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The Board of Regents and State Education Department today announced additional regional information meetings across the state to gather feedback on what a state diploma should signify to ensure educational excellence and equity for every student in New York State. The dozens of meetings are an integral part of Phase I in the Board and Department’s review of graduation measures and will offer opportunities for stakeholders and members of the public to share input.

“These regional meetings are designed to foster a dialogue so we can consider valuable input from parents, educators, students, school board members, community members, business organizations and anyone else who is invested in the future of our children,” Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa said. “We have already seen an incredible turnout at the meetings held so far. Regents members and I look forward to hearing diverse viewpoints from every region of the state and encourage anyone who wants to contribute to this essential conversation to attend a meeting in their area.”

“We want to make sure our students are engaged in school and prepared for the 21^st century and that means asking ourselves how we can best provide avenues for students to demonstrate they’re ready to graduate with a meaningful diploma,” Interim Commissioner Shannon Tahoe said. “With more opportunities for students to focus on what interests them, they will be more engaged in school and better positioned in life. I thank Chancellor Rosa and the Regents for their leadership in these regional meetings.”��

Regional Meetings

At least one meeting is being held in each judicial district through April. Each meeting will be led by the local Board of Regents Member, the BOCES District Superintendent or Big Five district staff. Meetings will include the opportunity for attendees to break out into small groups to discuss and provide feedback on each of five guiding questions:

1. What do we want students to know and to be able to do before they graduate?
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2. How do we want students to demonstrate such knowledge and skills?
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3. How do you measure learning and achievement (as it pertains to the answers to #2 above) to ensure they are indicators of high school completion?
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4. How can measures of achievement accurately reflect the skills and knowledge of our special populations, such as students with disabilities and English language learners?
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5. What course requirements or examinations will ensure that students are prepared for college and careers or civic engagement?

For those who cannot attend a meeting, there is an online survey of the five guiding questions on our dedicated Graduation Measures website to provide feedback.

The list of meetings scheduled to date is below; recently added or updated meetings are in bold. Please note that meeting dates continue to be added and modified and that pre-registration is required. Please check ̨������ֱ��’s Graduation Measures website for the latest information on dates and most up-to-date registration information.

Please Note: The regional meetings on Staten Island on March 11, in Rochester on March 11, and in Albany on March 18 have been postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date.

Please Note:��The regional meeting in Buffalo has been rescheduled to Monday, March 30 from 5:00-7:30 PM at Stanley Makowski ECC #99. The meeting will be hosted by Regent Collins.��

Graduation Measures Review Process

Chancellor Rosa��committed to rethinking New York’s graduation measures in February 2019��and in July 2019, the Board of Regents announced it will create a Blue Ribbon Commission to review the State’s high school graduation measures and reaffirm what it means to obtain a diploma in New York State.��

The Commission members, who will be named later this year, will examine what a State diploma should signify to ensure educational excellence and equity for every student in New York State. The Commission will look at whether adding other measures of achievement could better serve New York’s diverse student population as indicators of what they know and if they are career and college ready. Phase I: Information Gathering activities, which were announced in November, are intended to inform the Commission’s work.

As part of Phase I, SED is also conducting a review of research and practices in other states. This information will also help inform the Commission’s work during Phase II, when the Commission meets and develops recommendations to the Board of Regents. Phase III is when the Commission’s work and recommendations are presented to the Board of Regents and the Board will begin its policy discussion.

The updated draft timeline currently anticipates the Commission making recommendations to the Board of Regents in Winter 2022. The adjusted timeline will allow more time for the research to be conducted, for regional meetings to be held and the next permanent Commissioner to be engaged in the Commission’s work from its creation. We are allowing for approximately two years, and this is by design, so ample stakeholder and public feedback can be part of the process. Below is the updated timeline.

Keeping the Public Informed

To allow for a transparent and meaningful information gathering process, the Department has created a��Graduation Measures��website��which will feature updates throughout the process and has established a listserv that is open to anyone wishing to receive updates. For those interested in signing up for the listserv, please visit the ̨������ֱ����website��for additional information. The Department will also provide updates via traditional social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn with #NYSGradMeasures.