Students who struggle passing their fifth Regents exam needed to graduate high school will now be able to finish their diploma by gaining certain work-experience credits.
The Board of Regents on Monday gave first approval to an emergency regulation that will take effect in time for graduates this spring, allowing all students to gain a diploma after passing the four core Regents exams and meeting the Career Development Occupational Studies, CDOS, requirements.
But the approval — nine in favor, two against and three abstentions — didn’t come until after the board aired differences of opinion over the proposal and stutter-stepped over whether to act on it at all Monday.
The CDOS option, which was originally created for special-needs students, requires students to either gain over 200 hours of career and technical credits, including over 50 hours of work-based experience, or to pass qualified job-readiness certification assessments, such as one administered through SkillsUSA.
Students are also expected to develop career plans and an employability profile.
“It sends a message about what we value,” said Angelica Infante-Green, an Education Department staffer. “We don’t just value one thing; we want kids to be ready, but can they perform in the workforce? That is also valuable.”
Criticisms of the new path to graduation largely fell under one of two threads: The pathway would “water down” the rigor of the high school diploma; and expanding graduation opportunities without building capacity would exacerbate existing educational inequities.
Regent Lester Young, who regularly emphasizes the importance of equity in education, pushed the state education staffer and state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia on what they knew about the capacity of districts to implement the new graduation pathway and develop business partnerships for students to gain work experience.
“When we talk about more opportunities, are we creating more opportunities for youngsters who at this point don’t have those opportunities, or are we creating those opportunities for those who already have opportunities?” Young said.
He ultimately voted in favor of the proposal.
Regent James Tallon said expanding the program to all students could bring a flood of new students to a pathway the board developed for students in a different context.
But the majority of the Regents diffused the concerns by pointing out that it was an opportunity to provide students the chance to demonstrate skills and maintain the requirement that students pass the four main Regents exams.
“It provides options for students and will address the different needs of students across the board. It opens up doors for students to get what they need at the end of the road,” Regent Judith Chin said. “I see this as a win-win for the schools and the kids. I’m not sure what the debate around this is.”
Reach Gazette reporter Zachary Matson at 395-3120, [email protected] or @zacharydmatson on Twitter.
Categories: -News-, Schenectady County
