Amherst Central reviews New York State "Portrait of a Graduate," credit and assessment changes and local preparations

Dr. Shanahan, director of curriculum and instruction for the Amherst Central School District, told the board at its October meeting that New York State has adopted a new Portrait of a Graduate and is moving toward four broad transformations that will change how high-school credits and graduation are defined.

The district presentation laid out the state''s approach: six attributes for graduates that will be scored alongside content standards, a move away from seat-time credit (currently 180 hours per credit) toward proficiency-based credit, and decoupling Regents exams from a mandatory graduation requirement while maintaining assessments for federal reporting under the Every Student Succeeds Act. "The Regents exams aren't going away, it's just they're not required to be coupled for graduation," Dr. Shanahan said.

Why it matters: the role of Regents exams, the credit model and the scoring rubrics will change how students earn diplomas and how districts track progress. The state''s timeline pauses many final decisions until rubrics and guidance are released; the district is emphasizing local planning now so it can implement changes once the state issues details.

Dr. Shanahan described the six attributes (formerly called competencies) approved by the Board of Regents in July 2025 and said the state will later provide rubrics for scoring them. District staff are already auditing current courses and experiences to identify existing work that could map to those attributes, she said. "There are going to be a lot of not answers tonight," she cautioned, adding the district will "peek around corners" by reviewing rubrics and examples from other states while waiting for New York''s guidance.

Key details presented

- Attributes and rubrics: The Board of Regents approved a portrait with six attributes; the state will provide scoring rubrics later. Dr. Shanahan said the district has formed a small team (a counselor, an assistant principal, a teacher and herself) to review exemplars and begin local planning.

- Credits and proficiency: The state is exploring replacing seat-time credit (a 180-hour year standard) with a proficiency-based model that would allow internships, capstones, portfolios and other demonstrations of mastery to earn credit. Dr. Shanahan said the change is intended to expand student pathways and increase equity and engagement, but that details are not yet finalized.

- Assessments and Regents: Regents exams will remain in place for assessment and federal reporting, but passage of a Regents exam will no longer be the sole route to earn a particular graduation credit once the reforms are fully implemented. Dr. Shanahan explained that assessments "will still be needed in part for the Every Student Succeeds Act" and that districts must continue federal reporting requirements unless those change.

- Seals, endorsements and advanced designation: The state plans to expand use of seals and endorsements (for example, Seal of Biliteracy and Seal of Civic Readiness) and provide rubrics so seals remain rigorous rather than optional add-ons. The district has piloted music and arts seals and a capstone option that could be built into the new system.

- Required new content areas: District staff reported the state requires every student entering grade 9 by 2027 to earn at least one credit in career and technical education (CTE); financial literacy and climate education content will also be required and may be satisfied through existing courses or integrated experiences, not necessarily a stand-alone class.

- Timeline and cohorts: The district presentation used the state's cohort-based timeline. Current fifth graders were identified as the cohort who would experience the entire set of transformations (class of 2029 under the state's cohort definition). Dr. Shanahan said many final rules will arrive closer to 2027 and implementation will be phased.

Board questions and local concerns

Board members pressed the district on implications for attendance, staffing, transcript portability and college admissions. Dr. Shanahan acknowledged those concerns, noting the state emphasized local control and that districts will be able to phase changes slowly to maintain rigor and accountability. She said the district is working on curriculum mapping and an internal system so students and staff can track progress toward seals/endorsements rather than relying on distributed teacher records.

Dr. Shanahan summarized the district''s immediate next steps: audit current courses for alignment with the six attributes and prioritized standards, pilot or expand existing seals and endorsements where feasible, centralize curriculum maps and create a tracking platform so students can view progress toward seals.

Board members also discussed college admissions and standardized testing. Dr. Shanahan noted some institutions remain test-optional and that changes in New York may increase emphasis on other standardized measures (AP, SAT/ACT) for outside institutions, but she reiterated the state will provide further guidance before districts change graduation rules.

Ending

Dr. Shanahan said the district will continue to brief the board as state guidance is released and that staff will focus this year on awareness, mapping and small preparatory steps rather than wholesale changes until rubrics and specific credit guidance arrive. "We do have a team that's looking at this across this year," she said. "We are looking at what we're currently doing to see how it might relate."