the ball rolling toward advocating toward K-12 policy under the Governor’s office, as opposed to separately elected/accountable leaders. With a now-insulated DOE, not a surprise fundamental things like diplomas are unpopularly flawed, with siloed thinking.
Am I the only one concerned that one of Indiana’s premier universities is no longer primarily educating Indiana children? How can we expect the State to prosper when Indiana children can no longer attend our state Universities because they are accepting a majority of out-of-state students?
They haven’t done so since the state cut higher education funding in 2007-2008. In response to the state never restoring that, they’ve long since pivoted to more out-of-state and international students.
But hey, we are a low tax state!
This whole episode is just one more small step in the Republican war on education and their drive to dumb down America. Remember Donald Trump’s comment -“I love the poorly educated.”
Firstly, that’s false. There is no “out-of-state majority” at Purdue.
The incoming freshman class is 40% from Indiana, 42% from out-of-state, and 18% international. The University received nearly 73,000 applications for just over 9,000 spots this year – they have an obligation to be as selective as possible, as one of the top 100 Universities in the world and top 30 Universities nationally. The reach of a Purdue degree goes far beyond just the state.
If Indiana’s high schools aren’t good enough to prepare students for Purdue, that’s a Statehouse issue. Purdue has no obligation to accept students just because they live in the state. There are dozens of public universities, regional campuses, and community colleges in this state, any one of which will surely be glad to accept the enrollment of those students.
Charles, that means 60% is not from Indiana… they’re out-of-state.
Purdue gets a large chunk of funding from the state of Indiana. That should not come with “no strings attached”. Qualified Hoosier students, the graduates most likely to stay in Indiana and become vital to the economic success of the state of Indiana, should be the priority.
“Firstly, that’s false. There is no “out-of-state majority” at Purdue.
The incoming freshman class is 40% from Indiana, 42% from out-of-state, and 18% international. ”
Charles M. – what exactly do you think a majority means?
Joe B; IL is a very high tax state. Their high school test scores almost identical to IN despite much higher spending on public education (to buy teachers union votes and support bloated pensions). Their State Universities are on par with Purdue or IU. Is that what you aspire to; pay more in taxes for similar results?
I’d aspire to pay more to not have roads that remind me of the Apollo 11 landing site.
But my other aspiration is that all qualified Indiana high school students who desire a college education are able to get into an Indiana college, because they’re the people most likely to stay in Indiana and they’re what we need to compete as a state. I don’t want to find out there aren’t spaces for them because they lost out to other kids who brought bigger checks. Hearing stories about kids who are top 10 in their class in a township school in Marion County getting waitlisted is not acceptable. Not when the state of Indiana contributes billions to those universities.
And, yes, I’m willing to pay for it. Because I think that’s a wise investment in the future.
Rather than making the requirements aspirational, it appears the so-called “leadership” that is responsible for raising the bar in Indiana is on track to dumb it down. Makes me wonder: what the high school GPA was for those in charge?
At some point, I would be happy with our high school graduates simply being able to read and balance their checkbook — Although, I don’t believe they even know what a checkbook is anymore.
Replace “checkbook” with “bank account” and you’re in this century.
As a Purdue grad (HE73) I totally understand most of what is going on here. If the objective for the DOE was to add work force training degree then just add it . Don’t dilute what you have. I like to think that with land grant universities , IU, PU and maybe others that we want to have higher standards. Its a mean world out there and you need every bit of knowledge and education you can get and then some don’t make it with that. Also most grads probably don’t stay in state. Sorry. When I was at Purdue we had an influx of international students and that hasn’t changed. In fact there are even more. They want a good education and are looking for it at Purdue. If the new proposal doesn’t make changes to what they are proposing they are denying our in state students the opportunity to attend Purdue.
I agree that our State Legislators are obviously trying to dumb down our schools even further. When some of the most successful high schools in the state are alarmed, time to STOP and reevaluate! Then add that the head of Purdue is pointing out how bad the plan to change diploma requirements is, we need the Legislators to just stop! As Mr. Daniels recently pointed out – when one political party has long-term control of the Government, the results are not good for the citizens of Indiana. When the former Republican Governor points out there is a problem – some of his own making – we need to listen. The main problem is our Legislative Body as a whole who are trying to out do each other in trying to undo what works. Just look at what is happening to Indiana Medicare and how so many families caring for children with debilitating health conditions are decreasing the aid that was previously provided! Of course these are the same people who SAY they support families – so shameful! Indiana is so far off track!
Well said.
The less education our coming high school graduates have means more of them will be available for the low paying warehouse, distribution centers, and logistics center jobs that all of our elected leaders are all to eager to give massive tax breaks to so they locate in their communities. And then pass massive property tax increases on homeowners to make up the shortfall from the tax breaks given to big business.
If the objective for the DOE was to add work force training degree, then just add it. Don’t dilute what you have. I’m not certain as to why this objective seemed to have fallen off track but there are many trades (electrician, plumber, welder, mechanic, etc.) that are fine career paths not necessarily requiring the same academics as college entry. I would imagine that students and parents will have to aid their children in good choices as to those options.
The red shirt Teachers Union have controlled the Republicans in the State House for years, it is about time we realize the Teachers Union has failed our public education system!
Abolishing the Federal Government DOE, would eliminate an additional layer if bureaucracy!
Thats an interesting take.