Rethinking Pathways to High School Graduation in New York State: Forging New Ways for Students to Show Their Achievement of Standards
This report by The Coalition for Multiple Pathways to a Diploma, prepared by Advocates for Children of New York, examines the difficulties that high stakes standardized exit exams pose for many students and addresses the need for more flexible exam requirements and assessment-based pathways to a diploma.
The report outlines several recommendations for New York State to improve access to a high school diploma while maintaining high standards that ensure college or career readiness, including:
- Reduce the number of exit exams required to graduate with a Regents diploma from five to three.
- Develop a pathway to graduation that allows all students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills through State-developed and/or approved performance-based assessments.
- Build more flexibility and support into the current system to make it more accessible to students.
- Ensure transparency in communications and monitoring of all aspects of the multiple pathways system.
