The path to a high school diploma may look different in the next five years, possibly with multiple ways for students to reach that milestone.
New York state education leaders presented a timeline on Monday for how they plan to set changes to graduation measures between now and 2030.
Required courses in financial literacy and climate education are among the proposed changes that are set to take effect in the 2026-27 school year. By the following school year, the number of possible diplomas a student could earn would drop from three — local, Regents, or Regents with Advanced Distinction — to one diploma that can be decorated with additional merits, like a seal of distinction.
Course credit requirements would also align with the “Portrait of a Graduate" framework that the New York State Education Department and the Blue Ribbon Commission on Graduation Measures have worked to define over the past couple of years.
In a Board of Regents meeting on Monday, Rosa said it won’t be a simple transformation. The Regents are the governing body of the state education department.
“Obviously, some of this is going to create some challenges,” Rosa said. “It's going to ask us to really look at the best practices, models of success and be good neighbors.”
The budget for the phased rollout is an estimate that could change, Rosa said. There are three phases outlined, each with a cost attached — $4.2 million for the first phase, $4.8 million for the second and $2.5 million for the third. With possible financial challenges ahead, the department is preparing to be adaptive.
“We're still going to move forward and use our own creativity when it comes to the finances,” she said.
Regent Shino Tanikawa expressed some apprehension about whether there will be enough funding to support the changes.
“The funding request for phase one, $4.2 million, that's really modest. Can we really get done what we need to get done with that amount?” Tanikawa said. “Especially when we're talking about reformatting standards, which is great. I'm really happy to see that component, but that is a huge undertaking.”
The changes would affect teachers as well. By next spring, the Board of Regents is expected to consider amendments to teacher preparation programs that would require culturally responsive education practices to be part of that training.
Overall, state education leaders are hopeful the new graduation measures will better prepare students to succeed in a rapidly evolving world.
“This plan is essential for ensuring that all students in New York State, no matter their background or circumstances, receive high-quality instruction that equips them for success in a complex and rapidly evolving world," Board of Regents Chancellor Lester Young said in a statement.
