State Update
Governor-elect Mike Braun announced his plans for a major restructuring of Indiana’s executive branch, implementing a new cabinet model (along with his picks for secretaries over eight policy areas) and his 2025 Freedom and Opportunity policy agenda. The Indiana State Board of Education voted unanimously on Wednesday approving new high school diploma requirements after more than a year of stakeholder feedback.
Governor-elect Mike Braun’s Transition
On Nov. 21, Governor-elect Mike Braun announced a new cabinet model to drive efficiency, accountability and communication in state government. The cabinet will consist of the governor, the chief of staff, the lieutenant governor, the superintendent of state police, the adjutant general of the Indiana National Guard and secretaries over eight policy areas.
Key elements of the new cabinet structure include:
- Clustering related agencies into eight separate verticals.
- Empowering each cabinet secretary to drive progress within their vertical.
- Holding cabinet members directly responsible for agency performance and continuous improvement.
- Enabling the cabinet to collaboratively implement cross-government initiatives.
- Assembling a lean, agile senior management team within the governor’s office to execute the administration’s priorities.
Lt. Governor-elect Micah Beckwith will serve as president of the Indiana Senate.
- Reporting Offices and Agencies: Indiana State Department of Agriculture and the Office of Community and Rural Affairs
The following individuals have been announced this month as the eight cabinet secretaries (agencies in bold are ones that interact the most with Indiana University):
- Lisa Hershman as Secretary of Management and Budget
- Role: Responsible for developing the budget to realize the Governor’s vision, providing management of agencies in finance, technology, and shared services, and serving as operational oversight across secretary verticals
- Reporting Offices and Agencies: Department of Administration, Office of Technology, Archives and Records Administration, State Department of Personnel, Inspector General, Public Access Counselor, Office of Administrative Law Proceedings, Ethics Commission, and Management Performance Hub, Public Retirement System, State Budget Agency, State Employees’ Appeals Commission, Department of Local Government Finance, Board of Tax Review, State Board of Accounts, Distressed Unit Appeal Board, Department of Revenue, and Indiana Finance Authority
- Katie Jenner as Secretary of Education
- Role: Responsible for programming across the full spectrum of education, from Pre-K to college, as aligned with Senator Braun’s agenda
- Reporting Offices and Agencies: Board of Education, Charter School Board, Education Employment Relations Board, Commission for Higher Education, Department of Education, Dolly Parton Library, School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and School for the Deaf
- David Adams as Secretary of Commerce
- Role: Responsible for driving economic opportunity for the state and for Hoosiers
- Reporting Offices and Agencies: (not including quasi-agencies) Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Indiana Destination Development Corporation, Department of Workforce Development, Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, Hoosier Lottery, Ports of Indiana, and Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority
- Gloria Sachdev as Secretary of Health and Family Services
- Role: Responsible for improving coordination across constituent-facing health and well-being services, addressing public health policy holistically
- Reporting Offices and Agencies: Department of Health, Family and Social Services Administration, Department of Child Services, and Department of Veteran Affairs
- Mike Speedy as Secretary of Business Affairs
- Role: Responsible for managing the state’s regulatory framework, ensuring that businesses and industries operate safely, ethically, and efficiently
- Reporting Offices and Agencies: Department of Insurance, Department of Financial Institutions, Department of Labor, Civil Rights Commission and Commission for Women, Workers Compensation Board, Professional Licensing Agency, Gaming Commission, Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, Horse Racing Commission, Office of Indiana State Chemist and Seed Commissioner, and Board of Animal Health
- Matthew Ubelhor as Secretary of Transportation and Infrastructure
- Role: Responsible for maintaining state’s transportation, infrastructure, and broadband systems to support Indiana’s economic growth and quality of life for Hoosiers
- Reporting Offices and Agencies: Department of Transportation, Northwest IN Regional Development Authority, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and Broadband Office
- Jennifer-Ruth Green as Secretary of Public Safety
- Role: Responsible for ensuring the safety and security of residents by overseeing law enforcement, emergency preparedness, and public safety policy development
- Reporting Offices and Agencies: Department of Corrections, Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, Law Enforcement Academy, Homeland Security, Office of School Safety, Integrated Public Safety Commission, Parole Board, and Department of Toxicology
- Suzanne Jaworowski as Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources
- Role: Responsible for driving energy and recreation policy to protect the needs of Hoosiers while pursuing sustainable economic development
- Reporting Offices and Agencies: Department of Natural Resources, Office of Water Quality, White River State Park, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Office of Energy Development, Utility Consumer Counselor, and Utility Regulatory Commission
On Dec. 3, Governor-elect Braun announced his 2025 Freedom and Opportunity Policy agenda. The agenda will prioritize:
- Providing tax relief to address inflation and reduce the burden for everyday Hoosiers
- Delivering a leaner, more responsive government that runs efficiently and provides excellent constituent services
- Equipping Indiana’s next generation through education, workforce development and economic development
- Investing in a healthier Indiana by driving down healthcare costs, increasing access and increasing transparency
- Improving quality of life for every Hoosier through public safety, affordable energy and clean water
The 2025 agenda combines executive action, legislative initiatives and agency-level reforms to achieve these policy goals. Governor-elect Braun and Lt. Governor-elect Beckwith (along with Attorney General Todd Rokita) will be sworn into office on January 13, 2025.
Learn more about the Braun Transition
Indiana High School Diploma Redesign Approved
On Dec. 11, after more than a year of stakeholder feedback, the Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) unanimously approved the final diploma rule, which is designed to maximize the four years of high school for students. Under a law passed by the Indiana General Assembly in 2023, the state was required to adopt new diploma requirements by Dec. 31, 2024.
Over the past year, Indiana leaders traveled the state to gather feedback and learn from schools that are working to blur the lines between K-12, higher education and the workforce. These examples served as a model for what new diploma requirements could look like and what is possible in all schools, to remove barriers for students and open doors of future opportunity.
As part of the rulemaking process, state statute requires two rule drafts, each with a 30-day public comment period. Before the final draft, adopted by SBOE on Wednesday, Indiana leaders presented the first and second drafts in March and August, respectively.
During the first public comment period, which took place from March 27 to July 30, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and SBOE received more than 8,000 online comments (including official comment from President Pamela Whitten on behalf of Indiana University) and heard hours of testimony from stakeholders seeking to improve the high school experience for Indiana students.
In August, the second draft incorporated significant stakeholder feedback and garnered public support as the diploma was streamlined and simplified to include one base diploma with minimum requirements for every student, as well as the opportunity for students to earn readiness seals aligned with their unique path. IDOE shared multiple letters from K-12, higher education, business and industry leaders (including President Whitten) voicing their support for the new proposal and their appreciation for the collaborative process which led to the revised second draft.
During the following public comment period, from Oct. 9 to Nov. 8, about 1,300 were received. These comments focused primarily on refining the second draft, as consensus around the diploma rule continued to grow.
In the final rule, requirements for the base diploma remain the same as those presented in August. This includes increased flexibility and course options for earning credits in core content areas, such as English, math, science, social studies, physical education and health. In addition to these core content areas, students will also take personalized electives which can include a variety of courses, such as career and technical education (CTE courses), performing or fine arts and/or world languages.
The majority of the updates between the second draft and the final rule were improvements to the readiness seals, based on feedback from educators, higher education leaders, business and industry as well as the military. With the increased flexibility in the diploma, the readiness seal concept first emerged in June to provide students and parents with a better understanding of a success blueprint complementing the student’s unique goals and aspirations. The readiness seals are designed to be permeable, allowing students to update their graduation plan and pivot throughout their high school journey, if their original interests and goals change.
Indiana leaders worked with external stakeholders to develop two levels for each readiness seal:
- Enrollment honors and Enrollment honors plus seals - Developed with the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, in conjunction with colleges and universities
- Employment honors and Employment honors plus seals - Developed with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and insights from Ascend Indiana's work with employers, in conjunction with the business representatives across multiple industries
- Enlistment honors and Enlistment honors plus seals - Developed with the Indiana National Guard, in conjunction with representatives from each military branch, as well as public safety officials
The honors seals are similar to the opportunities many Hoosier students have today, such as the current academic honors designation, and are designed to be even more intentional, elevating what truly impacts future success. The honors plus seals reflect the opportunities that exist for some Indiana students today, and that Indiana leaders aim to expand access for more students across the state. The honors plus seals are designed to increase skill development, work-based learning experiences, and opportunities for students to increase their educational attainment by earning a credential of value. Students who earn a readiness seal will automatically fulfill all Graduation Pathways requirements. Students who do not earn a seal must still complete components 2 and 3 of Graduation Pathways.
Throughout 2025, a number of implementation resources and supports will be developed, including:
- Eligible course titles and descriptions, by category
- Additional comprehensive work-based learning guidance, including a landscape analysis, complementing existing published guidance
- Market-driven credential of value list
- Interactive advising tool to support local implementation
- Increased flexibility on who can teach high school and college courses
- Rulemaking on new accountability model aligned to diplomas
IDOE and SBOE received multiple letters of support from superintendents, principals, school counselors, special education directors, higher education presidents (including President Whitten) and leadership, business and industry leaders, voicing their support for the final proposal.
Following approval by SBOE, the rule must be reviewed by the Office of the Attorney General. The graduation requirements become law when signed by the governor, which concludes the rulemaking process.
Per statute, Indiana’s current graduation requirements will sunset Oct. 1, 2028, making the new diploma requirements effective for all students beginning with the class of 2029, or students currently in eighth grade. Schools may opt-in beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. Indiana will also continue to offer the federally-required alternate diploma, which is designed for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.
Learn more about Redesigning the Indiana Diploma