The regents exams have been around since 1865. Now, Department of Education (DOE) officials have decided to change this. Starting in the 2027-2028 school year, the DOE will be making it unnecessary for students to sit for Regents Exams to graduate. Many members of the DOE believe that this is beneficial for many students because of the new pathways it will form in providing students additional opportunities and allow different ways to get credits.
The DOE has made and published some of their plans, however the new requirements won’t be released until the 2025-2026 school year. The Board of Regents will cast their vote on this plan in 2027. The first grade to be held to the new standard will be ninth graders in the year 2027. The plan consists of combining local diplomas, regents diplomas, and advanced regents diplomas into one category which is not named yet.
New York State is getting rid of the regents for multiple reasons such as being seen as unfair for people lacking sufficient test preparation and study time. New York is one of the seven states that still requires standardized testing to graduate. Sophomore Delia Nackatany explains, “It only is in New York and if you want to go to college outside New York it doesn’t really help you.” This adds on to the idea that if very few states are doing standardized testing, then it doesn’t affect you.
These difficult and stressful tests are considered a waste of time to some people. New York State has also stated that the regents don’t necessarily mean students are capable of living independently/graduating. This is why even though students will still have to take the exams, a passing score will no longer be needed to graduate.
With taking away the regents Exams comes a curriculum change. The new curriculum wants students to prove they can be a “global citizen.” There will be more education opportunities on climate change and financial literacy. This is believed to help a student prepare for real life and some think it is more important than using the Regents exams as a graduation standard.
Mr. Korman, a Biology and Earth Science teacher, believes that while this could have some negative effects, it could also be really beneficial to some students. He said, “By not having to pass the regents, it’ll open up a lot of different pathways for students to take if they aren’t as academically focused.” This means that while taking away the regents could harm students educationally, it could benefit them in other ways like focusing on career paths that are appealing to them. Additionally, Chalkbeat.org has analyzed research which points to different academic pathways improving dropout rates due to a multitude of students not performing their best in high-stakes exams.
Many think the opposite, as Eliana Chait, a freshman said, “This is bad because it takes away the ability to make sure all students in New York State reach a certain proficiency level in core subjects.” This indicates that taking away the mandate to pass all regents to meet graduation requirements may increase the likelihood that students won’t comprehend as much of what they learn because they are less concerned with understanding what it means.
The New York Post even says that some education advocates have accused the DOE of “dumbing down standards.” People are concerned about the status of education in New York. New York has some very good schools and people don’t want to change that. There is a possibility that this is a bad idea and it won’t be executed. It might just not be what’s right for NYS students.
Overall, many pros and cons can be seen in New York’s plans for the Regents Exams. While the effects of the state’s plans are not yet known, the hope is that this will benefit many students and prepare them for life after graduation. However, one thing is for certain, many things are going to change and schools will have to adjust to the final DOE decision.
