Major changes are coming to Indiana schools, as state educators are adding a new climate change curriculum to science classes. New state science standards, which require more climate education, will go into full effect by next school year.

A 2020 survey by science educators found a majority of the 50 states did not include elements of environmental science and climate change in their curricula.

Glenn Branch, deputy director of the National Center for Science Education, said over the past decade, climate change has gone from being an abstract concept to a clear and present danger to the planet.

"It's important for today's students to understand climate change because they're going to be experiencing the disruptive effects of climate change for the rest of their life," Branch pointed out. "They'll need to be equipped with the knowledge and know how to adapt to and mitigate the worst of these effects."

The state's new Climate Change Education Framework was produced by a partnership between Purdue University and the Indiana Board of Education. Officials call the curriculum a "major step forward" in preparing students to cope with climate change.

A recent study by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication found 72% of Americans believe climate change is real, and a majority agree it is caused by human activity. Branch said in a study by the center, Indiana ranked among the bottom 10 states for its climate change studies.

"In that study, Indiana's standards received a D, so not very good at all," Branch noted. "If we were to apply the same rubric to the new standards, it would at least get a B plus, possibly an A minus."

Branch added many teachers have not yet had the opportunity to learn about climate change and will need extra training to get up to speed.

"It's one thing to tell the teachers, 'Hey, you need to start teaching more about climate change,' and it's another thing to prepare the teachers to do so," Branch stressed. "Remember, today's teachers were educated in yesterday's schools. Yesterday's schools didn't teach very much about climate change."

Enrollment in Indiana's 21st Century Scholars program has surged, reaching record levels. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education reports the program has enrolled more than 90,000 students for 2027 and 2028, more than double previous numbers. The boost follows a 2023 law allowing automatic enrollment for eligible students.

Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago, authored the change. He hopes it helps more low-income students access a debt-free college education by meeting academic requirements.

"There are a lot of people that did not know it existed," he said. "I would ask people when they asked me about ways to fund their children's education, and I would mention 21st Century Scholars and almost 100% of the time the person would look at me and go, 'what's that?'"

The 21st Century Scholars program was created in 1990. It offers tuition-free college at Indiana's two- and four-year institutions for students who qualify based on income. Students eligible for the National School Lunch Program are automatically enrolled, though they may opt out. To remain in the program, they must meet certain academic and behavioral standards.

Harris commended the program's success and voiced optimism for expanding bipartisan educational efforts.

"I believe we as a state should do everything we can to help our young people continue their education post high school. We know funding is a big roadblock for a lot of people, and 21st Century Scholars is a great way to make sure that those funds are in place," he continued.

State education officials say over 50,000 students enrolled for 2028, with an additional 46,000 for 2027. Before automatic enrollment, sign-ups typically saw between 16,000 and 19,000 students.

Parents and educators in Massachusetts are celebrating an end to the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System graduation requirement.

Nearly 60% of voters approved Question 2, which ensures students still take the standardized test but does not require passage to receive a high school diploma.

Carolyn Scafidi, a retired special educator in Tyngsborough, said the results show voters trust teachers.

"The educators are the professionals, so let us do what we do best, not other outside sources saying that this is what you should be doing," Scafidi stressed.

Skafidi pointed out students must still complete district-certified coursework to demonstrate their comprehension and she predicted students will fare better without the added stress of a high-stakes test. Opponents said removal of the MCAS test will only loosen academic standards and increase inequality.

Roughly 700 students each year do not pass the MCAS exam and do not receive their high school diploma. Educators said the majority are students of color, English language learners and those with disabilities.

Joy Ahmed, a parent in Ashland, said her son has a learning disability and gets nervous before tests. She hopes more special education students and those put in transition programs after age 18 will no longer be penalized.

"Which would be a huge change in the special education community in the way that we treat students who are unique learners in this state," Ahmed observed. "They were often denied access to getting a diploma, so I'm thrilled for those families."

Ahmed added teachers will also have more time to be creative in the classroom without having to spend so many hours "teaching to the test." Massachusetts was one of just eight states to still require passage of a standardized test to receive a high school diploma.


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As New York considers new graduation requirements, the alternatives might not be easy to implement.

The state's Blue Ribbon Commission on Graduation Measures said Regents exams will no longer count toward graduation. Studies show exit exams do not raise a high school diploma's value or student achievement.

Arlen Benjamin Gomez, executive director of The Education Trust-New York, said while one alternative is performance-based assessments, the Department of Education might not provide resources for all districts to shift away from the Regents exams.

"In that process, we're concerned about what districts will do in order to look at other ways of demonstrating proficiency for students and whether students will be given a full menu of opportunities," Gomez noted. "Or whether some students will be pushed toward Regents exams and other students pushed towards untested ways of demonstrating proficiency."

Critics said Regents exams present barriers and biases for students. Along with racial biases, studies show exit exams can impact multilingual learners and students with disabilities. Before new requirements can be implemented, she argued fixing underlying issues such as minority students being undereducated should be addressed first.

Beyond new graduation requirements, Gomez pointed out another way to improve education is by fully funding schools. The Rockefeller Institute is studying the formula since many education advocates said it is ripe for change.

She contended the current education system is not preparing students for college and beyond.

"What we are doing is setting kids up to not be proficient, not being able to graduate demonstrating that proficiency, and then going on to college and careers where they're going to struggle, taking entry-level work-based assessments, or they might have to take remedial courses in college," studying the formula outlined. "We know that can lead to increased debt or students dropping out of school."

Current statistics show fewer than half of eighth graders statewide are proficient in math in a 2022-2023 assessment.

Students of color fared worse, with only 32% of Latino students and 31% of Black students being proficient in math. The numbers were still less than half for the same groups' reading proficiency.