Education’s Equity Agenda: New York Debates Standards-Based Reform and Teaching Quality

State Policy Shifts Focus From Standardized Testing to Competency-Based Learning, Raising Questions About Accountability

New York’s Education Reform Moment: Rethinking Learning Standards

New York State education policy is at an inflection point. In November 2024, the New York State Board of Regents issued the “Vision to Transform New York State Graduation Requirements,” a plan for high school education reform. The proposal represents a fundamental philosophical shift in how the state measures educational success.

The Spending Context for Reform

Reform occurs within a state spending paradox. According to a January 2025 report from the Citizens Budget Commission (CBC), New York State’s per-pupil spending ($36,293) is higher than that of any other state in the U.S. and double the national average ($18,461), yet student performance on the 2022 National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) was slightly below the national average. This reality frames reform: additional resources alone aren’t solving equity gaps.

Performance-Based Learning and Assessment

The Board wants school districts to adopt “Performance-Based Learning and Assessment” (PBLA), with assessments that can include simple on-demand tasks such as in-class writing exercises or short-answer tests, as well as longer, more complex tasks inside or outside the classroom, such as analyzing and proposing solutions to real-world problems.

Concerns About Quality and Rigor

Not all observers embrace the reform enthusiastically. Critics note that performance-based assessments, sometimes referred to as “guide on the side” approaches, may not provide the direct, guided instruction that research on student learning emphasizes.

Charter Schools Offer Contrasting Results

The debate is illuminated by charter school performance data. Success Academy schools achieve results where 80% of SA students earn a passing grade on at least one advanced placement (AP) exam and 100% of SA graduates have been accepted to college, many to highly selective institutions, with achievement disparities narrowed compared with those that persist across NYC and NYS. SA schools achieve these superior results, even though charter schools in NYC as of 2024 receive only $19,044 per student, about 70% of what NYC Department of Education schools receive.

The Teacher Quality Question

Analysis of educator retention data in New York State from SY 2018-19 to 2021-22 shows that New York State public schools are challenged to retain teachers of color, in particular Black, American Indian, and Latinx teachers. This retention challenge compounds other inequities.

A Complex Path Forward

New York State’s commitment to improving student learning results for all students involves creating well-developed, culturally responsive, and equitable systems of support for achieving dramatic gains in student outcomes. The reform debate reflects genuine tension between standardized accountability and competency-based flexibility–between ensuring uniform quality and allowing local adaptation. Getting both right simultaneously remains the challenge.