NYS Regents exam requirements would be dropped in fall 2027
If adopted by the state's Board of Regents, the proposal would represent a turnaround from a policy initiated in 1997, when the state moved toward making the exams mandatory for all students. Credit: Hans Pennink
New York State by the fall of 2027 would drop its requirement that students pass Regents exams in order to graduate from high school under a long-awaited timetable rolled out Monday by state education officials in Albany.
The proposal, if adopted by the state's Board of Regents, would represent a 180-degree turnaround from a policy initiated in 1997, when the state moved toward making the exams mandatory for all students. Regents exams have been administered, in one form or another, since 1865.
Supporters of the plan say the switch would allow students more options in demonstrating they have the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed as adults. Skeptics question whether new options for qualifying for diplomas, such as performing civic volunteer work or completing research projects, would weaken academic standards or could be managed in a uniform way in hundreds of local school districts across the state.
Currently, the state requires that a great majority of students pass at least four exams — in English, math, history and the sciences — in order to graduate. That requirement would be dropped under the new plan, and passing exams would become optional. Instead, students could graduate through alternatives such as earning an occupational certificate or taking a job internship.
Other changes under the plan would include a new course requirement in "financial literacy" covering such topics as personal budgeting and retirement investment. In addition, only one diploma would be issued to graduates, rather than the three types of credentials available now, though various "seals" and "endorsements" would be attached to diplomas to indicate that graduates had completed advanced coursework or other specialized assignments.
The state's latest timeline calls for all segments of the plan, including a thorough revamp in format of students' high school transcripts, to be in place by 2029. The schedule was outlined Monday at a monthly Regents' meeting.
"Our objective is to provide greater opportunities for children to learn and grow, to be heard and valued, and to showcase their skills and knowledge," said state Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa, a lead proponent of changing standards, in a prepared statement.
Most of the state's major educational groups, including representatives of unionized teachers, school boards and school superintendents, have given the state's plan at least a tentative nod. However, a number of regional groups and individuals have questioned whether the plan would have the effect of diluting academic content.
At an Oct. 25 conference of social-studies educators in Melville, for example, some local participants questioned whether students would continue to be taught fundamental concepts such as the three branches of the federal government.
"How do we know that districts across the state will still give students that broad curriculum in American and world history?" asked Nassau teacher Matthew Jehn.
At Monday's meeting in Albany, state education officials said that they welcomed public comments on their proposed changes in graduation rules and that questions raised at the Melville conference had been heard "loud and clear."
No dates have been announced for Regents' votes on segments of the plan.
In other business, Roger Tilles, the Long Island representative on the Board of Regents, commented on the state plan to regionalize some aspects of public education. Tilles asked that changes be made in the regulatory language to emphasize that districts can opt out of plans that they don’t believe would benefit them.
The state Department of Education issued a statement Monday saying, "We have been informed through public comment of the language in the regulation and are considering modifications based on the way it is being interpreted in the field."
With Craig Schneider
John Hildebrand is Newsday's senior education writer and has covered school news and policy issues affecting Long Island for more than 40 years.
