This past month, the Indiana School Board of Education considered limiting the number of Art credits students could have in order to receive an Academic Honors Diploma when they graduate. Because of the increasing need for students’ necessary college preparation,  they will extremely limit the required credits for the Fine Arts. The Indiana Music Education Association responded to the Indiana School Board of Education:

  “All High School students should experience a well-rounded education that includes music and arts.  Fine Arts should not be accessible only to those students who think their career path will involve music or art.  Research on music education consistently shows a correlation to higher academic and personal achievement for students, regardless of socioeconomic background.  If the State Board of Education is truly concerned about College & Career ready, there should be a greater mandate for fine arts in the diploma requirements, not a lesser one.”

  Students involved in the arts were bothered by their consideration to the idea, including junior Kailen Dobias.

“The arts offer new ways for students to express themselves. Through Orchestra, I have made so many friends and memories. I’ve had such a great experience the past three years I’ve been in orchestra,” Dobias said. “I feel like it would look better to colleges if students were involved in more classes [involving the arts] rather than the plain classes like Math, English and Science.”

  A petition on change.org asked for a change in the Diploma requirement and for students to have more flexibility, receiving over 3,000 signatures. Junior Emily Wickline signed the petition in hopes that the proposal will not follow through.

  “Something like this would impact all of my friends as well as myself. Most of us take more than one music or art classes,” Wickline said. “In fact, we take as many as we can. Not all of us want to go into music or art, that’s true, but a lot of us do.”

  On Nov. 4, the IN Board of Education unanimously agreed to resolve the matter and send the diploma proposals back to the Sub-Committee to be revised. Although they are working to make a change, there is still a chance this project could be put into effect. Sign the petition here to help make a change. 

Story and Photo by Carly Valentine.