LOUISVILLE, Ky.-- The inaugural year for the "Backpack of Success Skills" is almost complete. Students of Jefferson County Schools (JCPS) in grades 5,8, and 12, have been arguing why they should be promoted to the next grade level, to a panel of judges. The administrators behind the Backpack program say it's to make a diploma more meaningful, to show kids are truly prepared for life beyond high school.  

• The "Backpack of Success Skills" is a virtual backpack students keep projects in to show to judges at the year's end and prove they've learned enough to graduate.
• The goal is to assign more meaning and value to a diploma, after studies by the Kentucky Department of Education show students across the state are not prepared for life beyond high school. 
• Students in 5th, 8th, and 12th grades have been presenting their "artifacts" to defend their graduating this spring.

As the Department of Education rolls-out new statewide graduation requirements, JCPS believes they have a jump on ensuring the diploma truly means a child is prepared for work or college. 

"My thinking around this started with trying to answer what does a diploma mean. And people can often tell you what they want it to mean and what they hope it means but consistently you know it's hard to get an answer," JCPS Chief Academic Officer Dr. Carmen Coleman says. 

The program she helped create in the district sets up a virtual backpack for each student, that school work or "artifacts" are deposited in over the years, to later present as proof a student is ready to graduate. 

Fifth grader Krisha Patel, a Fairfale Elementary student, is proud of the progress she's made. She and her peers presented their "backpacks" to judges earlier this spring. She says it's helped her learn, and made her ready to go to middle school. 

"I do feel prepared because I had to stand up in front of people and present my defense so this helped me in speaking and just presenting skills," says Patel. 

Meanwhile, the state has adopted a new set of graduation requirements for kids. Students will need to qualify for graduation by either completing one or more of: pre-college curriculum outlined by the state including a course with Algebra II and two rounds of a world language, earn a benchmark score on a college admissions exam, complete three credit hours with a C or better in a state-approved dual-credit course, complete an advanced placement course, earn industry certification, earn four credits from a state-approved course for a career pathway, or complete 500 hours of work experience in a student's special education plan. Then in order to get a diploma, the student will also have to: complete social studies and science state tests, pass a civics test, take a financial literacy class, and demonstrate they can use technology.