New Indiana diploma requirements are ‘Bulldog Ready’

Written by Batesville's Superintendent

Article written by Batesville Superintendent Paul Ketcham:

(BATESVILLE, Ind.) -- In Batesville we have a mantra: “Bulldog Ready.” 

It is more than just a saying. It is a promise we make together with our students and their families to work every day to prepare our graduates to be the most desirable applicant for whatever they want to do after high school.  

Bulldog Ready means our students are prepared to earn a degree from the college or university of their dreams, to pursue a successful career in a technical field, or even to serve our country in the armed forces. 

Our mantra also represents a remarkable evolution in how we view success in our schools because we can no longer afford to simply look at graduation rates or the number of students we are moving through a pre-defined system. Today, we expect our students to graduate, but now more than ever, their diploma is their resume as they embark on the next phase of their lives and careers.  

That is why I am excited about the proposed changes to the Indiana diploma requirements that are now under consideration. 

Instead of an outmoded, one-size-fits-all solution that is poorly aligned with today’s economy, the new diploma requirements effectively will set the floor and then allow for increased flexibility for students and their families to personalize their experiences based on their needs. Where many students today report their required classes are not relevant to their goals, the proposed diploma creates new learning pathways that will allow each student to be more invested in their educational pathways and give them an enviable opportunity to explore areas in which they have an interest. 

We’ve seen this firsthand in Batesville. By leveraging relationships with every facet of our community, including higher education, local businesses, trade schools, and more, we’ve created valuable partnerships that when combined with our modified block schedule allow our students to test drive a career and begin to build that resume. Whether it is co-ops, internships, apprenticeships, college credit, or other pursuits, these experiences allow students to test drive career paths and often graduate with a valuable credential and durable connections that create a firm foundation for success after high school.  

Just as importantly, it can allow students to learn what fields they do not enjoy, giving them the opportunity and flexibility to redirect, saving valuable money and time down the road.  

We have found that this approach has been enthusiastically embraced by our community. The connections and opportunities that our students need are already sitting in our stands and auditorium. They want to help! By getting our students outside of the traditional four walls of the high school, we can strengthen the bonds of our community and provide mutually beneficial results. In a very real sense, our high school has proven to be one of the best economic development tools our community has at its disposal.

This strategy has worked for Batesville, and I am confident that the increased flexibility and educational pathways offered by Indiana’s proposed updated diploma requirements will allow us to create even more opportunities for our students to be Bulldog Ready. I hope that the updated proposal, which was thoughtfully created after feedback from all stakeholders, is promptly finalized by the State Board of Education.