Amherst schools brace for New York's "Portrait of a Graduate" shifts to proficiency, new credits and rubrics

Dr. Shanahan, presenting to the Amherst Central School District Board of Education, outlined major upcoming changes from New York State that will change how students earn diplomas and how districts document learning.

"There are going to be a lot of not answers tonight," Dr. Shanahan said as she described the state's Portrait of a Graduate, approved by the Board of Regents in July 2025, which defines six attributes (formerly called competencies) that districts will score in addition to academic standards. "We will be scoring kids on these competencies as well as the meeting of the standards." (Dr. Shanahan)

Why it matters: The state is shifting away from a seat-time credit model toward proficiency-based credit, proposing multiple pathways such as internships, capstones, portfolios and seals or endorsements. The change would decouple passing Regents exams from the narrow requirement for graduation while keeping some assessments for federal reporting under the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Dr. Shanahan said the district already pilots several pathways (Seal of Biliteracy, Seal of Civic Readiness, music and art endorsements) and is preparing systems to track student progress more transparently: "We are using a platform to identify how they earn these badges so that students can see what they've earned." (Dr. Shanahan)

Key details reported by the superintendent: - The Portrait of a Graduate sets six attributes districts must assess; rubrics to score those attributes are not yet released by the state. (Board of Regents, July 2025) - The state is exploring credit-earning models based on proficiency rather than seat time; examples include capstones, workplace learning, portfolios and internships. - Every student entering grade 9 by 2027 will be required to earn at least one credit in career and technical education; the state will also require financial literacy and climate education experiences, with the state to specify content and whether standalone courses are required. - Diploma assessments (Regents) may be decoupled from graduation requirements, but assessments will continue for federal reporting under ESSA. - Implementation will be phased by cohort (current fifth graders cited as the class of 2029 to receive the full set of changes) and could take many years to fully realize; Dr. Shanahan said some stakeholders described a 10'15-year horizon for full transformation.

Board members raised practical concerns about the transition, including whether students would maintain motivation if exams were optional and how districts would ensure consistent rigor across communities. "When nobody studies for it because they don't have to take it, then what is that? Federal reporting," an unidentified board member said during the discussion.

Dr. Shanahan recommended district planning now, including inventorying current CTE offerings and identifying local pathways that can be scaled once the state publishes rubrics. She said the district is building curriculum maps for grades 6'12 and centralizing materials on an internal site to help teachers and new hires adapt.

What happens next: The state will release rubrics and more detailed guidance before local changes are required. Dr. Shanahan told the board the district will continue stakeholder engagement and bring more detailed proposals when rubrics and credit rules are finalized.

The board did not take formal action on the state policy changes at the meeting; Dr. Shanahan's presentation was a report to inform future local planning and community conversations.