New York mulls sunsetting regents requirements

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — During a meeting of the New York State Education Department (NYSED), officials proposed several ways to transform graduating from high school. Among those, a proposal that students would not need to “pass the Regents.”

This falls under the agency's Transformation No. 3: Sunset Diploma Assessment Requirements. Under that proposal, official exams would still be administered by the state to follow federal requirements. And, although technically separating assessment requirements from graduation requirements, NYSED said that students would still be tested in several ways through their local districts.

In November, NYSED will present a plan to implement its recommendations to the Board of Regents with timelines and regulations to consider. The Board would need to approve any change, so for now, public school students will still need to pass those standardized tests.

According to NYSED, the recommendations come from the NYS Blue Ribbon Commission on Graduation Measures. They are meant to make the education system more equitable so all students can find success, said NYSED Commissioner Betty Rosa in a press release. The recommended transformations also include redefining credits and moving to a system with only one diploma.