Baldwin school district reacts to proposed changes in graduation requirements

The State Education Department presented a new plan at a June 10 Board of Regents meeting under which students would no longer need to pass Regents exams in order to graduate.

Baldwin school district superintendent Shari Camhi wrote in an email to the Herald that she praised the state for rethinking its requirements. “High school graduation criteria have remained largely unchanged since the 1970s,” she wrote. “Thus, I commend the New York State Education Department for making the decision to rethink the current high school graduation requirements and Regents examinations.”

The Regents exams were first given in 1878. Currently, a student must earn 22 credits and pass at least four of the tests to earn a Regents diploma. Students must pass at least seven Regents exams to earn an advanced diploma.

Instead, the Education Department is proposing a menu of options it is calling the Portrait of a Graduate, which would give students the chance to demonstrate their proficiency in several areas, including critical thinking; cultural or social-emotional competencies; and innovative program solving.

The Regents would still be administered, but would not be a requirement for graduation.

Camhi said she has long advocated for a re-evaluation of current graduation requirements.

“The world is different than it once was,” she wrote. “For example, technology has fundamentally changed the way we communicate, research, and obtain information. It is time to contemporize and make more relevant the requirements for exiting from high school.

“Given the significant changes we have seen across the globe over the last fifty years,” she added, “it is essential that we transform the current system into one that will ensure student success for all and allow every child to graduate fully prepared for their future.”

The Education Department plans to present the plan to the Board of Regents later this year and the world would need to approve any changes.

According to the department’s website, the Baldwin district’s graduation rate was 95 percent as of last August, with 71 percent receiving advanced Regents diplomas and 24 percent earning Regents diplomas.

The Herald asked members of the “Baldwin NY Community” Facebook group page what they thought of the Education Department’s proposal. Opponents viewed it as a downgrade of standards, while supporters said they thought it was a good idea for those who are not good test takers.

“Do away with it!” Marlene Burczyk wrote, referring to the regents requirements. “Not everyone is a strong test taker, that doesn’t make them less of a person or less smart. Some kids have rest anxiety and freeze up even with IEPs” — Individualized Education Programs — “for additional accommodations.”

“I am against it,” Sonia Lopez wrote of the department’s plan. “Every student should have the opportunity to graduate with a Regents diploma. We cannot afford to dummy down our education requirements.”

“The Baldwin School District has and will always maintain the highest standards for our students,” Camhi wrote when asked how the district plans to address those who oppose the change. “We welcome the varied and breadth of assessments to be offered as a measure of learning as we continue to develop programs and curricula that promote the skills needed to succeed in life.”

One program she mentioned was Baldwin 2035, an initiative that focuses on future-focused learning, performance-based assessments, college-level work, and hands-on, creative, civic-minded, inquiry-based instruction.

“We continue to reposition our academic programs, curricula and learning spaces to effectively teach and prepare students for the world of work,” Camhi wrote. “Based on this initiative and together with our families and community members’ input, we have successfully developed and implemented programs that incorporate essential workforce skills while preparing students for 2035.”