| Core 40 Diploma with Academic Honors Diploma |
| 17 | Are the choices found in the Core 40 Diploma with Academic Honors affordable for school systems and low-income students | Schools: 1. Beginning July 2004, all schools were required to offer AP math and science for students who qualify (IC 20-10.1-22.2-5). The Indiana General Assembly has provided funding for schools to provide these courses. Some schools offer AP courses as online courses. Low-income Students: 1. Currently, the Indiana General Assembly is providing funding for AP exams in math (Calculus and Statistics), and science (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Enviromental Science). Both College Board and ACT provide no-cost assessments for low-income students to take the SAT and ACT, respectively. |
| 18 | How is math credit earned in eighth grade handled in the Core 40 with Academic Honors? | The eighth (8) mathematics credits must be earned after the student enters high school. If the student completes any of the required mathematics courses prior to entering high school, the student must complete additional Core 40 mathematics course in high school. Rationale: The purpose of taking math in eighth grade is to give students the opportunity to 1) take an additional math course in eighth grade, or 2) take a math course in high school over an extended period of time. To ensure that students take as much math as possible during the high school years (to better prepare them for postesecondary placement tests and to help them avoid remedial postsecondary courses), students earning the Core 40 Diploma with Academic Honors must take eighth (8) math credits in high school even if they earned two math credits in eighth grade. |
| 19 | Do students have to earn a certain score on the AP test if they choose that option fo the Core 40 with Academic Honors Diploma? | No. The Core 40 with Academic Honors language only stipulates that students take the AP exam, not that they score at a certain level. This is due to the time timing of the test. Seniors receive the results of their AP tests in the summer following their senior year making it impossible to require a score for the Core 40 with Academic Honors Diploma. |
| 20 | Is the SAT benchmark score of 1200 based on the current SAT test or the new SAT test? | The SAT benchmark score (1200) that appears in the proposed rule is based on the current SAT test, which includes two tests (verbal and math) with a maximum composite score of 1600. The new SAT test (first available in March 2005) includes three tests (writing, math, and critical reading) with a maximum composite score of 2400. The Indiana Department of Education will recommend to the State Board that the SAT score be revised to reflect a score on the new SAT that is comparable to a 1200 on the current SAT. |
| 21 | Do students earning the Core 40 with Academic Honors have to earn their foreign language credits after the students enter high school? | No. Students may begin earning their foreign language credits prior to entering high school. However, students planning to enroll in foreign language courses in college are strongly encouraged to take foreign language during the senior year. |
| 22 | Can students in the Class of 2009 be waived from the Core 40 with Academic Honors diploma requirement that student must earn eight Core 40 math credits after they enter high school? | The Indiana Department of Education will recommend to the State Board that the requirement for students to earn eight math credits after they enter high school be waived for the Class of 2009. Rationale: Students in the Class of 2009 who plan to pursue the Indiana Academic Honors Diploma enrolled in Core 40 math courses during eighth grade with the understanding that the credits they earned in eighth grade would apply toward the math credits Academic Honors Diploma. Note: This waiver is not necessary for students in the Class of 2009 who plan to pursue the Core 40 Diploma. Since its creation, the Core 40 diploma has required students to earn six credits in the Core 40 math after they enter high school. | 23 | What is "transferable" college credit | The Indiana Department of Education, in consultation with the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, will define "transferable" college credit. Pending funding, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education will publish a website listing colleges and universities and the credits which will transfer to various institutions. |
| 24 | What courses are available to students following Algebra 2 | The Indiana Department of Education plans to create additional math courses for students in the Class of 2009 that would follow Algebra 2. Currently, students may enroll in the following courses after completing Algebra 2: |