Additional Regional Meetings to Review Graduation Measures in New York State

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?
2. How do we want students to demonstrate such knowledge and skills?
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?
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?
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 NYSED’s Graduation Measures website for the latest information on dates and most up-to-date registration information.

 

Schedule of Regional Meetings

Regent/ Judicial District	Date	Time	Meeting Site
Wade Norwood Regent at Large	2/13/20	5:30 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.	Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES 3599 Big Ridge Rd Spencerport, NY Satellite Locations: Genesee Valley Educational Partnership Service Center 80 Munson Street LeRoy, NY AND Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES Conference Center 131 Drumlin Court Newark, NY AND Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES 1879 West Genesee Street Rd Auburn, NY
Kathleen Cashin 2nd District	2/26/20	5:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.	Ft. Hamilton High School Cafeteria 8301 Shore Rd Brooklyn, NY
Kathleen Cashin 2nd District	2/27/20	9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.	Brooklyn College Student Center 2705 Campus Rd Brooklyn, NY
Kathleen Cashin 2nd District Lester W. Young Regent at Large	2/27/20	5:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.	Boys & Girls High School Cafeteria 1700 Fulton St Brooklyn, NY
Catherine Collins 8th District	2/27/20	5:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.	Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts 450 Masten Ave Buffalo, NY
Chancellor Betty A. Rosa Elizabeth S. Hakanson 5th District	2/27/20 (snow date: 3/5/20)	5:00 p.m.- 7:30 p.m.	Public Service Leadership Academy at Fowler High School 227 Magnolia St Syracuse NY
Lester W. Young Regent at Large Hosting for the 9th District	3/3/20 (snow date: 3/4/20)	6:00 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.	Roosevelt High School Early College Studies 631 Tuckahoe Rd Yonkers, NY
Josephine Finn 3rd District	3/4/20 (snow date: 3/11/20)	5:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.	Ulster BOCES 175 N. Chestnut St New Paltz, NY
Roger Tilles 10th District	3/4/20	5:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.	Eastern Suffolk BOCES The Instructional Support Center at Sequoya 750 Waverly Ave Holtsville, NY
Elizabeth S. Hakanson 5th District	3/9/20	4:00 p.m.- 6:30 p.m.	Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES 4747 Middle Settlement Rd New Hartford, NY
Judith Chin 11th District	3/10/20	9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.	Helen Marshall Cultural Center Queens Borough Hall Atrium 120-55 Queens Blvd Queens NY
Judith Chin 11th District	3/10/20	5:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.	York College 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd Queens, NY
Wade Norwood 7th District	3/11/20 (snow date: 3/18/20)	5:30 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.	East High School 1801 East Main St Rochester, NY Satellite Location: Joseph C. Wilson Foundation Academy 200 Genesee St Rochester, NY
Christine Cea 13th District	3/11/20	9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.	Borough President’s Hall of Science Petrides Campus 715 Ocean Terrace Staten Island, NY
Susan Mittler 6th District	3/16/20	5:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.	SUNY Oneonta Morris Hall 108 Ravine Parkway Oneonta, NY
Josephine Finn 3rd District	3/18/20 (snow date: 3/25/20)	5:00 p.m.- 7:30 p.m.	Hearst Media Center 645 Albany Shaker Rd Albany, NY
Nan Eileen Mead 1st District	3/23/20	9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.	Borough of Manhattan Community College Richard Harris Terrace 199 Chambers St New York, NY
Chancellor Betty A. Rosa	3/24/20	9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.	Monroe College Mintz Auditorium King Hall 2501 Jerome Ave Bronx, NY
Roger Tilles 10th District	3/27/20	8:30 a.m.- 11:30 a.m.	Western Suffolk BOCES 31 Lee Ave Wheatley Heights, NY
Catherine Collins 8th District	3/31/20	1:00 p.m- 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.	Erie 1 BOCES 355 Harlem Rd West Seneca, NY
Nan Eileen Mead 1st District	3/31/20	5:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.	Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics 260 Pleasant Ave New York, NY

 

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.

 

Draft Timeline for the Review of Graduation Measures in NYS

Phase I: Information Gathering & Learning	November 2019 to April 2020: Literature review of research and practices in other states. Report to Board in Spring 2020 Regional workgroups hold meetings a beginning in January to gather feedback from across the state. Summer 2020: Compile Regional Meeting feedback. Summer 2020: Establish the Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) and draft meeting schedule.
Phase II: Blue Ribbon Commission	September 2020: Commission’s first meeting – the BRC convenes and defines the scope of its work. October 2020: Blue Ribbon Commission second meeting to identify priority areas and a framework for moving forward. Establish sub-groups for priority areas. November 2020 – February 2021: Sub-groups meet. March 2021 – May 2021: Sub-groups develop proposed recommendations. Summer 2021 – Fall 2021: Sub-groups advance recommendations to the BRC. Fall 2021 – Winter 2022: The BRC finalizes recommendations and a report is prepared.
Phase III: Regents Discussion	Winter 2022: The Blue Ribbon Commission’s final report is presented to the Board of Regents for consideration.

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 NYSED website for additional information. The Department will also provide updates via traditional social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn with #NYSGradMeasures.