Southwestern Central School students toss their caps in the air after this June’s graduation ceremony. Graduation standards for high schoolers are likely to change, and the state’s Blue Ribbon Commission on graduation standards is having a public forum on Monday to get input from local educators and from the community.
Local educators and the general public will have an opportunity today to comment on new recommended graduation requirements for high school students.
District Superintendents of BOCES in New York state have been asked to hold forums by the state education commissioner. Sessions for the Angola area BOCES were held last week. Today, the Hewes Center, 2615 N. Maple Ave., Ashville, will host a pair of forums. One will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for educators and a second will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. for other members of the public.
David O’Rourke, district superintendent and chief executive officer for Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES, said these forums will be exploring the regents exam requirements for graduation from high school in the state.
“Regents Exam requirements were initially established in New York State in 1878,” O’Rourke said. “And while there have been revisions to learning standards, and modifications of that system, the overall requirements have emphasized these exams overall as a basis for graduation for many decades. We know much more about teaching and learning today than we did in 1878, yet requirements for graduation in New York State have been relatively static. That’s why the Blue Ribbon Commission was established — to provide expert advice on the system of graduation and propose changes that will better serve students in New York state.”
Additionally, O’Rourke said the forums are an opportunity for educators and parents, along with other members of the public, to provide input to the Department about the Blue Ribbon Commission’s recommendations to the state Education Department and Board of Regents.
At the forums, the recommendations will be presented along with a portrait of a graduate, which includes being a critical thinker, being an innovative problem solver, literacy across content areas, cultural competence or knowing about, and being able to interact effectively with other cultures, social-emotional competence, being an effective communicator, and being a global citizen or understanding a person’s roles and responsibilities as citizens of the United States, as well as broader human responsibilities and challenges on the planet.
“After learning about these themes and competencies, participants have a chance to discuss the recommendations, and contribute online responses to the Department directly, as well as review other thoughts and responses that have been submitted by others,” O’Rourke said.
Current graduation requirements remain in effect for all high school students in the state at this time, but O’Rourke said the Department of Education will be using this information, in addition to the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission, to make changes in the coming months. The forums are an opportunity to learn about the specific themes and provide feedback.
O’Rourke said the forum is the responsibility of the District Superintendent, working on behalf of the Commissioner in the region.
“Events like this can help NYSED interact with, and gather feedback from, the field,” O’Rourke said. “E2CC BOCES, which is a cooperative partnership with our region’s 27 schools, is well positioned to support this learning as well, and assist districts as they prepare for changes in the graduation requirements that may come in the coming one or two years. BOCES are a key support for professional development and learning for educators and education system leaders in our school systems.”
Overall, O’Rourke said the forums and recommendations will help local schools and institutions to change with the continuously changing world.
“As the world changes, our institutions need to evolve and change as well,” O’Rourke said. “My own feeling is that many of these recommendations are timely. In these recommendations, the department, and by extension, our public schools, have an opportunity to answer students’ questions like, ‘Why do we need to learn this?’ in a way that students will recognize as meaningful and relevant to their lives.”