IAHE has spent considerable time this summer researching issues related to the proposed Indiana diplomas. Nonpublic schools are not required to follow the State diplomas, so we are affected indirectly. We do regularly look to the Indiana Core 40, or for college-prep, to the Academic Honors diploma standards to give homeschoolers a solid guideline as they prepare their students for college.
There has been a shift from the historical American educational philosophy, which values an individual child’s broad-based, liberal arts education. The freedom of the student to live out the “American Dream,” to choose his own destiny, is becoming lost to a collectivist view of education, manifested in group projects, collaborative learning, and the view of children as “human capital.” This shift in educational philosophy produces workers for the current labor trends, not for forward thinkers of tomorrow. We are thankful to have the freedom to home educate our children so that we can continue to tailor their education to meet their unique needs and prepare them to be innovative thinkers and leaders for a brighter tomorrow.
IAHE is concerned about melding the academic honors diploma with the technical honors diploma. There is a subtle shift away from solid academics toward a focus on workforce skills. The “pathways” and the credentialing that accompany the new diplomas are troubling. The STEM Pathway caught our eye. Recently an article in U.S. News & World Report stated that College Board would provide a STEM Credential for students who use Project Lead The Way (PLTW) curriculum along with AP curriculum. We are troubled by this STEM Credential and wonder if this could be the beginning of a piecemeal national curriculum? Why is PLTW part of a credential when it is not considered college-prep, but only career exploration? Will this “nudge” private school students into the public system? Will this hamper nonpublic students acceptance into college programs if they do not have the STEM Credential or any other credential that may be developed for additional pathways in the future? These are questions that IAHE has been asking elected officials and policymakers this summer.
IAHE believes it is crucial that Indiana nonpublic school students continue to have the option to pursue alternative forms of education. Our Founding Fathers left education to the States, which if elected officials followed the Constitution, it would prevent the national standardization we are now observing related to Common Core/College and Career Ready Standards.
Stay tuned! The diplomas are still working their way through the process to be ready for the approval of the Indiana General Assembly in the 2016 legislative session.
If you’d like to discuss the diplomas, join us in the IAHE Homeschool Discussion group.
Make sure your homeschool friends are connected to IAHE; we may call on all homeschoolers to work together if we need to take action.
For further study:
The Teaching of Science and the Problem with STEM