The Regents Exam and High School Diploma: It’s Time to Evolve into the 21st Century by Superintendent Michael J. Hynes

 

This post is by Mike Hynes, Superintendent of  Port Washington School District on Long Island. His previous post on this site, After the Pandemic: Our Children Deserve an Education Revolution, garnered 199,000 page views -- a record for this blog. 

The Regents Exam and High School Diploma: It’s Time to Evolve into the 21^st Century

 

By Michael J. Hynes, Ed.D.

 

 

After more than twelve years serving as a school superintendent and twenty-five as an educator, I’ve pushed back at the Editorial Board at Newsday when they conflate their love affair of rigorous testing to the magical potential of high educational outcomes. I’ve also seen when anyone opposes their viewpoint, it means they side with watering down the educational system with low expectations that would allow it live in a malaise of mediocrity.

 

In their most recent harangue, they share, “Seasons come and seasons go, but there is no off-season when it comes to caring about how we educate our children.” I’m the first to say; the Editorial Board cares about educating children, my concern is how they believe we need to do so. Let’s begin with their central argument over rigorous testing and its relation to academic progress and graduation rates. The Board warned, “That Regents tests, part of getting a diploma in New York State for more than a century, should not be abandoned or watered down just because students are having difficulty passing them. Improve what and how we teach.” The Editorial Board continues to argue, “Writing that Regents tests are not the problem with our high schools or our high schoolers. The exams are telling us there is a problem. That’s why they’re under attack.”

 

First, their opinion is far from accurate. They are under attack because we have been assessing our students in New York with the same type of exam since the end of the Civil War. We have assessed our students pretty much the same way for 150 years in New York State. I can’t think of anything else we do on the planet the same way for 150 years in medicine, transportation, technology or even how we entertain ourselves. Think about that for a moment. Everything else in the world has evolved around us except for the way we assess the learning of a student when they complete a course or grade level. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the Regents Exams are terrible. We must however understand they are not the only way to assess learning in the classroom.

 

On an aside, a major problem we have with many students isn’t measured by a single test in math, science, English or social studies. We have students who are more anxious, depressed or suicidal than any generation before and it’s getting worse each year. The fact that schools don’t pay enough attention to that should be under attack, not the fact that we want to explore and potentially change how students graduate high school, the number of Regents exams a student takes, or if we should administer them at all.

Over the years, I have come to appreciate columnist Lane Fuller at Newsday and would like to think I’ve matured in my old age respecting divergent viewpoints. Mr. Filler recently warned against easing standards which he believes are driven by the Board of Regents, the state Assembly, and teacher unions. Mr. Filler believes, “If that happens…the crowing over instantly increased graduation rates will drown out the warnings that the soft bigotry of low expectations is too often leaving children adorned in caps and gowns behind.” I understand most people fear change, but to equate much needed change to bigotry and leaving children behind seems extreme from my perspective. We can increase graduation rates and still embrace high expectations…just different ones.  

I agree when the Editorial Board identifies that, “Skills and competencies unheard of 50 years ago now are crucial, while some traditional requirements have lost relevance. Not every student must be pointed toward a four-year liberal arts education, if a direct job path suits them better. But they all must have basic skills to function in this more complex world.” I truly feel we must look to the alternative methods some public and non-traditional school systems evaluate both teaching and learning. There are many viable ways for students to express proficiency and mastery in an area of study. The shift happens when the conversation reduces the importance of one data point at the end of the year to embracing the purpose and meaning of a students’ growth over time.  

I ask adults, when was the last time you took a multiple choice test or were assessed at work by the administration of a multiple choice test? To think we have assessed the children in New York the same way since Lincoln was in the White House is heartbreaking. The fact the New York State Education Department brought together a Blue Ribbon Commission to make potential changes to graduation requirements gives me hope. Let’s become familiar with some of the innovative schools around the world who embrace authentic learning and assessment. Students showcase their deep understanding by project and problem based assessments and performance minded tasks.  

I think we can all agree, that is how we navigate in the real world. It’s time we move New York State away from the 19^th century and into the 21^st. We can do so by developing alternative assessments that don’t bring down standards, but make them higher than what we already have. Maybe…just maybe, this is something we can all agree on in a world that celebrates divisiveness and extremes.

 

Why the DOE should cancel the unfair, unreliable and invalid "gifted" test now and forever & podcast on need to cancel all high-stakes testing this year

 Please read my piece published today at Gotham Gazette.  It explains why the DOE should cancel the "gifted" tests immediately; now and forever.  It makes no sense to continue this invalid, unreliable and biased exam, especially in the midst of a pandemic and the prospect of steep budget cuts to schools.  The contract will cost $1.7M and this doesn't even include the considerable but undisclosed DOE costs of administering this test to kids as young as four-year-old, one on one.  

My piece also deals with the horrific record of Pearson, who produces the test.  The renewal of the Pearson contract will be voted on next Wed., January 27 by the New York City Panel for Educational Policy.  Those who would like to speak on the proposal can register here, starting at 5:30 PM.  You can also email PEP members with your views.  Here are their emails: vleung@schools.nyc.gov; SWaite3@schools.nyc.gov; lpodvesker@schools.nyc.gov; PCalandrella@schools.nyc.gov; ICarmignani@schools.nyc.gov; GChacon@schools.nyc.gov; MKraft2@schools.nyc.gov; GLinnen@schools.nyc.gov; Achapman7@schools.nyc.gov; NGreenGiles@schools.nyc.gov; DDillingham@schools.nyc.gov; kparkprice@schools.nyc.gov; tomcsheppard@yahoo.com; ehenry16@schools.nyc.gov

Below is my podcast from Wednesday on the need to cancel all high-stakes testing this spring, including the gifted tests, the state 3rd-8th grade exams, and the Regents high school exit exams, with guests Akil Bello of FairTest, Lisa Rudley of NY State Allies for Public Education, and Jeanette Deutermann of LI Opt out.

 

As discussed on the podcast, here is the NYSAPE petition urging the State Commissioner to cancel the Regents high school exit exams and to ask the US Department of Education for a waiver from having to administer the 3rd-8th grade exams this spring; also the FairTest petition to the US Department of Education and state education policymakers to suspend all high stakes testing this year. Finally, blog post and fact sheet on what’s wrong with the Regents graduation exit exams.

Update on Regents exams, state budget, Zoom and student privacy

1.First, some good news to report:The Board of Regents announced yesterday that the Regents exams due to take place this spring are cancelled. Today they put out guidance that any student who would have originally needed to pass a Regents exam to graduate in June can be issued a diploma without taking them. More details in this FAQ. Thanks to those of you who sent one of the 400 plus letters to the Regents and Commissioner about this; a Regents member mentioned receiving your letters at their meeting yesterday.

2.There's also bad news. The state budget passed last week & froze school spending at this year’s level, without raising taxes on the ultra-wealthy; given rising costs and salaries this will be experienced by many districts including NYC as cuts. The Governor was also given the authority to slash education spending further over the course of the year, depending on state revenue– though the Legislature will be able block proposed cuts with a vote within ten days.

If you’d like to see how your legislators voted on the budget, you can check out the Senate here and the Assembly here, where the vote was especially close. More on what this budget means for education compared to the outcomes that many advocates and parents hoped for is outlined in this helpful chart from AQE .

We will all have to work hard to see that the city doesn’t follow the state’s lead by drastically cutting back on its own support for education. School services and especially class sizes have STILL not yet recovered from the economic recession in 2008, more than a decade ago. It would be devastating to NYC kids for class sizes to grow even larger.

3.Late on Friday, the Chancellor announced that schools should stop using the video conferencing tool Zoom as it doesn’t comply with state student privacy law, which was passed in 2014, and it puts children’s safety and their personal data at risk in numerous ways. As this document released by the regional BOCES shows, state administrators are now in the process of negotiating a contract with Zoom that would protect student privacy, as required by the NY state law.

Other districts including Washington DC and Las Vegas have also told teachers not to use Zoom, because of similar concerns, and last July, EPIC filed a 22 page complaint to the FTC about Zoom’s practices, including how the company had "exposed users to the risk of remote surveillance, unwanted video calls, and denial-of-service attack." I understand the frustration of teachers and parents who were getting used to Zoom and wanted to continue using it, but there is no excuse for continuing to violate the law and putting kids’ personal data and safety at risk.

As I said to Education Week , the Chancellor should “negotiate a contract with Zoom that complies with state law and protects student privacy, and train teachers on how to use this app and other apps in a more responsible manner." The state regs require all districts to do such privacy trainings; I have yet to hear from a single NYC teacher who has been provided with any such guidance. There also has needs to be vigorous oversight by both DOE and the state to ensure that Zoom and other companies are abiding by their contracts and the law – such enforcement is too often lacking.

I will be providing more resources about student privacy that often is ignored by districts, especially now in the rush to adopt commercially-designed online programs. I will also be reaching out to see which online programs and apps your children’s schools are using, and what your thoughts are about the risks and rewards involved.

Hope you’re all bearing up and staying safe during these unprecedented times, Leonie

FAQ for parents and teachers on Regents "exit exams" and why they should be eliminated

Update:  The sessions in Manhattan and Bronx were cancelled because of the pandemic.  The Regents plan to resume this process sometime this summer.

The Board of Regents and the New York State Education Department are re-examining the use of Regents "exit exams" as a requirement for high school graduation, and are holding a series of regional public sessions to gather input from parents, teachers and other stakeholders before making any changes to the current policy.  These meetings will be held in Brooklyn Feb. 26-27;  Queens on March 10, and Staten Island on March 11. Additional meetings have been added in Manhattan on March 23 and March 31, and the Bronx on March 24.

UPDATE: These sessions have been postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak and will be rescheduled in the future.

The full list of sessions statewide is posted here, along with times and locations.

NY State Allies for Public Education and Class Size Matters have prepared the following fact sheet to inform parents in preparation for these sessions.  It summarizes the research showing the negative impact of exit exams on drop out and incarceration rates, and the fact that in recent years, most states that once required them have now eliminated them.

If you want your voice heard on this critical issue, please attend these meetings while bringing copies of the fact sheet to share with other parents, and/or email the State Education Department to express your views at GradMeasures@nysed.gov.  Thanks!

The top NYC public high schools in terms of college-readiness and SAT scores

Here is a file of NYC high schools ranked as to the percentage of their students in 2010 who graduated “college-ready,” which is estimated by the state education department as scoring at least 75 on the Regents exam in English and 80 on Math – called the "aspirational performance measure," or APM.  Here is a file ranked by their students' 2010 SAT scores.  UPDATE: here are files with 2011 SAT scores and AP scores.

Students scoring lower than this on the APM, according to the state, are likely to need remediation in college.  The spreadsheet also disaggregates this percentage by ELL and special education status, gender and ethnicity.

Lots of caveats before you interpret the APM or SAT list as a reliable ranking of the quality of NYC high schools:

• To a large degree, these results are determined by the selectivity of the schools' admissions process – not the quality of the school itself.  In other words, schools with the highest percentages of college-ready graduates tend to be those that admit the highest-achieving 8^th graders in the first place.  (See this recent paper, for example, that suggests that attending a highly selective high school like Stuyvesant or Bronx Science does not appear to increase SAT scores, college enrollment or college graduation rates.)

• Schools with fewer than 20 students in any cohort are listed an “s” for suppressed.

• Some NYC high schools are alternative/portfolio schools and do not take the math Regents; so they are omitted from the APM list.

•  Regents scores are not in themselves wholly reliable indicators since schools grade these exams themselves;  now that the city has announced that they will use the college-ready percentage in their accountability system, this measurement will be even less reliable in the future.

• These figures do not take into account the high dropout and/or discharge rate at many high schools; thus, one way a high school might be able to elevate its score is by pushing many low-achieving students out.

• In any case, test scores in isolation are never a reliable gauge of achievement or actual learning.   

Still, I think it’s interesting and worthwhile for parents to have access to this information.  The statistics overall are lamentably low.  Statewide, only about 37% of students graduate from high school college-ready; in the city, the figure is even lower at  21.4%.

Here is an article about the low college-readiness percentages of some NYC high schools with high graduation rates; here is a link to the NYSED explanation of these scores.  See this NY Post article that ranks the top 50 HS in NYC by using several academic measures.  Here is the DOE webpage with AP results as well.

High school progress reports; more unreliable and unfair measures

Today the high school progress reports were released for 2009-2010; here is an excel spreadsheet.

Yet experts continue to have grave reservations as to their reliability, with DOE placing far too much emphasis on test scores and especially the "progress" component, which means one year's changes in test scores, credit accumulation, passing rates etc., which have found to be extremely erratic and statistically unreliable. For more on this see this study, and this previous posting.

We have also seen the extremely damaging effects of this high-stakes accountability scheme, causing principals to increasingly "game" the system, that is, encouraging their teachers to "scrub" the scores, and or raising the scores themselves to passing, and/or awarding credits to students who either didn't actually pass their courses or even take them. Two articles in the past few days have revealed this occurrence at high schools in Queens and Manhattan; these practices are disturbingly widespread, and often occur with DOE's knowledge.

Right now in the city's schools, under Bloomberg and Klein, there is a lawless atmosphere, with very little oversight. In this "wild west" environment, it is very easy to manipulate the data, especially since DOE officials do not appear to care how schools get results, as long as graduation rates and test scores improve

Finally, it is interesting to note that the twenty schools with the highest overall progress report scores had average class sizes of only 23.3 students per class, with only one of them averaging more than 25.7 students per class. Meanwhile, the twenty high schools with the lowest overall scores had an average class size of 24.9, with four schools averaging 29 students per class or more. (Click on charts to enlarge.)


As the controversial teacher data reports take class size into account as a limiting factor as to how much a teacher is expected to raise test scores; it would only be fair for the DOE to take this factor into account as well with the school progress reports, especially as many high schools are allowed to cap enrollment and thus class size at far lower levels than other high schools.