>> SO IT'S BEEN A REQUIREMENT TO GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL IN NEW YORK FOR YEARS. BUT IT NOW LOOKS LIKE THE STATE IS PLANNING TO MAKE REGENTS EXAMS OPTIONAL FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. >> ALL RIGHT, FOX FIVE'S ARTHUR CHEN TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PROPOSAL. AND THE ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS THAT STUDENTS WILL NOW HAVE. >> HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS MAY NO LONGER HAVE TO PASS THE REGENTS EXAM IN ORDER TO GET THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. THIS, ACCORDING TO NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION OFFICIALS MAKING THE ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEK A MOVE CELEBRATED BY SOME ADVOCACY GROUPS SAYING THE TEST IS NO LONGER USEFUL. MEASURE THAT STUDENTS ARE READY FOR COLLEGE. >> THERE'S NO DATA OR EVIDENCE SHOWING THAT DOING WELL ON YOUR REGENTS EXAMS, PREP PAIRS YOU FOR LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. >> THE PROPOSAL WAS PRESENTED AT THE STATE BOARD OF REGENTS TODAY AFTER YEARS OF STUDY, AND EXPERTS SAY IT COULD TAKE EVEN MORE YEARS BEFORE THE NEW PLAN IS APPROVED AND ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED. MEANWHILE, STATE EDUCATION OFFICIALS ARE WORKING ON WAYS TO MODERNIZE THE WAY THEY ASSESS STUDENTS WITHOUT RELYING ON THE REGENTS EXAMS BY CREATING ADDITIONAL CREDIT REQUIREMENTS IN STEM WRITING AND MORE. STILL, EDUCATION ADVOCATE AND PARENT JANE CHU SAYS THE TESTS ARE A LESS BIASED WAY TO GAUGE A STUDENT'S PROGRESS THAN BEING ASSESSED BY A TEACHER. >> THERE ARE STORIES WHERE A CHILD WILL GRADUATE, YOU KNOW WILL HAVE A 95 ON THEIR REPORT CARD, YET ON THEIR STATE TESTS, THEY ARE DEEMED A 1 OR 2, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE BELOW GRADE. SO THESE CASES DO EXIST. AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING AT THIS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION LEVEL IS PERPETUATING THAT. >> AS FOR PARENTS, WE TALK TO THEIR SPLIT. >> I DON'T THINK NECESSARILY SITTING DOWN AND TAKING A TEST, BUT HAVING TO HAVE MAN HOURS TO PROCTOR TEST IS A REALLY GOOD USE OF TAXPAYER MONEY. KIDS SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE TESTED TO KNOW WHAT LEVEL THEY ARE, WHERE THEY NEED HELP AT. >> SO SOME OF THEM, THEY'RE NOT GOOD AT MATH, SO THEY NEED TO WORK ON CERTAIN THINGS IN MATH, ENGLISH, WHATEVER. I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP THE TEST IN FOR THE KIDS. >> THE FULL PLAN ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS CHANGE WILL BE PRESENTED IN NOVEMBER, AND IT