Evaluating Global Citizenship in Education

Last month, the New York State Education Department shared its plan to eliminate the Regents Exam from graduation criteria in New York. This decision was met with significant disapproval from various quarters.

Former Governor George Pataki expressed strong opposition, labeling the action as “incredibly stupid.” The Wall Street Journal editorial board also weighed in, describing the policy shift as another regrettable indicator of America’s declining educational standards.

While traditional measures like exams can assess skills such as multiplication, evaluating broad concepts like global citizenship presents challenges. This change in policy has sparked debate about the methods used to prepare students for a diverse and interconnected world. It raises questions on how educational systems should balance concrete academic skills with the broader values of global citizenship.