In 2019, the New York State Board of Regents under Chancellor Betty Rosa created a Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) to travel around the state and collect information from stakeholders regarding the attributes and skills that students need to get them ready to graduate from high school, whether they choose to go to college, a trade school or participate in the economy in another way.  

Fast forward to 2024 – the state has now determined that there should be multiple pathways to graduation, and that a Regents diploma isn’t, and shouldn’t be, the only option for students.

New York isn’t the only state to try to broaden what it means to be a high school graduate. According to Education Week, 17 states have redefined “graduation” beyond traditional expectations, outlining their goals in a guiding document that, in New York, is calling “Portrait of a Graduate."

In their budget request, the Regents board and the New York state Education Department have asked for $2.3 million in funding to implement the BRC’s recommendations. 

Capital Tonight had the opportunity to sit down with Rosa, now the state education commissioner, to discuss the thinking behind these new graduation pathways, the mental health needs of students and other issues.