Anna Drakeford of Mercer County was named to the Kentucky All-Stars for the annual Kentucky-Indiana basketball series.

Drakeford is one of 12 players chosen for the Kentucky girls squad that will play the Indiana stars June 7 at Lexington Catholic High School in Lexington and June 8 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Drakeford, a 5-8 senior who signed with Thomas More University earlier this year, ranked first in the 12th Region and fourth in the state in scoring this season at 26.0 points per game. She shot 54 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free throw line and averaged 6.3 rebounds per game.

She broke the Lady Titans’ single-season assists record and leaves ranked No. 2 in the program in career scoring.

Indiana leads Kentucky in the girls series 53-41, and the two teams split last season’s games.

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.

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.

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.

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.

BLOOMINGTON — The Indiana women’s basketball team got a verbal commitment on Thursday night from Penn State guard Shay Ciezki.

Ciezki announced her decision on social media.

She fills a void in the backcourt in the wake of Sara Scalia’s departure as a proven sharpshooter. Ciezki ranks third all-time in PSU history in career 3-point percentage (41.6%). Ciezki has averaged 2.1 made 3-pointers in each of the last two seasons while averaging 11.6 points per game during that stretch.

Indiana led the country in team 3-point shooting last season (39.6%) and ranked 24th in made 3-pointers. Scalia averaged 3.2 3-pointers per game, but IU had three other starters — Yarden Garzon, Sydney Parrish and Chloe Moore-McNeil — average at least one made 3-pointer a game. They also all shot better than 40% from the 3-point range last season.

Ciezki signed with Penn State coming out of St. Mary’s High School in New York. The four-year starter led the team to the Class A State Championship as a senior where she scored 51 points. She set the school record for career points (2,138), assists (478), steals (381) and 3-pointers made (244).

The news comes on the heels of Indiana announcing it had signed Tennessee forward Karoline Striplin, a 6-foot-3 forward with one year of eligibility left. Striplin averaged 7.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game and gives the Hoosiers some added depth in the front court after losing Mackenzie Holmes.

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here