Don’t Throw Out Your Regents Review Books, Yet …
Four years ago the State Education Department, in rather grandiose terms announced a major initiative.
The Board of Regents and State Education Department have undertaken a thoughtful and inclusive review of the State high school graduation measures. Our ultimate goal is to explore what it means to obtain a diploma in New York State and what that diploma should signify to assure educational excellence and equity for all students in New York State.
The State began holding regional meetings; I traipsed over to Fort Hamilton High School, we were seated at tables, my table: a high school superintendent, an assistant principal, a teacher and a couple of parents. We were directed to explore a series of questions,
At each regional meeting, attendees will have the opportunity to break into smaller groups to discuss and provide feedback to the Department on five guiding questions:
1. What do we want all students to know and to be able to do before they graduate?
2. How do we want all students to demonstrate such knowledge and skills, while capitalizing on their cultures, languages, and experiences?
3. How do you measure learning and achievement (as it pertains to the answers to #2 above) to ensure they are indicators of high school completion while enabling opportunities for all students to succeed?
4. How can measures of achievement accurately reflect the skills and knowledge of our special populations, such as students with disabilities and English language learners?
5. What course requirements or examinations will ensure that all students are prepared for college, careers, and civic engagement?
Each table reported back to the whole group; I asked my table to concentrate on Question 5. We talked about the math sequence (should statistics replace geometry) and the question of civic engagement, doesn’t the required Participation in Government course suffice. and, of course, whether to continue Regents Examinations.
And, a few months later: COVID.
A two year interruption and the process resumed in fall, 2022.
State Ed selected a Blue Ribbon Commission, whatever “Blue Ribbon” means, 65 folks nominated by whomever, began to meet in December and have been meeting monthly, the meetings are not available to the common folk, only Commission members, a violation of the Open Meetings law?
An external organization, the Region 2 Comprehensive Center produced a 167 page literature review; I would have included a number of other sources. Read review here.
The State has also received a Carnegie Foundation Grant, titled Performance –Based Assessment and Learning Networks (PLAN), to explore performance assessment alternatives. Read here.
I sighed, the beginning of the end of Regents Examinations? Once looked upon as a model for the nation.
The Every Child Succeeds Act (ESSA), the spawn of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires a high school exam; New York is one of ten states that use an exam, the Regents, as an exit test. In addition to NY, Massachusetts, always in the top five on the NAEP tests, requires the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Test (MCAT) (Read details here) as an exit exam. Finland, universally praised for their education system, requires a rigorous exit exam, France, whose education system is also praised requires the baccalaureate as an exit exam, click on the links, both challenging exit tests.
ESSA continues annual statewide standardized tests in reading and math in grades 3-8, and once in high schools. Districts can seek approval to use the SAT, ACT, another nationally recognized assessment, or Advanced Placement assessments, to fulfill the high school requirement —states can apply for potential reduction in federally-required standardized testing.
For the last two years, COVID years, the state has allowed Regents “exemptions” waiving the exams and many students have taken advantage of exemption process.
The 2018 cohort, meaning entered high school in 9/18; 87% graduated, 7% are still attending, 5% dropped out and 1% earned GEDs. To the best of my knowledge the State does not maintain the profile of a dropout, my unscientific explorations, dropouts are chronically absent and ESL students who entered school in the 9th grade or later.
In other words everybody or almost everybody who remains in school graduates.
In the mid-nineties the State spent a couple of years discussing the “Graduation Measures” topic, three/quarters of kids were graduating with an Regents Competency Test (RCT) diploma, the RCT test which was perhaps at the middle school level, at best. The business commmunity was complaining, too many high school graduates had low literacy/numercy skills. After a two year debate the Board of Regents began phasing out the RCT diploma and moving to a single Regents diploma with a wide range of safety nets. Read Safety Nets here, In spite of fears that the single Regents diploma would diminish graduation rates the rates continued to edge upwards.
The New York Performance Based Assessment Network, 38 schools, carefully selected by Network leader, Ann Cook, has received waivers from Regents Examinations for many years. The structure of the schools, the training of the staffs, the instructional modality is starkly different from other schools. See Consortium schools here and the selection of schools have been carefully vetted.
Moving traditional schools to a performance-based model raises serious questions.
Teachers in secondary schools teach five periods a day with 25-30 kids in each class – over 100 students: doesn’t the instructional design of secondary schools preclude project-based instruction and assessment? Inter-rater reliability is a serious challenge. I expect the PLAN program will assess the viability of performance based assessment in traditional schools.
As the Blue Ribbon Commission approaches decision time advovcacy organizations appear to be divided.
Advocates for Children supports decoupling Regents Exams from graduation, as I understand their position the State will still offer Regents Exams however passing would not be a requirement for graduation. See the position paper, entitled It’s Time to #Rethink Regents Examinations here.
Ed Trust NY describes itself as “relentless advocates for educational justice for student across New York State – particularly for those of color or living in poverty.” In a wide ranging report Ed Trust points to an early literacy crisis as well as,
We support policies that strengthen graduation requirements, including administration of all Regents exams, an end to state policy changes that make it easier for students to graduate, and increased data collection and transparency around Regents exam performance and postsecondary student success.
Queries:
If the State decides to abandon Regents how will they comply with ESSA’s requirement of an exam for all high school students?
If the State decides to “decouple” Regents from graduation requirements how will NYS comply with the 95% participation requirement?
In other words has the State already inquired if the possible changes comply with fed requirements, if so, has the State received a federal waiver, or, is the State waiting to request a waiver at the conclusion of the process?
So, don’t discard those Regents Review Books yet ….