Dear Irvington Students and Families,
We hope you’re well during this time and send best wishes to you and your families.
I write to you today to provide an important update regarding the upcoming June 2020 Regents exams. As you may already know, NY State Dept of Education recently announced that all June Regents exams are cancelled. This decision is consistent with the cancellation of the NY State Math, ELA and Science exams at the elementary and middle levels.
While there are several types of situations in which students are exempt from the Regents, most of our students fall into one two categories: Students who are currently enrolled in classes ending in Regents exams and who pass those classes in June are exempt from the exam. In addition, students who are currently preparing to take an exam for a class in which they are not enrolled and for which they have previously earned credit are also exempt from the exam.
As you know, many of Irvington High School’s classes cultimate with the Regents exam serving as the final assessment. We are now working to determine how student learning will be assessed in the absence of these exams. The State Education Department has shared some important related information. To facilitate the explanation of this information, you will find FAQs provided by the NY State Department of Education below.
If you or your student have any questions related to how this cancellation may impact earning credit or graduation status, please do not hesitate to reach out to your school counselor.
Wishing you well,
Juliet
FAQ:
1. Are students exempt from Regents Examination they were planning on taking during the June 2020 test administration?
Students who meet one of the following eligibility requirements are exempt from Regents Examinations they were planning to take in June 2020:
The student is currently enrolled in the course of study culminating in a Regents Exam and by the scheduled date of the June 2020 Regents Examination will have earned credit in such course of study; The student is in grade 7, is enrolled in a course of study leading to a Regents Examination, and has met the standards assessed in the provided coursework; The student is currently enrolled in a course of study culminating in a Regents Examination and has failed to earn credit by the end of the school year. Such student returns for summer instruction to make up the failed course credit and is subsequently granted diploma credit in August 2020; or
The student was previously enrolled in the course leading to an applicable Regents Examination, has achieved course credit, and has not yet passed the associated Regents Exam but was intending to take the test in June to achieve a passing score. (See FAQ #5 for more information).
2. How will students earn credit in courses that were interrupted due to the COVID-19 closures preventing them from completing the unit of study requirements in Commissioner’s Regulations?
diploma credit for courses interrupted by the COVID-19 closures. In the event that
extended closure interferes with a school or district’s ability to provide the full unit of study by the end of the school year, either in face-to-face instruction or through other methods, the student should be granted the diploma credit as long as the student has met the standards assessed in the provided coursework.
3. In order for a student to be exempt from a June 2020 Regents examination, must the student have earned a unit of credit in the course?
Yes, unless the student is in grade 7 and is not eligible for diploma credit. In such cases the student has to have met the standards addressed for the provided coursework, in order to be eligible for an exemption.
4. If a student fails a course leading to a Regents examination and enrolls in a summer school make up program in summer 2020 and subsequently earns diploma credit, is s/he eligible for an exemption to such examination?
Yes. As long as the student successfully makes up the credit in summer of 2020, the
student can be considered exempt from the culminating Regents Exam.
5. Question 1 above states that a student is eligible for an exemption if s/he “was intending to take the test in June to achieve a passing score.” How do I know if a student “intended” to take a Regents Examination?
Schools can apply the “intended to take a Regents Examination” eligibility requirement under one of the following circumstances:
• the student informed the school that s/he wished to retake the examination; or
• the student was receiving academic intervention, supplemental instruction or
tutoring of some kind in preparation to take the examination; or
• the student took the examination in June 2019, August 2019, or January 2020 in
an attempt to pass or better his/her score.
6. How will students who are granted exemptions to exams meet assessment requirements for graduation?
Students granted an exemption from any examination are not required to pass such
specific examinations to meet the assessment requirements for any diploma type (local, Regents, or Regents with advanced designation). For example, a student that was enrolled in ELA 11 and was scheduled to take the examination in June 2020, does not need to meet the ELA assessment requirement for a local, Regents, or Advanced Regents diploma.
7. Do students need to complete 1,200 minutes of satisfactory laboratory experiences in order to be exempted from a science Regents Exam?
No. Hands on laboratory experiences missed because of extended school closure or student absence due to COVID-19 does not preclude a student from being exempt for the corresponding Science Regents Examination
8. Can a district exempt a student from the locally developed Checkpoint B LOTE examination in order for students to meet the requirements of the Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation?
A district may exempt a student from the locally developed Checkpoint B examination if the student will have earned at least 3 diploma credits in the LOTE subject by the end of the 2019-20 school year.
9. May a student who is exempted from a Regents examination due to COVID-19 be admitted to future administrations of the Regents exam?
Yes. Schools/districts shall provide opportunities for students to attempt Regents exams in subsequent administration periods, if students so choose. If the student’s educational entitlement has ended.