New York eliminates Regents exams as a requirement for high school graduation: here’s the proposed schedule

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Under new proposed changes, New York State will no longer require students to take the Regents exams to earn a high school diploma, and the state recently shared a timeline for when students would be affected if the changes are approved.

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) on Monday unveiled a timeline and implementation plan for changes to graduation requirements for students.

The plan is consistent with recommendations made New York State Blue Ribbon Commission on Graduation Eventswhich were designed to promote greater equity in the state’s education system.

“As educators and educational leaders, we have a responsibility to provide all New York State students with an educational experience that inspires and empowers them to reach their full potential,” Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said Monday. “Today we provide a roadmap for an education system built around students and their needs. Our goal is to provide children with more opportunities to learn and grow, to be heard and valued, and to demonstrate their skills and knowledge. With this plan, we are doing much more than just preparing our students to graduate; we are empowering them to lead, innovate, and make meaningful contributions to their communities.”

In 2019, the Graduation Initiative was launched to explore what a New York State diploma should mean to ensure educational excellence and equity for all students. In November 2023, the commission presented several recommendations to achieve these goals.

In June, NYSED provided a vision for proposed changes to issuance requirements. — and the plan to implement those changes was announced this week.

The state Board of Regents must approve any changes to state graduation requirements. Until then, existing graduation requirements remain in effect for all New York City public school students.

Under the state’s proposed timeline, changes to graduation requirements would first take effect in fall 2027.

This means that students who enter high school in the 2023-2024 school year and are expected to graduate in June 2027 will follow current graduation requirements, which require students to have one of three diplomas to graduate . These changes will not affect them.

According to the schedule, some changes will begin with the 2024 cohort, when the state plans to move to just one degree. This means students who started school in September this year and are expected to graduate in June 2028 will be affected.

By 2027, new loan requirements will come into force.

For the 2029 cohort and beyond, all proposed changes will apply, including one diploma, a statewide required transcript, and knowledge of learning standards and graduate profile.

The state will achieve full implementation of the proposed changes by fall 2029.

The state’s plan makes four key changes to graduation requirements.

Transformation 1: Adopt a New York State Graduate Portrait

The purpose of this event is to create a common understanding of the skills and knowledge that New York State public school graduates have mastered.

To earn a high school diploma, a student must demonstrate knowledge of each component of the portrait, which means being a critical thinker, an innovative problem solver, literate in all content areas, culturally competent, social-emotionally competent, an effective communicator, and according to the state , citizens of the world.

Transformation 2: Redefining Credit

NYSED proposes to redefine credits by focusing on job skills rather than completion of time-based units of study, which is the current practice for most students.

The goal is to expand the ways in which students can demonstrate mastery of learning standards and achievement of various components of the graduate profile.

Students will be allowed to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways, including: approved work-based or service learning experience; dual credit programs such as junior high school; obtaining a New York State seal or ID; traditional high school courses; approved career and technical education programs; participation in the arts; and passing approved assessments, including Regents examinations.

This will meet the needs of all students, including students with disabilities and English language learners, through the flexibility of demonstrating language proficiency.

Transformation 3: Sunset Diploma Assessment Requirements

NYSED recommends separating specific valuation requirements from release requirements. This means that students will no longer need to take the Regents exams or the +1 Pathway Assessment to graduate from high school.

Regents Exams will continue to be available as one measure for students to demonstrate their knowledge. Students will continue to be assessed on numerous local measures to demonstrate their knowledge and will continue to take specific state assessments required by federal law to track progress throughout New York.

Transformation 4: transition to one diploma

The Department recommends moving to a system in which only one diploma is available to all New York State public school graduates.

Districts will be required to issue diplomas to all students who meet state requirements.

This approach would eliminate the local diploma, the “extended designation” diploma would become a seal or endorsement, and districts would be allowed to add additional seals and endorsements.

More information about the Graduation Initiative can be found on the website Website of the department’s graduation events.