New York State Regents Requirement To End in 2027

We've been following along with the back and forth surrounding New York State and the 150 year plus run of Regents exams, but it looks like that run will soon come to a close.

I can remember the pressure (mostly that I put on myself) associated with the dreaded exams, lined up in rows in the high school gym, approximately 85* on a hot June day, the exams being the last things that stood between you and summer vacation, or even graduation.

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New York State Regents Examinations

Since 1865, New York State students have been taking Regents examinations after the New York State Board of Regents passed an ordinance in 1864 stating the following:

At the close of each academic term, a public examination shall be held of all scholars presumed to have completed preliminary studies. . . .To each scholar who sustains such examination, a certificate shall entitle the person holding it to admission into the academic class in any academy subject to the visitation of the Regents, without further examination.

The exams initially started with eighth graders, and then evolved over the years to become more comprehensive. A complete timeline of these assessments, and how they changed through the years can be found here.

NYS Regents Exams Impacted By COVID-19

Though we're all trying to forget those days, one of the areas most impacted by COVID-19 was education, as announcements of Regents exams being cancelled and/or delayed came often during the height of the pandemic, and then continued to happen well after.

Since then, there's been a number of Board of Regents meetings, and a great deal of discussion regarding the future of the assessments took place, along with rethinking what criteria should be required for a high school diploma.

REMEMBER WHEN: 2022 Regents Exams Cancelled in New York State

Regents Exam Requirement No More Come 2027

New York State Officials made it quite official recently, indicating that the Regents exam requirement for graduation will be no more come the 2027-2028 academic year.

The timeline released by the New York State Education Department shows that students who entered high school last year, 2023-2024, would still follow the current requirements, but those who started this year, with a graduation date of 2028, will see some changes. Though the Regents exams will still be given for now, students would not be required to pass in order to earn their high school diploma, but it looks like as time goes on, they will not even be given.

Instead of the local diploma, Regents diploma, and Advanced Regents diploma, New York State students would just receive a standard diploma.

The Gothamist reports that more information should be released by the end of this school year, demonstrating the Portrait of a Graduate plan, and how this will allow high school students to prove comprehension for graduation. There will also be a process to redefine credits and look at assessment requirements.

An opinion piece in the New York Post takes a bit of a harsher look at the changes, citing NY school brass are set to let even unprepared kids graduate high school.'