By Kimba Rund
Indiana has officially released the updated 2026–2027 High School Credentials of Value (CoV) List, along with additional implementation guidance connected to the state’s redesigned diploma requirements.
While many of the overall structures remain the same, this year’s release includes several important updates designed to improve clarity, organization, and long-term planning for schools. For schools actively preparing students for diploma seals, these updates provide a much clearer picture of how Credentials of Value will continue to evolve moving forward.
One of the most noticeable changes is the format of the list itself. The original 2025 release required schools to work across multiple documents and cross-reference information between lists. The updated 2026–2027 version consolidates everything into a single spreadsheet organized by career cluster.
The spreadsheet now includes:
- an introduction and overview tab,
- a summary of changes from the prior year,
- a General Postsecondary Credentials tab,
- individual tabs for each CTE career cluster,
- a foundational credentials tab,
- and a full master list containing all credentials and scoring information.
For schools building pathways and student plans, this organization makes it much easier to identify which credentials align to specific career clusters, CTE pathways, and diploma seals.
The updated guidance also provides additional clarification around how diploma seals can be earned.
For the Enrollment Honors Plus Seal, students may satisfy the credential requirement through any academic credential that includes at least 30 college credit hours and has a credential score of 3.0 or higher on the state’s CoV list. Students may also qualify through any credential listed on the General Postsecondary Credentials tab.
This includes:
- Indiana College Core (ICC),
- AP Scholar with Distinction,
- AP Capstone Diploma,
- International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma,
- Cambridge AICE Diploma,
- and the new 30-credit Professional Pathways credential developed in partnership with several Indiana private institutions.
The memo also notes that Indiana is currently developing an additional 30-credit credential pathway that combines ICC coursework with CTE courses. This could create additional flexibility for schools looking to blend academic and career-focused opportunities for students.
Additional clarification was also provided around the Employment Honors and Employment Honors Plus diploma seals. The updated guidance reinforces that students can satisfy these requirements either through one higher-scoring credential or through multiple credentials within the same career cluster.
An important piece schools also need to understand is the credential scoring system itself. The score attached to a credential is not a student grade or exam score. Instead, it is a value assigned by the state to each credential based on factors such as workforce demand, wage data, postsecondary alignment, and occupational outcomes. These scores are what determine whether a credential qualifies toward specific diploma seals and whether credentials need to be combined within the same career cluster. Understanding how these scores work is important because schools are not simply tracking credential completion; they are also tracking whether students meet the required score thresholds connected to each seal pathway.
For Employment Honors, students may earn:
- one credential with a score of 3.0 or higher,
OR - two credentials scored 2.0 or higher within the same career cluster.
For Employment Honors Plus, students may earn:
- one credential with a score of 4.0 or higher,
OR - two credentials scored 2.0 or higher within the same career cluster.
The guidance also continues to support flexibility between enrollment-focused and employment-focused pathways. Students may satisfy Employment Honors or Employment Honors Plus requirements by earning:
- an industry certification scored 2.0 or higher,
AND - any credential listed on the General Postsecondary Credentials tab.
Another important clarification involves annual score changes and long-term student planning.
One concern schools raised during early implementation was how score changes or credential removals could impact students already working toward completion. The updated guidance clarifies that students will receive whichever credential score is higher:
- the score from the year they entered high school,
OR - the score from the year they earned the credential.
Additionally, students may still utilize credentials that were available when they entered high school, even if those credentials are removed from future lists. Students may also benefit from credentials added during their high school career.
The updated list also introduces a clearer distinction for “Foundational” credentials. These credentials are recognized as valuable for building foundational workplace skills but do not receive a score toward diploma seal requirements. Understanding the difference between foundational credentials and scored credentials will be important as schools continue advising students on seal attainment pathways.
Beyond the structural updates, the release continues to reinforce the growing connection between workforce alignment, postsecondary readiness, and diploma requirements in Indiana. Credentials continue to be evaluated using Indiana’s Top Jobs occupational ranking methodology, which incorporates workforce demand and wage data to determine credential value.
As schools continue planning for implementation, the updated guidance helps answer many of the operational questions schools have been navigating over the last year:
- Which credentials count toward which seals?
- How do score changes impact students?
- How can credentials be combined?
- How should schools structure pathways for long-term success?
While the updated list provides additional clarity, implementation will still require thoughtful planning. Schools will continue balancing scheduling, staffing, pathway availability, student interests, and access to credential providers as they build systems that support successful completion.
The updated 2026–2027 Credentials of Value List represents another step toward helping schools better align student opportunities with postsecondary and workforce outcomes while providing additional flexibility and clarity throughout the process.
Bio
Kimba Rund is a workforce training and career development specialist with a background in psychology and a focus on helping students connect education to real career opportunities. She holds a master’s in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, which informs her work designing programs that support student growth, skill development, and long-term success. Outside of work, she enjoys yoga, reading, and spending time with her family, husband, and two dogs.
