New York Just Changed The Future Of High School Graduations

New York education officials are making sweeping graduation changes.

New York State Education Department (NYSED) and the Board of Regents just formally announced an initiative that phases out the requirement to pass traditional, standardized Regents exams.

New York State Moves Toward First-in-the-Nation Competency-Based Diploma

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Instead, New York State is launching new framework for a "first-in-the-nation competency-based diploma."

"Under the new framework, graduation requirements will move away from time-based measures toward demonstrated readiness in the knowledge, skills, and competencies students need to succeed in college, career, civic life, and the world beyond high school," the New York State Education Department told Hudson Valley Post.

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Educators say the new diploma will represent "readiness."

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“New York is leading the nation by ensuring that a diploma represents something meaningful, a demonstrated readiness for the opportunities and challenges that await our graduates," Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said. "This is not about lowering standards, it is about redefining how students demonstrate that they have met them."

Core Competencies & "Portrait of a Graduate"

The proposal centers on eight "Portrait of a Graduate" competencies, including critical thinking, communication, academic preparation, global citizenship, creativity, innovation, reflection, and future planning.

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Instead of focusing only on grades and final exams, New York wants students to prove they've mastered a new set of real-world skills before they graduate.

Instead, schools would use a variety of learning experiences to show what students know and can do.

That could include giving presentations, completing project-based assignments that combine multiple subjects, finishing a senior capstone project, and participating in internships, apprenticeships, or other work-based learning opportunities.

Rather than receiving a traditional transcript based mostly on course grades, students would build a digital record showing they've demonstrated proficiency in each of those areas.

"By focusing on demonstrated readiness rather than accumulated seat time, New York is creating a system that is more rigorous, more relevant, and more responsive to the strengths and aspirations of every learner," Rosa added. "What we’re doing is not an incremental change to our current model; it is a nation-leading transformation that redefines what a diploma represents and how students demonstrate readiness for the future.”