New York moves to end Regents exams as graduation gatekeeper beginning in 2028

New York students would no longer have to pass Regents exams to graduate from high school beginning in 2028, under a major change approved Monday by the State Board of Regents.

The exams themselves are not going away. Students will still take state tests, and Regents exams may still be used to show mastery of a subject or earn special seals and endorsements. But passing a set of Regents exams would no longer be required to receive a high school diploma.

The change would also end New York’s current system of multiple diploma types: local diplomas, Regents diplomas and Regents diplomas with Advanced Designation. Instead, students who meet state graduation requirements would receive one New York State high school diploma.

That distinction matters. Students can already graduate with a local diploma in some circumstances without earning a traditional Regents diploma. But even the local diploma generally depends on Regents exams, lower-score appeals, safety nets or other state-approved alternatives. The new system would move away from using Regents exams as the central test students must clear to graduate.

For Riverhead, the state’s decision touches a debate the district has already been having: how much weight Regents exams should carry, especially after the disruption caused by COVID-19.

Riverhead’s school board suspended its policy counting Regents exams as 20% of a student’s final course grade for multiple years after the pandemic. The district instead counted the exam only if it helped a student’s final average. Board members again suspended the weighting policy for 2024 after months of discussion among parents, teachers, administrators and board members. In June 2025, the Riverhead school board adopted a policy stating that Regents exams will count for 10% of their course grade average — down from 20% in previous years.

The broader state change raises a larger local question: if Regents exams are no longer required for graduation, what will Riverhead require students to show before they receive a diploma?

The State Education Department says districts will develop local assessment strategies using a broader mix of evidence. That could include classroom tests, student work, projects, performance-based assignments, teacher observations and state exams.

Riverhead administrators have previously said the end of the Regents exam requirement could help some students, particularly those whose skills are not fully reflected in standardized tests. But they have also said districts will need clear guidance on how student achievement will be measured fairly and consistently.

The issue is especially important in Riverhead, where district officials have been working to improve graduation rates and academic performance.

In the latest state report card, covering the 2024-25 school year, Riverhead’s total cohort graduation rate was 76%, with 450 of 590 students graduating. The district’s chronic absenteeism rate was 24.4% at the elementary/middle level and 23.3% at the secondary level.

The latest state report card also shows continued weakness in math, with Riverhead’s secondary math performance trailing its results in English language arts, science and social studies.

The district has also faced lingering post-pandemic challenges. Chronic absenteeism remains higher than before COVID-19, and Riverhead’s student population has changed significantly over the past decade. English language learners now make up a much larger share of enrollment, and the percentage of students with disabilities has also increased.

State officials say the goal of the new graduation system is to give students more ways to show they are ready for life after high school. The state’s plan is tied to its “Portrait of a Graduate,” a framework that emphasizes skills such as critical thinking, communication, problem solving and civic responsibility.

But the details are still being developed. NYSED expects to bring proposed regulations to the Board of Regents in 2027, with the new diploma structure beginning in the 2027-28 school year. Students graduating in January 2028 and later would be the first affected.

See NYSED “Transformation Timeline”

For Riverhead and other districts, the work now shifts from whether Regents exams should determine graduation to what should replace them.

Questions for Riverhead officials include how the district expects to measure student readiness, whether teachers will need new training or curriculum changes, how the shift could affect graduation rates, and how the district will make sure diplomas remain meaningful to colleges, employers and families.

Until the state adopts final regulations, current graduation requirements remain in effect.