ALBANY — Nearly two years after the Board of Regents announced that Regents exams would someday become optional for students to earn their high school diplomas, school districts are taking matters into their own hands.
Some districts and BOCES organizations have already adjusted their classes to align with the state’s new Portrait of a Graduate, the high school graduation requirements intended to replace the Regents exams. The Portrait calls for students to learn critical thinking, communication and other skills.
The philosophy behind the new requirements is that students will have many ways to show they have mastered the required skills, rather than only taking exams. The Portrait lists six required skills, with some examples of how to show mastery. But the state has not detailed what would constitute a non-exam way of showcasing skills in classes like Algebra I or Biology — or if those classes would even be required…