MANCHESTER, NH – In a special meeting of the Manchester Board of School Committee held on Jan. 28, 2026, Manchester School District Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Nicole Doherty led a group of district administrators in a presentation tying together the state’s new minimum education standards with several proposed changes for Manchester’s public high schools.
Best known by its chapter name in the New Hampshire Department of Education administrative rules, Ed 306, its recent update process drew concern from Board of School Committee members, as administrators advised board members last fall that it would update the board on plans to incorporate components of the revised state education standards into the district’s policies and procedures.
In particular, Doherty discussed the shift for competency-based learning, which is already in place for younger students in the district. Within competency-based programs, students are expected to demonstrate mastery and understanding of clearly defined skills and knowledge, a shift away from what Doherty referred to as “measuring learning by seat time.”
“We’re raising the bar, not lowering it,” Doherty said. “The goal is a diploma that truly represents readiness for college, career and life.”
For now, traditional grading will stay in place although community input may be sought to correlate competency-based grades into GPA equivalencies for class rankings and collegiate enrollment purposes. A conversation regarding class scheduling and whether block scheduling would be appropriate with competency-based learning would be appropriate.
Increased high school graduation requirements were also part of the proposed changes, with the amount of credits needed for a high school degree growing from 22.5 to 24.5 beginning in 2030. The state minimum is 20 credits, however the Manchester School District went from a 20 credit to a 22.5 credit standard in 2023. District officials indicated that there may be a need for two separate class catalogs to account for this change, with students graduating in or after 2030 receiving different class offerings.
This catalog was recommended at the Jan. 26, 2026 Board of School Committee Teaching and Learning Committee, with final action on the recommendation expected to come before the full board later in February.
Specific class requirements put in place by the Ed 306 changes for the new catalog were also described during the Jan. 28 meeting, as administrators provided overviews of expanded social studies requirements, a new statistics requirement, the addition of logic and rhetoric credits, a required physical science course for freshmen, and embedded digital literacy instruction through a new school-to-career readiness course.
Virtually provided classes will be made available for students requiring credit recovery following concerns over the impact of higher credit requirements with graduation rates as part of the proposal.