The student pulls out a freshly sharpened #2 pencil and a calculator. She sets them on her desk, then waits anxiously as the teacher hands out the GradeCam bubble sheets. Once she receives the test booklet and reads the questions, she carefully fills in the bubbles on the answer sheet, constantly double checking her calculations. Her first high school final, Honors Algebra 2, is nothing like her eighth grade geometry final.
Regardless of what school students go to, the shift from middle school to high school can be challenging both socially and academically.
This year, the change is substantial because of the new state diploma and Targeted Instruction (TI) procedures.
The new Indiana diploma for high school was approved by the Indiana State Board of Education in December 2024 and will be effective starting with the freshmen graduating in 2029. The goal of the new diploma is to provide more flexibility to students and provide more workplace learning in schools.
The base diploma requires students to complete 42 credits. They are given the option to earn one of three seals indicating their readiness for college, the workforce, or armed service.
Each diploma also has a “plus” option for students to earn a certain amount of workplace learning hours, a certain credential, or a certain score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery.
The new diploma has the same requirements for basic subjects like English and social studies. However, it encourages students to take more personalized electives that can range from fine arts to world languages.
Freshmen are also required to take freshman seminar, a semester class where students explore career options and learn about the importance of their high school education, as there is a large jump between middle school and high school.
“Last year, there were not as many tests, so there was not as much to learn on topics,” freshman Irris Moore said. “And there is a lot of different topics for each subject.”
Classes like biology, which all freshmen are required to take, dive deeper into topics than middle school science. Students learn more about photosynthesis, genetics, and evolution in ninth grade than in eighth grade.
On the other hand, some freshmen believe high school is not that different from middle school.
“I think it was more similar than I thought it would be,” freshman Ren Holsman said. “I thought that the switch between middle school and high school would be much more dramatic than it actually was, but it was actually pretty similar, and it is just more structured.”
Besides the new diploma, another change for freshmen is procedures for TI. It is the eighth block, so it occurs every other day. Students can make up tests, ask teachers for help, or focus on homework. This year, freshmen are not allowed to schedule themselves off campus, so they cannot leave school during TI.
While this policy change is for academic enrichment, some students get distracted by friends when studying during TI.
“I feel like they should give us the option to leave if you want,” said Moore.
Other students find it difficult to concentrate at school, and focus better in quiet places outside school.
“I find it hard to study in school a lot of the time,” said Holsman. “I like going to the library or the café, and it is really nice and quiet. I do not really like to stay at school for too long.”
Whether studying during TI or outside of school, every student studies differently. Some use online flashcards like Quizlet or Blooket, while others focus on study guides and ask teachers questions about concepts they do not understand.
“I am going over notes and doing practice problems and Quizlets,” freshman Josie Shirrell said. “[I also study with friends], like talking to them and making sure you both understand it.”
Some students make study plans to allocate their time efficiently between sports and studying.
“I have a plan for each day, so I am studying an hour and a half a day,” Moore said. “It is two subjects every day. I am doing three days of math this week, three days of my monologue, and then I am doing six days of bio and five days of English.”
Many freshmen are stressed about their first high school final exams since they do not know what to expect, but they’re looking forward to more free time during winter break.
“I am just doing whatever I can and no matter what happens, this is my first one, so I can always try again,” Holsman said. “I am really excited to have more time to myself because I have always liked to make things, but I have felt that I have had no time to actually make things. I really like creating art and doing meditation, but I have been super stressed out about finals and I have been finding it really difficult to draw anything or focus at all. So I am really excited to get back on track.”
