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As New York officials move to overhaul the state’s graduation requirements, they’ve been grappling with a pressing question: What should it take to earn a diploma once the state’s exit exams are no longer required?
The Board of Regents on Monday took a step toward answering that question. They voted to approve a new framework, known as the “portrait of a graduate,” that helps define what it will take to earn a diploma after the Regents exams are phased out as a graduation requirement beginning in the 2027-28 school year.
“The New York State ‘portrait of a graduate’ will serve as the North Star of our state educational system,” said Angelique Johnson-Dingle, deputy commissioner of P-12 instructional support at the state’s Education Department.
Here’s what you should know about what comes next in the state’s overhaul of graduation requirements.
What is the portrait of a graduate exactly?
As part of a yearslong process of overhauling graduation standards, state education officials came up with six key qualities they believe students should master to earn a diploma.
Those qualities — which have been revised in recent months — form a ‘portrait’ of what a New York high school graduate should look like. Students will be required to show that they are academically prepared, creative innovators, critical thinkers, effective communicators, global citizens, and “reflective and future focused.” Officials said principles of culturally responsive education should permeate each of those categories.
Students will be able to meet those expectations in several ways. They might practice critical thinking skills by participating in debates or research projects; service learning projects could show commitment to global citizenship; and students may develop career or academic goals to demonstrate they are “future focused,” officials said.
But before state officials develop a more detailed plan that lays out specific criteria students must meet to graduate, they wanted to finalize the high-level priorities. And while many members of the state’s Board of Regents praised the portrait of a graduate framework, some also wanted more details about what it will look like in practice and how students will be assessed once the Regents exams are no longer required.
“It is really, really important from a public relations and publicity point of view, to get the ‘how’ as quickly as we can — even if it’s an overall and generic kind of picture,” said Regent Roger Tilles of Nassau County. “There are so many people out there, as we know, that crave the old Regents exam.”
When will the new graduation requirements start?
State officials are expected to unveil more specifics about the portrait of a graduate, including rubrics and more specific guidance, next school year.
Students who enter ninth grade in fall 2027 — the Class of 2031 — will be the first group that will fall under new credit requirements. But all of the new graduation measures, including the portrait of a graduate, won’t be fully phased in until the 2029-30 school year, state officials previously said.
The Board of Regents appeared anxious to keep the process moving. They were scheduled to vote on whether to approve the portrait of a graduate framework in November. But Regents Chancellor Lester Young voiced frustration with that timeline, and department officials scrambled to draft policy language that the board swiftly approved on Monday.
State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa said she supports the new framework but expressed concern about approving it in the middle of the summer, noting that “we want to be very thoughtful” about how and when school districts are confronted with changes.
A state education spokesperson did not respond to questions about whether Monday’s vote could alter the timeline for transitioning to new graduation requirements.
What about the Regents exams?
Students will no longer be required to pass the Regents exams — standardized tests in English, math, science, and social studies — to graduate beginning in the 2027-28 school year. That represents a big shift, as the exams have existed since the mid-1800s and many consider them synonymous with a New York diploma. (Under federal rules, students will still be required to take some exit exams but will not have to earn a passing score.)
New York is one of only a handful of states that still requires the exit exams to earn a diploma. Research suggests they do little to boost student learning or raise their earning potential and can lead to higher dropout rates.
In theory, students who entered ninth grade last school year will not be required to pass the exams to graduate, though some school leaders said they’re reluctant to advertise that.
One Brooklyn high school principal said the portrait of a graduate framework is a step in the right direction, but has been reluctant to communicate with students and parents about the upcoming changes.
“If you start telling students that the Regents is not required, then it’s going to impact performance negatively,” said the principal who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. “Guidance hasn’t been shared about what should be communicated or when it should be communicated.”
Alex Zimmerman is a reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Alex atazimmerman@chalkbeat.org.
