As part of proposed NY Inspires transformation, students would not be required to pass Regents Exams in order to earn a high school diploma, though exams will still be administered. Under the proposed vision, the State high school exams will be one of the many options students could use as evidence of their proficiency in the high school learning standards and the New York State Portrait of a Graduate.

Under the proposed timeline, how will diploma requirements change for high school students?

The chart below details how diploma requirements would change for cohorts of students if the applicable changes are approved by the Board of Regents. A cohort consists of all students who first entered grade 9 in a particular school year. For example, the 2023 Cohort includes all of the students who started grade 9 in the 2023-2024 school year. If these students were to follow a traditional trajectory, they would graduate in June 2027.

Again, it is important to note that none of the proposed changes are final until they are approved by the Board of Regents.

Is the Department eliminating the Regents Examinations?

No. The Regents Examinations are used not only to satisfy the state’s current diploma requirements, but specific Regents Exams are also used to satisfy federal assessment requirements mandated by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Regents Exams also provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate mastery of the learning standards in a specific course.

To clarify, in the future the Regents Exams will still be administered, but students won’t have to take them?

State assessments will continue to be administered per federal ESSA requirements. ESSA states that all students must be assessed in mathematics and reading or language arts in each grade 3 through 8; and at least once in grades 9 through 12. In science, assessments must be administered once in grades 3 through 5; once in grades 6 through 9; and once in grades 10 through 12.

Under the proposed vision, students would not be required to pass Regents Exams to earn a high school diploma. Under the proposed vision, the State high school exams will be one of the many options students could use as evidence of their proficiency in the high school learning standards and the New York State Portrait of a Graduate.

Does the Department still intend to release the new Regents Exams aligned to the new math, science, and ELA learning standards in the coming years?

Yes. Both the timeline to implement the new ELA, math, and science standards and the timeline for new Regents Exams aligned to the new standards remain unchanged. Districts are required to implement the new standards per the timeline approved by the Board of Regents.

If a student is scheduled to take one of more Regents Exams this year, must they take the exam(s)?

Yes. The current credit and assessment requirements remain in effect for all high school students. Guidance related to the current diploma requirements can be found on the Department’s Graduation Requirements webpage.

If a student is scheduled to take one or more Regents Exams this year, but will not be graduating high school soon (such as 8th and 9th graders), must they still take the exam(s)?

Yes. The current credit and assessment requirements remain in effect for all high school students, and until regulatory amendments are approved by the Board of Regents, schools and students must continue to follow the requirements of the current system. Guidance related to the current diploma requirements can be found on the Department’s Graduation Requirements webpage.