Syosset Central School District
On Oct. 13, 2026 the district presented New York State's proposed graduation changes ("NY Inspires"): Regents exams would no longer be required to graduate starting in 2027-28, there would be one diploma statewide (January 2028), and credits would be based on showing skills instead of seat time.
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Farmingdale Union Free School District
Hicksville Union Free School District
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Niagara Falls City School District
On September 24, 2026 staff explained the state's NY Inspires plan: one state diploma starting with 2028 graduates, new ways to show learning besides Regents tests, and rules expected to begin in 2027-28. Students must keep taking Regents exams until the state changes its rules. The district says its career pathways and seals at the high school put it in a good position.
Hicksville Union Free School District
The superintendent said the Board of Regents proposed ending Regents exam diploma requirements and moving to a single diploma starting 2027-28. Local assessments could replace Regents exams, and state testing would expand to grades 3 through 11.
Sachem Central School District
On Sep 23, 2026 administrators presented a common grading framework. Departments pick weights within set ranges, and no single grade can count for 20% or more of a marking-period grade.
Walton Central School District
The superintendent told the board on 22 September 2026 that New York's Board of Regents has officially decoupled Regents examinations from graduation requirements for students graduating in 2028. Regents exams will still be given, but students will no longer have to pass them to earn a diploma. The district says it is now working out how to help students who are in the transition years, and that the change pushes forward the state's Portrait of a Graduate work, for which it is still waiting on detail. Walton has been putting the groundwork in place: a careers and technical pathway in agriculture, an associate-degree pathway, SUNY Broome instant admission for every senior, and a plan to give credit for real work placements.
Port Washington Union Free School District
On September 17, 2026 the Superintendent told the Board that the state Board of Regents approved a plan to end the rule that students must pass Regents exams to earn a diploma, and to move to one diploma with seals. It would first affect the Class of 2028, today's juniors. The state is not final: rules are expected in February with a 60-day comment period and final action in June 2027.
South Huntington Union Free School District
The district said the state Board of Regents voted in September 2026 to move NY Inspires forward. It would stop requiring Regents exams to graduate and create one diploma, with the advanced designation becoming a seal. The district says it takes effect for the class of 2028.
Mount Vernon City School District
In fall 2026, 48 classrooms in 10 schools are piloting four reading and writing programs (Magnetic Reading, HMH Into Reading, Amplify CKLA and Savvas myPerspectives). The district plans vendor presentations in January and a K-6 adoption with teacher training in early 2027.
Clarkstown Central School District
In 2026-27, all secondary music students, including eighth graders at Felix Festa Middle School, get one lesson each six-day cycle. They also rehearse as a full band, chorus or orchestra every time the ensemble meets.
South Colonie Central School District
In January the technology director told the board that 110-plus teachers piloted MagicSchool, a K-12 AI platform, and that student-facing tools would roll out this spring. On Aug. 25 the assistant superintendent for instruction said a draft AI 'guide rails' handbook is being reviewed and will be finalized over the year, with AI training on teacher conference days. No adopted AI policy was found in the sources checked.
South Colonie Central School District
On Aug. 25, 2026 the assistant superintendent for instruction said about 80 percent of the college-credit classes students take will be paid for by the district through a Capital Region BOCES agreement with four universities. The district's budget newsletter says 79 of 100 high school sections qualify and puts family savings near $300,000 a year.
Deer Park Union Free School District
The July 21, 2026 Board of Education agenda includes a resolution to adopt the district's Special Education Plan covering the 2026-2028 school years for students with disabilities in Pre-K through Grade 12.
Rochester City School District
The district's 2026-2029 Academic and Financial Plan reports that average daily attendance dropped from 85.8% before the pandemic to 79% and has stayed flat there for the last three school years. The plan also reports that graduation rates, after a pandemic-era increase tied to temporarily relaxed exam requirements, have declined incrementally over the last three school years, which the plan directly connects to chronic absenteeism.
Farmingdale Union Free School District
The district's state-approved 2026-2029 technology plan sets a goal to bring in generative AI responsibly. It describes a slow, teacher-first rollout (Google Gemini, Brisk AI and NotebookLM) and says staff will learn in 2026-27 how to guide students in using AI.
Rondout Valley Central School District
The Board adopted Character Strong social-emotional learning curriculum for 2026-27 and approved eliminating a behavior analyst, 0.3 business teacher, and 0.4 speech teacher positions effective June 30.
Public School 9 The Sarah Smith Garnet School
The SLT set goals to reduce K-5 students performing well below grade level in literacy from 17 percent to 14 percent and in math from 11.5 percent to 8.5 percent by June 2027. Its plan calls for 95% Core Phonics in K-3 and Illustrative Mathematics in grades 3-5.
Baldwinsville Central School District
On Jun 1, 2026 the Board approved Arts & Letters from Great Minds for English language arts in grades K-6 (7-2 vote). Staff said it fits the Science of Reading, an approach that teaches how sounds and letters work. They said 100% of the teachers in the pilot supported it.
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