Dive Brief:
- With the aim of improving graduation rates, the New York Board of Regents is throwing its weight behind a plan that gives high school students some legroom in how they earn their diploma.
- Instead of having to pass five regent exams — one each in English, science, and math, and two in history — students will be given a "4 + 1 option," which would allow them to swap one of the two history exams for a test in their selected career focus.
- While the fifth test could be in something standard like science, math, or art, students can also go the career and technical education route and take an exam in a field like accounting, metal working, or hotel management, reports the Associated Press.
Dive Insight:
Graduation is tricky. States need high graduation rates and get penalized if they fall below a certain threshold. For example, when Mississippi was creating its school rating system, it made its graduation rate only 9% of the overall grade, but the U.S. Department of Education demanded that it change the percentage to 20%. If it didn't make the change, Mississippi risked having its school ranking plan rejected and losing millions in federal funds. But while graduation rates mean a lot, the last thing a school should be doing is passing along students just to meet its requirements. Graduation without rigor can lead to more college dropouts and wasted time.
It looks like New York believes it has found the sweet spot. As Education Commissioner John King Jr. explained to the Associated Press, "These new regulations preserve the rigor of New York's graduation requirement while at the same time offering students comparably rigorous options that keep them engaged in school and learning."