NEW YORK (NewsNation) — For decades, passing the New York State Regents Exam has been a prerequisite for graduating high school seniors to earn their diplomas. However, changes to eliminate this requirement are slated to take effect as early as the next school year.

The Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee, backed by the state’s Department of Education, is instituting changes, deeming the state’s standardized testing approach as outdated.

“The commission doesn’t really outline a specific approach from moving away from Regent exams, but it does say students should be provided with additional ways to demonstrate that they’ve learned what the state says a high school graduate should learn,” said Robert Lowry, deputy director of New York State Council of School Superintendents.

Students will have the option to take the Regents, but it will no longer be mandatory. Instead, they’ll have the flexibility to choose performance-based assessments, such as school projects, oral essays and research papers, illustrating their mastery of the necessary content.

“From discussion to recommendations to implementation so the next step will be focused on the implementation,” said New York Commissioner of Education Dr. Betty Rose.

Advocates for the change argue that minority and low-income students frequently face disadvantages, often leading to dropout scenarios after multiple failures in the Regents.

Critics contend that the shift lowers standards of excellence, providing students with a simpler alternative.

Gabe Dannenbring said this move wouldn’t truly lessen the standards to graduate but shift them to be more project-based learning instead of focusing on passing a test.

“We want to put more emphasis on project-based learning, more emphasis on things that take place in the classroom, and less of an emphasis on standardized testing,” he said.

Dannenbring said he understands why the public may feel that schools are “making it easier to graduate,” as school districts nationwide have implemented no-final policies.

“If we’re not going to fail kids, and we’re not going to require them to take these exit exams to graduate, maybe it is watering it down. I understand why people are saying that, but hypothetically, if a school system does it properly, the student will still leave high school with the proper tools they need to be successful in society,” he said.

The change aligns with a broader national trend as several states, including Oregon most recently, have suspended pre-graduation testing requirements through 2028.

Currently, only eight states maintain graduation tests, and it’s anticipated that Massachusetts and New York will soon leave this list.

Another recommendation for the Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee suggests consolidating the three diploma types — local, Regents and Advanced Regents — into a single diploma. Seals and endorsements will be added to those diplomas to signify the completion of specific educational requirements.