On Monday state officials proposed eliminating credit-based diploma requirements at a Board of Regents meeting. They announced that high school graduates in New York could soon start receiving a new type of diploma, one that reflects their skills and knowledge rather than the number of credits they’ve earned.
The New diploma is a central component of New York Inspires, the State Education Department’s multiyear effort to overhaul graduation requirements to ensure students leave high school ready for modern careers and higher education. If it’s approved by the board, it would replace the current graduation framework, which allows students to earn one of three diplomas depending on how they perform on statewide standardized tests known as Regent exams
The plan would direct school districts to shift away from awarding credits based on the time a student spends in a course and instead adopt a “compentency-based” model with flexibility in how they develop mastery of specific skills.
“The big idea is that New York is moving away from an outdated factory-style education model toward a model system built for how students actually learn,” said Jeffrey Matteson, the department’s senior deputy commissioner for education policy.
Many of the implementation details remain unclear because the Education Department has only shared preliminary plans so far. Some Regents members and education advocates raised concerns about how schools will maintain academic rigor and support teachers as they adopt flexible models, and whether students across the state will have equal access to opportunities.
New York must strengthen K-8 instruction in order for the initiative to succeed, noting that students can only access opportunities like internships and college courses if they are proficient in reading and math. The department plans to present the final plant to the board for approval once it’s complete and start a phased rollout in certain grade levels
Students would still enroll in traditional courses, but would also be able to participate in activities outside of the classroom, such as internships, capstone projects, community service and career and technical education programs, to move toward their degrees.by the end of the next school year.
