New York State Education Committee, responsible for education policy making, passed a resolution on Monday, September 14th, to gradually eliminate the requirement for high school students to pass a series of Regents exams in order to graduate.
Current high school seniors (12th grade), the class of 2027, will be the last group of students required to pass Regents exams to graduate. Graduates must pass at least four state exams, including Math, English, Science, and Global Studies, to earn their diplomas.
From 2028 onwards, while Regents exams will still exist for students to take as a means of proving academic performance or obtaining relevant certifications, exam results are no longer a necessary condition to obtain a high school diploma.
The new system will gradually shift towards what is known as the “Portrait of a Graduate,” placing more emphasis on critical thinking, problem-solving skills, independent research projects, and other forms of learning outcomes rather than relying heavily on multiple-choice exams.
State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa stated that the plan aims to enhance teaching, creating deeper and more meaningful educational experiences for each student. By maintaining rigorous standards, students will have more opportunities to apply their knowledge, critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and demonstrate their knowledge and skills, better preparing them for university, careers, civic life, and the future.
“These reforms will provide educators with more opportunities to guide students in high-quality learning and more comprehensively showcase student growth and achievements,” she said.
Ray Domanico, a senior researcher at the Manhattan Institute, believes that for the past several decades, the Regents exams for high school graduation in New York State have been a complete failure as they have deliberately lowered the difficulty level to maintain or increase graduation rates.
“Exam results are meaningless, and there are cases of cheating and score manipulation,” he told the New York Post, emphasizing that the crucial question lies in what requirements the Department of Education will propose to replace graduation exams.
Domanico added, “An effective method must be found to assess whether students meet the expected standards and possess the necessary skills for their future (college or the workplace) upon high school graduation.”