ROME, N.Y. – What should students be able to do when they leave high school? Rome City School District’s planning documents connect that question to a statewide framework called Rome Portrait of a Graduate, which describes skills ranging from academic knowledge to communication and thoughtful decision-making.
For families, the practical issue is how those goals show up in a child’s classes, support services and preparation for life after school. Rome’s documents already link the framework, Rome Portrait of a Graduate, to student projects, goal-setting and family engagement. That work should be distinguished from separate state changes to diploma requirements that are still being developed.
This guide explains what the public records establish, what families can ask now and why a broad learning framework should not be mistaken for an immediate change to an individual student’s graduation checklist.
Six attributes, with academics still at the center
The state Board of Regents adopted the Portrait in July 2025. Its official presentation identifies six attributes:
- Academically Prepared: Building the knowledge and skills needed for further learning, work and civic life.
- Creative Innovator: Using curiosity and imagination to develop ideas and solve problems.
- Critical Thinker: Examining information and evidence before reaching a conclusion.
- Effective Communicator: Sharing ideas clearly while listening to others.
- Global Citizen: Acting responsibly in local communities, online and in the wider world.
- Reflective and Future Focused: Understanding strengths, setting goals and making responsible choices.
These are plain-language summaries of the attributes, which are also described in an Oct. 22 explanation from Erie 1 BOCES. They describe abilities students develop over time, not six new courses families must immediately add to a schedule.
Where Rome’s plans make the connection
Rome’s strategic plan grew from a February 2025 survey with more than 600 responses, focus groups and a May 17, 2025, Community Design Day. Students also helped shape the district’s mission, vision and values.
The plan calls for stronger access to advanced, career and technical, and hands-on learning. Its stated outcomes include students setting and reflecting on goals at least twice a year, student-led conferences and projects that connect classroom knowledge with real-world challenges.
It also connects partnerships with families, businesses and community organizations to the Portrait. These are stated goals. The plan alone does not establish that every activity is already offered in every classroom or that every target has been met.
The 2025-26 annual action plan explicitly maps local work to all six graduate attributes. It called for educators to look for critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration during classroom visits. It also proposed a student-led Rome RISE showcase, learning-focused family events and accessible, multilingual communication.
Because that document covers the previous school year, those activities should not be described as new announcements for fall 2026. Families can ask which continued, what participation looked like and what the district learned from them.
A current local benchmark
Rome’s 2026-27 District Comprehensive Improvement Plan, linked from the district’s board records, describes high-quality instruction as grade-level learning that develops thinkers and problem-solvers. It emphasizes student voice, collaboration, self-assessment and support that helps all learners reach demanding material.
That gives families a concrete starting point for a classroom conversation. A student might be asked to explain a solution, compare evidence or review a project after feedback. Those are examples of how such goals could appear in learning, not a report that a particular Rome teacher has assigned them.
What is changing at the state level?
In a Sept. 14, 2026, announcement, the Education Department said the Regents authorized it to advance the next phase of NY Inspires. The plan calls for one state high school diploma and an end to a prescribed set of Regents passing scores as a separate graduation requirement beginning with students graduating in 2028.
The department said it would bring proposed regulatory amendments to the Regents by February 2027 for implementation in the 2027-28 school year. Regents exams would continue. The department’s current FAQ says existing graduation requirements remain in effect until the Regents approve changes. Students should continue completing required coursework and taking exams as scheduled.
The state’s transformation timeline distinguishes that transition from a fuller competency-based system proposed for students entering ninth grade in fall 2029. A student’s entry year matters. Families should confirm individual requirements with the school rather than assume every class follows the same timeline.
Questions families can bring to school
A useful conversation starts with the student’s current experience. Parents and students can ask:
- Which graduation requirements apply to this student’s ninth-grade entry year?
- Where will the student practice the six attributes this semester?
- What work will show growth, and how will teachers explain that progress?
- What support is available when a student struggles, including disability accommodations or language support?
- Which projects, advanced courses or career experiences are available, and how can students participate?
- How will families receive updates when state rules or district practices change?
Bring the student’s schedule and current graduation plan if available. Asking for one specific example of learning can be more useful than asking whether the entire framework is working.
For Rome and the surrounding Mohawk Valley, the community interest extends beyond a diploma ceremony. Schools are preparing future workers, neighbors and community members. The useful test is whether students receive clear expectations, fair access to opportunities and support that helps them improve.
Families can follow Rome’s Graduation Measures Initiative page and board agendas and minutes for official information. The next reporting step is to establish the exact local action described in the supplied news report and how the district will measure its results.
