The New York State Education Department has announced plans to sunset the Regents exams, a requirement for high school graduation since 1878. Under the new plan, students will no longer need to pass the three-hour exams to graduate, but can opt to take them to demonstrate proficiency in meeting state learning standards.
Currently, students must earn 22 credits and pass at least four Regents exams for a Regents diploma, or seven state exams for the advanced diploma designation, which is seen as a boost to college applications. However, efforts led by NYSED Commissioner Betty Rosa have argued that graduation rates remain tied to race, poverty, and special needs, and that a single test is not sufficient to measure student success.
NYSED will conduct public forums from July to October and present a timeline and considerations to the Board of Regents in November. The board must approve any changes to graduation requirements. Existing requirements, including Regents exams, remain in place for now.
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10 Responses
Regents are racist is a woke spin.
This will be good news for students at the elite “prep” schools and the handful of elite public schools (mostly in the suburbs). Regents Exams mean that kids from lousy school can prove their abilities, but without standard exams they would be dependent on the school’s reputation (plus protektsia, but that isn’t the topic under discussion).
Was the four regents exams always the minimum, or was it lowered in the past 35 years or so?
This also gives Yeshivas in NY more of an excuse to cut back on secular education.
Regents are racist because it discriminates against those who chilled and hung out all year and it only serves to boost those students who worked hard and were diligent all year!
There are provable variations in intelligence between races and, depending on the homogeneity of a region, between nations as well. Some are ashamed of this fact and wish to obscure it by eliminating standardized testing. A more extreme form of obfuscation is now underway in Oregon where Governor Kate Brown has signed a bill that eliminates the medieval requirement mandating that prior to graduation, all high school seniors must demonstrate minimum proficiency in reading, writing and mathematics.
In a sane world, these radical, capitulatory measures would spell doom for young scholars who wish to go on to a decent college or university. Why should a reputable school credit the academic records of students from states with low or no educational standards? What is the verifiable basis of their purported records?
Our high achievers should continue to take the Regents exams, which will be optional until they are finally chloroformed. Let them continue to challenge themselves and bolster their academic records as they prepare for success in life. Meanwhile, the national IQ scores will continue to plummet until the majority of our citizens are barely functional. By contrast, our children will be intellectual Übermenschen.
As a longtime classroom teacher and consultant, this news pains me. New York State once led the nation in education standards and student achievement. We have dropped to number 12 and, thanks to race-based policies like this one, we will continue to spiral downward.
The race to the bottom continues…..
I wish this site would stop putting false headlines. The regents are not being eliminated because of racism. This was plan in the works for almost 7 years. New York was one of 7 states that required passing specialized subject test to Graduate high school. Now NY is going additional pathways to graduate besides just regents. I work DOE as a math teacher and teach in yeshiva. Please stop spreading misinformation.
“The race to the bottom continues…..“
Led by the dumbocrats
Oh sorry I forgot
🧟♂️ oraaaaange maaaaaaaan baaaaaaad
This is great news!
Many Yeshivas are switching from a “Secular Studies” program to a newly created “Daas Torah” program. The impetus behind this if Rabbanim in E’Y who couldn’t find Florida on a map, have no idea about the power or destructive capabilities of a hurricane nor the rescue abilities of the govt are asked whether Yidden should stay or evacuate why can’t we teach our boys to do the same?
No longer will our boys use knowledge of math, science, geography, history or civics to make decisions in life. They’ll use this new “Daas Torah” program which will certainly give better results.