Comsewogue School District

New York State and Local Graduation Requirements

Additional Designations With Honors
The "with honors" designation is added to either Regents Diploma option for students with an average score of 90 or more on all required Regents exams.

Technical Endorsement

Students enrolled in an approved school district or BOCES career and technical education (CTE) program who successfully complete all requirements earn a technical endorsement to be affixed to their high school diplomas.

Learn more about New York State's high school graduation requirements from the New York State Department of Education.

Changes Coming to Diplomas in 2028

New York State is moving toward one, unified high school diploma for all students. This will take in effect in June 2028 (current juniors).

One Diploma Pathway

All students will graduate with one New York State (NYS) High School Diploma,beginning in June 2028 (current juniors). Students will continue to have opportunities to distinguish their accomplishments through state and locally-developed seals and endorsements.

Regents Exams Required

All students must continue to take and successfully pass their Regents exams, as we transition into the next phase of college and career readiness and graduation measures.

Future Changes

At this time, there are no changes to course credit requirements for graduation. As per the New York State Education Department, schools will develop assessment strategies that use multiple sources of evidence to determine student achievement.

Why This Matters

The new plan allows for a focus on Problem-Based Learning (PBL) skills and coursework, not just a prescribed list of exams to assess studentsʼ learning. The Comsewogue School District has been working toward this goal for over ten years. NYS has issued each district to adopt a Portrait of a Graduate (POG), outlining the skills we expect our students to demonstrate upon graduation.

Bottom Line for Families

Your child will still need to take and successfully pass Regents exams in the respective subject areas. Once we are able to issue one diploma for all students June 2028, we will be able to utilize additional strategies for measuring student achievement.

We will continue to keep you updated as we receive more guidance from NYS.