It finally happened — I have become my father. Specifically, I find myself talking about how things were when I was growing up. For instance, when I went to high school, everyone got the same diploma and it gave you a rounded knowledge base to prepare you for your future, whatever that may have looked like.
But diplomas have been specialized and complicated in recent decades. In some ways, the Indiana Department of Education’s move to streamline Indiana’s diploma system will alleviate some of that.
The state would move from four or five types of diplomas to two: Indiana GPS Diploma and GPS Diploma Plus.
State officials and stakeholders also want more kids taking more college classes and getting workplace credentials. It seems Indiana students are having trouble completing high school coursework proficiently and yet we are pushing them to do even more.
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But the formula to earn a diploma would still be complex, involving words like pathways, work-based learning and apprenticeships. And slowly, education seems more about training workers than teaching students.
Pinning down students too early
My primary issue with the whole debate is that the system wants to pin down students so early in their K-12 careers. You pretty much must know what avenue you want to go down by 8th grade.
How many people knew exactly what they wanted to be at 14 years old? It happens, but it’s rare. It is much more logical that you use middle school and even the beginning of high school to learn a variety of things and see what piques your interest. We called those elective courses in my days (the early 1990s, if you must know).
You could take journalism or drama or industrial arts, for instance. I always knew I loved the written word, but my high school journalism class solidified how I wanted to move forward. Other students found that they loved working with their hands.
Nowadays, some of those elective courses might be more technical, such as computer programming and business classes. But the idea is the same — trying a variety of things to find your passion.
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Is there even any room for electives anymore? State education officials say the proposed changes would actually allow electives to count toward other credits and make them more of a focus, not less. If so, I applaud that.
I also don’t know why, suddenly, young adults can’t seem to handle basic tasks. Or at least that’s what employers are saying. Going to school itself taught me about showing up on time, completing my work, communicating with others on projects and the consequences of a bad grade when I slacked off. All those things translate into the workforce.
But if they didn’t, that’s why we had part-time jobs. For me, it was dipping ice cream and ringing up gas sales at a convenience store or selling CDs and, gasp, vinyl records at a music store in the mall.
Why, suddenly, does that need to be part of my diploma?
Willing to learn
I have read so much on this topic because so many people I respect and admire are telling me this new path is necessary. So, I am trying to be open to the proposals. I know that some students learn better by actually doing an activity or task rather than sitting in a classroom hearing about it.
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And I know Indiana is doing nothing different than other states. The Education Commission of the States reports that nearly all states have moved past simple minimum credit requirements to a focus on skills and college and career readiness.
For instance, at least 21 states have identified multiple diploma options or pathways to graduation in state policy:
At least 46 states and the District of Columbia identify minimum credit requirements to earn a standard diploma.
At least 44 states and the District of Columbia permit students to substitute specific courses, assessments or other experiences for existing credit requirements.
At least 34 states require students to complete specific assessments as a graduation requirement.
I am a bit of an old dog, but am willing to learn new tricks. I will keep reading, learning and trying to understand how this will make Indiana students better and more prepared.
Wisconsin Badgers (10-2, 1-0 Big Ten) at Indiana Hoosiers (9-3, 1-0 Big Ten)
Bloomington, Indiana; Saturday, 2 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: Indiana takes on Wisconsin after Shay Ciezki scored 20 points in Indiana’s 90-55 victory over the Oakland Golden Grizzlies.
The Hoosiers have gone 6-1 in home games. Indiana averages 72.0 points and has outscored opponents by 10.2 points per game.
The Badgers are 1-0 against Big Ten opponents. Wisconsin is 2-0 in one-possession games.
Indiana scores 72.0 points, 10.6 more per game than the 61.4 Wisconsin gives up. Wisconsin scores 8.0 more points per game (69.8) than Indiana allows to opponents (61.8).
The Hoosiers and Badgers match up Saturday for the first time in conference play this season.
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TOP PERFORMERS: Yarden Garzon is shooting 41.4% and averaging 14.2 points for the Hoosiers.
Serah Williams is scoring 20.0 points per game and averaging 12.3 rebounds for the Badgers.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hoosiers: 8-2, averaging 71.4 points, 30.8 rebounds, 16.7 assists, 6.2 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 44.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 61.0 points per game.
Badgers: 8-2, averaging 66.4 points, 33.6 rebounds, 15.3 assists, 6.1 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 45.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 60.8 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A northern Indiana couple found a million-dollar Powerball ticket on Christmas Day in between the seats of their car.
The couple on Thursday drove from their home in Kendallville to the downtown Indianapolis Hoosier Lottery office to claim their prize five hours before their ticket expired.
“It was an emotional day for the both of us,” the couple told the Hoosier Lottery in a press release, which did not identify the pair.
The couple purchased the ticket at the Kendallville Finish Line convenience store located at 620 Professional Way in Kendallville.
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The lottery says, after the couple learned the million dollars was unclaimed, they began their search.
The ticket matched all five numbers from the June 29 drawing.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana men’s basketball is a third of the way through its season. Twelve games are in the books with a minimum of 19 to go, though it will likely be more assuming the Hoosiers make the Big Ten Tournament.
With the usual Christmas pause in games upon us, it’s a good time to look at Indiana’s most important contributors and how they’ve fared so far.
All players who have played 10 minutes per game will be considered except Anthony Leal. The senior has not played in enough games (Leal only reached 10 minutes in four of the six games he played) to have a workable sample size.
Explanation: Points produced and points allowed are included in the advanced box score provided to the media via live stats from each game.
Points produced and points allowed are based on how many points a player is responsible for or allows while on the court based on a per 100 possessions standard. The formula, developed by basketball analyst Dr. Dean Oliver, is way too complicated to explain here, but that’s the basic premise.
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Net points is merely the points produced with points allowed subtracted.
Foul trouble is a measure I did myself. Foul trouble is obviously important because it compromises the rotation, but if a player plays with fouls, it can also compromise their defense.
A player qualified as being in foul trouble if: a) they picked up two fouls in the first half; b) picked up a third foul before 15 minutes are left in the second half; or c) picked up a fourth foul before five minutes are left in the second half.
The reason for this standard is to eliminate accumulated fouls late in the game that are done purposely to put the opposition at the free throw line. Those are not fouls that are bad or that necessarily compromise the team in the way earlier fouls do.
What’s Been Good
Indiana’s Oumar Ballo (11) prepares to shoot a free throw during the Indiana versus Chattanooga men’s basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2204. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Quite a bit – both when judged by traditional or advanced stats.
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Ballo is Indiana’s leading rebounder and shot blocker (1.8 bpg). The rebounding was expected and needed, but his blocks average is a nice surprise. He’s well ahead of his previous seasons in that department.
Ballo has been instrumental in making the paint a no-go zone for opponents, at least as it relates to post-ups and straight drives to the basket. Ballo rates highly in metric measures of defense for that reason.
Ballo is basically automatic within five feet of the rim. According to barttorvik.com, Ballo is 54 of 66 on dunks and 2-point shots at the rim.
According to Kenpom.com, Ballo ranks 13th nationally in effective field goal percentage at 70.1% and 62nd nationally in defensive rebound percentage at 25.2%.
Ballo also almost never gets into foul trouble – a nice trait for a big man to have.
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What Needs Work
Early in the season, Ballo received some deserved criticism for effort. He didn’t have the sense of urgency defensively at times. He’s largely shored most of that up, but it’s a criticism that lingers.
Ballo can be taken away from the rim by stretch post players, and it sometimes frees up the lane for back-door buckets he would otherwise be able to snuff out.
Free throws are another obvious issue. According to Kenpom, Ballo ranks 5th nationally in free throw rate (free throw attempts per field goal attempt) at 90.9%. That’s fantastic, but there are diminishing returns when you only make 58.1% of those freebies. Teams will inevitably hack-a-Ballo in close games. It’s never easy to improve free throw shooting, but Ballo has to keep trying to make himself even more valuable than he is.
Is The Scheme Helping?
Indiana’s Oumar Ballo (11) flexes after a basket and foul during the Indiana versus Minnesota men’s basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Mike Woodson’s offensive scheme undoubtedly helps Ballo – as it did for big Kel’El Ware and Trayce Jackson-Davis before him. Ballo doesn’t take anywhere near the volume of shots that Ware and Jackson-Davis took in their final seasons (6.4 per game, less than half that of Jackson-Davis in 2023), but Ballo still gets his share of attention.
If anything, an argument could be made that Ballo deserves to take more shots. At 70.1%, he should be averaging more shots than some guards have taken. Analytical-minded fans want more threes, but analytics loves a 70.1% conversion rate at the rim, too.
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Defensively, nail-slot-rim works for Ballo as the “rim” in that system. As mentioned, he can wander away from the basket at times, but that’s also a function of Indiana’s collectively poor help defense.
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