Let's Measure What Really Matters

Recommendations for the New York High School Graduation Measures Initiative

Rooted in our commitment to advance the social and economic mobility of young people and in support of Chancellor Banks’ North Star of career-connected learning, the Urban Assembly is advocating for critical revisions to New York State’s high school graduation requirements. Specifically, we call for the Graduation Measures Blue Ribbon Commission to make career-connected learning experiences, opportunities, and skill development a requirement for graduation.

Our recent publication  Let’s Measure What Really Matters: Recommendations for the New York High School Graduation Measures Initiative highlights research, policy, and practice across New York State that demonstrates how schools can be organized to graduate students with the skills and experience that link them directly to the workforce and better prepare them for postsecondary success.

Let’s Measure What Really Matters makes three key recommendations to the Graduation Measures Blue Ribbon Commission: 

• Revise graduation requirements: reduce required Regents exams to two (math and ELA)

• Revise seat time to include work and out-of-classroom activities

• Provide more support to schools to implement career-connected learning

We encourage you to download a copy of Let’s Measure What Really Matters and encourage you to sign on as partners. 

Join the effort to revise New York State High School Graduation Requirements.