The number of students who earned a diploma in 2021 is consistent to the past few years, according to data the Indiana Department of Education released Wednesday.

The state graduation rate has hovered around 87 percent since 2016, but a higher rate of students needed a waiver to get a diploma in 2019.

Child Advocates and the Indiana University School of Education have teamed up to improve graduation rates among students in foster care.

The Indiana Department of Education recalculated the Indianapolis Public Schools graduation rate to include Herron High School on Friday. The adjustment brings the district's 2018 graduation rate to 82 percent.

The U.S. Department of Education denied Indiana's request to count thousands of the state's basic high school diplomas known as general diplomas.

The State Department of Education released 2017 graduation rate data Friday, showing numbers slightly lower than the previous year.

The majority of Indiana high school students already complete a diploma that meets the new requirements.

With graduation rates at risk, the Indiana Department of Education has drafted a federal waiver to keep a new definition from causing major problems in schools.

Indiana's Congressional delegation wants the federal education department to give the state more time to prepare before changes to high school diplomas begin.

Indiana's general diploma will no longer be considered when calculating school and district graduation rates, state officials announced Friday.