NY plans to end Regents exam requirement by 2027

November 5, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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STATEWIDE — NEW YORK PLANS TO END THE REQUIREMENT THAT STUDENTS MUST PASS REGENTS EXAMS in order to earn a high school diploma, state education officials announced on Monday, the Daily News reports.

The Class of 2027, currently in their sophomore year, would be the last group of students who must pass at least four Regents exams in order to graduate. Current students must pass (with a score of at least 65) in English, math, social studies and science Regents exams, according to the NYC Public Schools’ website on Graduation Requirements. Students must also pass a state-approved assessment, and meet certain credit requirements in order to earn a diploma in one of three categories: Regents Diploma, Advanced Regents Diploma or a local diploma.

This phase-out timeline was presented to the Board of Regents as part of a $11.5 million, five-year plan, during which its members will revise graduation requirements, such as consolidating the diploma categories into one, adjust the course credit system, broaden students’ knowledge and skills, and focus more on curriculum rather than preparation for standardized test-taking.

New York is one of the few states still mandating standardized tests to graduate, even though research has found little evidence that they are effective. The Daily News article quoted Brooklyn College and CUNY Graduate Center Professor David Bloomfield, who teaches education policy and law. He said the Regents exams have become a “flawed guardrail that schools are used to depending on.”

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