Failing Students Prompt Graduation Requirement Changes In Muncie

As state lawmakers continue to debate possible changes to who runs Muncie Community Schools, changes are already on the way at the district level. A high number of Muncie students are failing courses needed to graduate.  As IPR’s Tony Sandleben explains, that data has informed a push for new graduation requirements.

More than 100 students at Muncie Central High School earned a failing grade this past year in five courses.  Courses like English, biology, and personal finance.  Those five courses are all graduation requirements, per Indiana law.

MCS Director of Secondary Education Cassandra Shipp. (Photo: Tony Sandleben)

MCS Director of Secondary Education Cassandra Shipp says the reasons for those grades vary.

“It can be due to understanding — how we engage our students’ interest in the subject.  And then just the common day things that our students go through. You deal with other things outside of school. Then, you come to school, and you’re trying to learn, but sometimes those things kind of distract you.”

The new requirement removes the extra credits that Muncie schools originally required for students to graduate with an Indiana Core 40 diploma. It removes, for example, a technology course that some teachers say is unnecessary, now that tech is integrated into a lot more classes.  Muncie Central students now will need the same 40 credits the Indiana Department of Education mandates for a high school diploma.

Shipp says the district’s requirements for an academic honors diploma will not change.

Also at Tuesday night’s meeting, school board secretary Kat Carey announced she is in favor of Ball State University taking responsibility for MCS.  She says it is the best way to ensure her children and all Muncie students get the best possible education.  That plan is in a bill before the Indiana Senate Appropriations Committee.  It is expected to be voted on in that committee on Thursday morning.