NYS Portrait of a Graduate Need-to-Know Documents

At the July 2025 Board of Regents meeting, the Board formally adopted the New York State Portrait of a Graduate, a critical milestone in NY Inspires, the Department’s implementation plan for transformative education. The Portrait offers a unifying vision of what it means to be a graduate in New York State, describing the essential skills and dispositions that all students should develop to succeed in college, careers, and civic life.

To ensure clarity and support stakeholders’ shared understanding of the Portrait, the Department developed “Need-to-Know” documents for students, parents, educators, administrators, and school board members.

These documents provide role-specific guidance on the Portrait and serve as foundational tools for stakeholder engagement, professional learning, and strategic planning.

While the Board of Regents adopted the Portrait in July, amendments to the diploma requirements are forthcoming. Until specific changes are approved by the Board of Regents, the current graduation requirements remain in effect for all public school students in New York State.

Additional information about the Portrait and NY Inspires can be found on the Department’s Graduation Measures website. Questions may be referred to GradMeasures@nysed.gov.