Going fuzzy: NY drops exams for 'portrait of a graduate'

Starting with the class of '28, New York high school students won't have to pass Regents exams in English, math, science and social studies to earn a diploma, reports Alex Zimmerman on Chalkbeat. The Class of '31 will have to meet "portrait of a graduate" requirements.

“The New York State ‘portrait of a graduate’ will serve as the North Star of our state educational system,” said Angelique Johnson-Dingle, deputy commissioner of P-12 instructional support at the state’s Education Department.

It's abstract art, so far. "Students will be required to show that they are academically prepared, creative innovators, critical thinkers, effective communicators, global citizens, and 'reflective and future focused'," writes Zimmerman. Principles of culturally responsive education are supposed to "permeate each of those categories."

For example, officials said, students "might practice critical thinking skills by participating in debates or research projects; service learning projects could show commitment to global citizenship; and students may develop career or academic goals to demonstrate they are 'future focused'."

"Students will be able to meet graduation requirements through presentations, portfolios, college coursework, and other hands-on learning opportunities," writes Alissa Clausell for MSN. They'll take exams, but won't need a passing score.

Mark Laurrie, superintendent of schools in Niagara Falls, said the "portrait" will be a better demonstration of proficiency than standardized tests. “The more we can align the world of work with the assessment to say whether you’re ready to step into that career or profession, the better you are.”

I think the "portrait" will demonstrate schools' eagerness to hand diplomas to 18-year-olds and get them out the door. When students are evaluated by subjective criteria, everyone's going to pass. And the diploma will be utterly worthless. It's like a letter of recommendation by your mom.

If colleges or employers need to know whether a young person is capable of learning, they'll want to see standardized test scores.