In a few years, Regents exams will no longer be mandatory in order for high schoolers to earn a high school diploma in New York as new measures are put in place.
The New York State Education Department said it looks at if a student is academically prepared, a creative innovator, a critical thinker, an effective communicator, a global citizen, and if they are reflective and future focused.
What You Need To Know
In a few years, Regents exams will no longer be required in New York state to earn a high school diploma
A new framework “Portrait of a Graduate,” is being implemented
It looks at a variety of things ,including if a student is academically prepared, a creative innovator, a critical thinker, and an effective communicator
“I like working on cars, so I just wanted to do it so I could get more experience and be able to actually be around things that I like to do,” said Connor Derouin, a student at Jefferson-Lewis BOCES.
The state’s changes to Regents exams requirements and the adoption of different measures are a positive, according to the Jefferson-Lewis BOCES District Superintendent Chris DiFulvio.
“Students are going to be able to go really deep into a core area, whether it be a BOCES or in their component school district, and they’re going to be able to demonstrate their mastery in that area and really take their interest to the next level,” said DiFulvio.
Jefferson-Lewis BOCES students agree.
“There’s some stress that goes along with it because it weighs so much on your grade, and if you don’t pass you might not pass the course,” said Jefferson-Lewis BOCES student Peter Yodice.
“The Regents is honestly better as an option due to the fact of a lot of people, especially in high school, stress over the Regents, and they just feel like it’s a big thing that they always have to prepare for. Whereas if it’s not really mandatory, I feel like it could help ease people’s stress at the end of the year,” said Jefferson-Lewis BOCES student Riley Davis.
The state is taking on a new measuring framework called Portrait of a Graduate.
According to the NYSED, students will need to have a strong foundation in the state’s learning standards, be able to articulate ideas clearly and confidently through speaking, writing and other types of media, and employ civic knowledge, skills, and mindsets to promote global sustainability, among other things.
“If you achieve a perfect score on a Regents exam, you’ve met the base level standards, and there’s so much more to education than just the base standards,” DiFulvio said.
“It’ll give people a little more time to do stuff on their own rather than sitting and studying for the Regents,” said Mason Grandjean, a student at Jefferson-Lewis BOCES.
For some students, like Grandjean, that means spending time working on the trade they’re learning.
“Work on other vehicles, my own, or I would just work on homework or paperwork for some of the other classes I have,” he said.
The changes, DiFulvio said, will be a community effort.
“It’s an exciting time for New York State, and I hope that businesses and community organizations embrace Portrait of a Graduate across New York state, much like we are embracing as educators,” said DiFulvio.