1

Indiana Core 40Curriculum

July 2006

Indiana Commission for Higher Education

2

Indiana’s Core 40 Curriculum 1994 - Established as the single high school curriculum

designed to give students the best foundation for success in college and the workforce.

Adopted by the State Board of Education, Commission for Higher Education, the higher education and business communities, and the state legislature.

Voluntary for students, but required to be offered by schools, students receive a Core 40 diploma that is recorded in the HS transcript and provided to colleges.

A Core 40 need-based financial aid bonus is provided to students similar to Academic Competitiveness Grant.

3

Indiana’s Core 40 Curriculum

2005 - Indiana General Assembly adopted Core 40 as the required curriculum for all students with an opt-out provision.

Core 40 will be the minimum course requirement for admission to Indiana four-year public universities (for the graduating class of 2011).

Core 40 is the foundation for Academic Honors and Technical Honors.

4

5

Challenging Courses = Big Rewards. Students who take strong academic courses in high school are more likely to enroll in college and earn a degree. That’s important, because higher education pays: On average, college graduates earn more than a million dollars more over a lifetime than those with only a high school education. High school graduates earn 42 percent more than high school dropouts. Core 40 pays.

More Career Options. Good jobs require education beyond high school. That means if you want a job that will support you and your future family, provide health benefits and offer a chance for advancement, you’ll need to complete a two- or four-year degree, apprenticeship program, military training, or workforce certification. If you are planning to go directly to work after high school graduation, you will still need to be prepared for training and retooling throughout your lifetime. Core 40 gives you more options — and more opportunities — to find a career with a real future.

What Employers and Training Programs Want. Employers, apprenticeship programs and the military all agree – they expect you to arrive with essential skills, including speaking and writing clearly, analyzing information, conducting research, and solving complex problems. The expectations are the same: You need Core 40.

Preparation for College Success. It’s not just about getting in — it’s about finishing. To succeed in college-level work, students need to complete Core 40 in high school. Anything less may mean taking remedial (high school) coursework in college, which means it will take you longer to finish and will cost you more in college tuition. It also means you’ll have a greater chance of dropping out before you get your degree. That’s why Core 40 is a college admissions requirement: In fall 2011 you won’t be able to start at a four-year public Indiana college without Core 40 (or a documented equivalent). Most

private colleges require students to have at least this level of high school academic preparation. Core 40 is your best preparation for success.

Money for College. The Core 40 diploma can help you earn money for college. Indiana students who complete a Core 40 diploma and meet other financial aid and grade requirements can receive up to 90 percent of approved tuition and fees at eligible colleges. Core 40 with Academic Honors graduates can receive up to 100 percent and some colleges also offer their own scholarships specifically for students who earn this diploma.

Succeeding With Core 40 Core 40 becomes Indiana’s required high school curriculum in fall 2007. Students entering high school at that time will be expected to complete Core 40 as a graduation requirement.

By providing all Indiana students a balanced sequence of academically rigorous high school courses in the core subjects of English/language arts, mathematics, science and social studies; physical education/health and wellness; and electives including world languages, career/technical, and fine arts, the Core 40 requirement gives all our students the opportunity to compete with the best. That’s great news for Indiana students.

To graduate with less than Core 40, a student must complete a formal opt-out process involving parental consent. See your school counselor for full details.

For more information about Core 40 and your career and course plan, see your counselor and visit Learn More Resource Center at www.learnmoreindiana.org.

(updated 9/23/05)

Your Academic Edge

Indiana’s Core 40 curriculum helps you make the most of your high school years by providing the academic foundation you will need to succeed in college and the workforce. Here are some of the benefits of Core 40:

6

Academic Honors Core 40

Other Regular

1993–94 1997–98 2004–05

57%

19%

24%

33% 31%

36%87%

12%1%

Source: Indiana Department of Education.

High School PreparationAcademic Honors and Core 40 together represent 67% all Indiana high school diplomas after a decade.

7

22.5%

28.8%

44.9%

36.3%

60.0%

55.0%

41.0%42.0%

52.0%51.0%

69.0% 66.0%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

African American Hispanic White Multi-racial

199820012005

Source: Indiana Department of Education.

High School PreparationIndiana Core 40 diplomas awarded show all races benefit by a more rigorous curriculum.

8

High School Preparation A strong high school curriculum* improves college completion for all students

*Completing at least Algebra II plus other courses.

Source: Adapted from Adelman, Clifford, U.S. Department of Education, Answers in the Toolbox, 1999.

45%

61%

73%75% 79%86%

0%

100%

AfricanAmerican

Latino White

All collegeentrants

Entrants who hadstrong highschool curriculum

% of students who complete college by race

9

High School Preparation1999 Indiana high school graduates persisting to the second year in college

91.5%

80.0%72.9%

43.1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

AcademicHonors

Core 40 Regular GED

Source: Indiana Commission for Higher Education, Student Information System.

10

High School DropoutsHigh school graduation rates

Source: Greene, J.P. & Winters, M.A. Public High School Graduation and College-Readiness Rates: 1991-2002. Education Working Paper, (8), February 2005, Manhattan Institute.

76%72%

72% 71%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Indiana Nation

Core 40 has not resulted in more student dropouts.

11

Percent of high school graduates enrolled the next fall in higher education shows positive effect of Core 40 on college aspirations.

Ranked34th

Ranked10th

Source: Postsecondary Education Opportunity, Oskaloosa, Iowa.

53.6%

62.4%60.0%60.5%

57.9%55.0%

50.0%

57.2%58.5% 56.7%57.2% 56.6%

1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002

Indiana Nation

12

Next Steps for States to Consider Setting a Core 40-type curriculum as the

minimum college admission standard

Integrating a Core 40-type curriculum into the state’s need-based financial aid program

Implementing End-of-Course assessments in key high school courses

Utilizing college-readiness indicators such as Accuplacer and COMPASS in high school

Developing systems of bridging data between high schools and colleges (i.e., Indiana’s E-Transcript)

13

Results from Indiana End-of-Course Assessments and Pilot College Readiness Indicator

End-of-Course Assessments 20% - Pass Rate for Algebra I

50% - Pass rate for English Grade 11

Pilot College Readiness Indicator

Participating high school students completing Algebra II course:

5% - Would place in college-level math

95% - Were not proficient in Algebra II

57% - Were not proficient in Algebra I

14

Fall 2005 Math Enrollment and D,F,W, Grades at One Selective Indiana Four-Year University

D Grades F Grades W GradesTOTALHCT

Math Category HCT% of Total HCT

% of Total HCT

% of Total

Remedial 0 0.0% 57 8.1% 119 16.8% 707

Algebra 7 4.7% 5 3.4% 27 18.2% 148

Pre-calculus 91 10.6% 70 8.1% 241 28.0% 861

Calculus 210 6.9% 180 5.9% 706 23.2% 3,046

Total 308 6.5% 312 6.6% 1,093 23.0% 4,762