New York weighs major changes in how students are taught

Key Points:

• New York's Education Department is proposing a shift to "competency-based education," moving beyond traditional class time, grades, and Regents exams to emphasize students demonstrating skills and knowledge through projects and other proof of competency.
• The current requirement for Regents exams to graduate would become voluntary starting with students entering high school in 2029, with diplomas awarded based on meeting the state's "Portrait of a Graduate" criteria, which include critical thinking, problem-solving, and civic responsibility.
• The proposal includes allowing students to progress once they demonstrate competency in a subject rather than completing a full-year course, though officials clarified this would not enable students to graduate significantly earlier.
• Some Board of Regents members and teachers expressed concerns about the lack of detailed guidelines and clarity on how competency would be assessed and how educators should prepare for the changes.
• The move aligns with broader trends away from standardized testing toward evaluating a student's body of work, though some elite colleges are reconsidering standardized exams for admissions and academic preparedness.