THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
Regents of The University
BETTY A. ROSA, Chancellor, B.A., M.S. in Ed., M.S. in Ed., M.Ed., Ed.D. ................. Bronx
T.
ANDREW BROWN, Vice Chancellor, B.A., J.D. ........................................................... Rochester
R
OGER TILLES, B.A., J.D. ................................................................................................. Manhasset
L
ESTER W. YOUNG, JR., B.S., M.S., Ed.D. . ...................................................................... Beechhurst
C
HRISTINE D. CEA, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. . ........................................................................... Staten Island
W
ADE S. NORWOOD, B.A. ............................................................................................... Rochester
K
ATHLEEN M. CASHIN, B.S., M.S., Ed.D. ...................................................................... Brooklyn
J
AMES E. COTTRELL, B.S., M.D. ....................................................................................... New York
J
OSEPHINE VICTORIA FINN, B.A., J.D. ............................................................................. Monticello
J
UDITH CHIN, M.S. in Ed. ............................................................................................... Little Neck
B
EVERLY L. OUDERKIRK, B.S. in Ed., M.S. in Ed. .......................................................... Morristown
C
ATHERINE COLLINS, R.N., N.P., B.S., M.S. in Ed., Ed.D. ........................................... Buffalo
J
UDITH JOHNSON, B.A., M.A., C.A.S. ............................................................................. New Hempstead
N
AN EILEEN MEAD, B.A. ................................................................................................ Manhattan
E
LIZABETH S. HAKANSON, A.S., M.S., C.A.S. ................................................................ Syracuse
L
UIS O. REYES, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. ................................................................................... New York
S
USAN W. MITTLER, B.S., M.S. ....................................................................................... Ithaca
Commissioner of Education and President of The University
M
ARYELLEN ELIA
Executive Deputy Commissioner
E
LIZABETH R. BERLIN
Assistant Commissioner, Office of State Assessment
S
TEVEN E. KATZ
Director, Office of State Assessment
Z
ACHARY WARNER
The State Education Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, religion, creed, disability, marital
status, veteran status, national origin, race, gender, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or sexual orientation in its
educational programs, services and activities. Portions of this publication can be made available in a variety of
formats, including braille, large print or audio tape, upon request. Inquiries concerning this policy of
nondiscrimination should be directed to the Department’s Office for Diversity and Access, Room 530, Education
Building, Albany, NY 12234.
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Foreword and Contents Office of State Assessment
FOREWORD
This publication is intended for use by school administrators and counselors. It provides general
information on Regents Examinations as well as the specific requirements and procedures for
requesting, administering, and rating these examinations.
The Office of State Assessment (OSA) has overall responsibility for the administration of
Regents Examinations. All questions and comments concerning the administration of these
examinations should be addressed to that office. Examples would include admission to
examinations, scheduling of examinations, testing accommodations for English Language
Learners/Multilingual Learners, and rating of papers.
The contact information for OSA is provided below.
Office of State Assessment
Room 775 EBA
New York State Education Department
Albany, New York 12234
518-474-5902
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/
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Contents
Page
Section One
General Information
Purposes of the Examinations .............................................................................................................. 1
Required Use of Examinations .............................................................................................................. 1
State Testing Requirements for Graduation.......................................................................................... 1
Examination Centers ............................................................................................................................. 2
Subjects ................................................................................................................................................. 2
Dates of Administration ......................................................................................................................... 2
Examinations Not Administered Due to Inclement Weather ................................................................. 3
Attendance Records .............................................................................................................................. 3
Admission Requirements ...................................................................................................................... 3
Credit by Examination ........................................................................................................................... 4
Testing Students Enrolled in Other Schools ......................................................................................... 4
Use of Alternative Assessments ........................................................................................................... 4
Section Two
Requesting and Administering Regents Examinations
Informational Materials .......................................................................................................................... 5
Obtaining Examination Materials .......................................................................................................... 5
Safeguarding Examination Materials .................................................................................................... 7
Shipment and Emergency Supplies of Examination Materials ............................................................. 8
Preparations for Testing ...................................................................................................................... 10
Conducting the Examinations ............................................................................................................. 12
Reporting Testing Misconduct and Irregularities to the Department ................................................... 17
Administering Examinations to English Language Learners/Multilingual Learners ............................ 18
Administering Examinations to Students with Disabilities ................................................................... 19
Restricted Examinations...................................................................................................................... 21
Section Three
Rating Examination Papers, Recording Scores, and
Providing Academic Intervention Services
Rating Examination Papers ................................................................................................................. 23
Passing Scores ................................................................................................................................... 25
Recording Examination Scores ........................................................................................................... 26
Individual Student Results ................................................................................................................... 26
Retention of Answer Papers ............................................................................................................... 26
Required Academic Intervention Services .......................................................................................... 26
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Page
Section Four
Returning Test Materials to the Department
Teacher Evaluation Forms .................................................................................................................. 28
Examination Scoring Certificate .......................................................................................................... 28
Deputy and Proctor Certificate ............................................................................................................ 28
Examination Storage Certificate .......................................................................................................... 28
Materials Returned to the Department in Regents Boxes ................................................................... 28
Section Five
Review of Examination Papers
Local Review ....................................................................................................................................... 30
Department Review of State Examinations......................................................................................... 30
Section Six
Awarding of Credit and Issuance of Regents Diplomas
Awarding of Credit for Courses of Study ............................................................................................. 32
Students Not Enrolled in Courses of Study ......................................................................................... 32
Issuance of Regents Diplomas by Schools ......................................................................................... 32
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SECTION ONE
GENERAL INFORMATION
Purposes of the Examinations
Regents Examinations are achievement tests that are aligned with New York State’s learning standards.
Prepared by teacher examination committees and Department subject and testing specialists, Regents
Examinations provide schools with a basis for evaluating the quality of instruction and learning that have
taken place. They are used by school personnel to identify major learning goals, offering both teachers
and students a guide to important understandings, skills, and concepts. The examinations also provide
students, parents, counselors, administrators, college admissions officers, and employers with objective
and easily understood achievement information for use in making sound educational and vocational
decisions. Passing scores on the Regents Examinations in English, mathematics, science, and social
studies satisfy the State testing requirements for a high school diploma.
Required Use of Examinations
Regents Examinations
Section 3.35 of the Rules of the Board of Regents relating to apportionment provides, in part, that
schools receiving State aid shall make general use of Regents Examinations in the senior high school
grades. Nothing in this section, however, prohibits State aid to any school that administers approved
alternative assessments in lieu of Regents Examinations. (See the listing of Department-approved
alternatives
available on the Department website.)
Section 100.2(e) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education requires public school districts to
offer students attending their schools the opportunity to meet all of the requirements for and to receive a
Regents diploma. Students shall have the opportunity to take Regents courses and Regents
Examinations in Grades 9 through 12 and, when appropriate, in Grade 8.
Regents Examinations are designed to measure the achievement of students who have had instruction
based on curriculum aligned with the commencement-level learning standards. Students are entitled to
take Regents Examinations no earlier than their completion of high school-level coursework deemed
appropriate by the school.
State Testing Requirements for Graduation
Section 100.5(a)(5) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education requires that all public school
students earn passing scores on State examinations in the areas of English, mathematics, science, and
social studies, in order to obtain a high school diploma. Please visit the Office of Curriculum and
Instruction’s website for additional information regarding
requirements for obtaining a diploma.
General education students in public schools who first entered Grade 9 in September 1999 and
thereafter must earn passing scores on certain Regents Examinations.
Information regarding passing scores on Regents Examinations, multiple pathways and other options for
earning a diploma, and challenging for credit can be found on the websites listed in Section Three of this
manual.
Lower Passing Score on Regents Examinations for a Local Diploma for Students with Disabilities.
Students with disabilities are required to take the same Regents Examinations as general education
students. However, students with disabilities who first entered Grade 9 in September 2005 and thereafter
may meet the examination requirements for a local diploma by earning a lower passing score on the
Regents Examinations required for high school graduation. In addition, in October 2012, the Board of
Regents approved an amendment to Section 100.5 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education
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to provide a compensatory option to students with disabilities to graduate with a local diploma. For
additional information on the compensatory option, please refer to the memorandum
“Amendment to
Section 100.5 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to the Safety Net for
Students with Disabilities to Graduate with a Local High School Diploma.”
Transfer Students. Students transferring into New York State schools must satisfy the State testing
requirements in English, mathematics, and United States history and government. Depending on the
grade to which the student is assigned upon such entry, the passing of a Regents Examination in global
history and geography and a Regents Examination in science may also be required to earn a high school
diploma. Section 100.5(d)(5) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education
may be found on the
Department’s website.
Examination Centers
Regents Examinations may be administered only at official test centers within New York State. The
official test centers include all registered secondary schools and other educational institutions that have
been given specific approval to administer secondary-level State examinations. Pursuant to Section
102.3 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, the school principal or chief administrative
officer of the examination center is responsible for the school’s compliance with all regulations and
Department policies governing the administration of these examinations.
Subjects
For the 2018-19 school year, the Department offers the following secondary-level Regents Examinations:
English
English Language Arts
Mathematics
Algebra I
Geometry
Algebra II
Science
Living Environment
Physical Setting/Chemistry
Physical Setting/Earth Science
Physical Setting/Physics
Social Studies
Transition Examination in Global History and Geography - Grade 10
Global History and Geography II (New Framework) [first administration, June 2019]
United States History and Government
Dates of Administration
The Department provides schools with examination schedules for the school year. Regents
Examinations in all subjects listed above are offered each year in January and June, while a limited
number of Regents Examinations are offered each August.
In general, the examination periods are scheduled in accordance with the following principles:
1.
January. This Regents Examination period is scheduled to occur during one of the last full weeks
in January.
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2. June. This Regents Examination period is scheduled to provide at least two, but no more
than six, weekdays in the period that begins the day after the Regents Examination period
and ends the last day of June.
3. August. This Regents Examination period is scheduled to follow a summer school session
of approximately 30 days.
Announcements concerning the dates and schedules
for future Regents Examination periods are
available on the Department’s website.
Examinations Not Administered Due to Inclement Weather
During the January Regents Examination period, superintendents must follow normal procedures in
determining whether school should be closed due to inclement weather. Schools may not administer
State examinations when weather conditions are severe enough to warrant closing school and canceling
normal bus transportation.
If a school is closed and unable to administer State examinations in January due to inclement weather,
the superintendent, excepting those of Big Five City School Districts, must notify the BOCES district
superintendent of the date(s) of closing and any examination(s) that were canceled.
Rescheduling Examinations Due to Inclement Weather
When the school district reopens after a weather-related closure, each superintendent or principal in a
district or school affected by closure must send to the Department via e-mail
a description of the date(s)
on which schools were closed due to inclement weather, which January Regents Examinations had to be
cancelled, the date(s) and time(s) when the district or school will administer the test(s), and a
comprehensive plan to ensure the security of examinations and scoring materials during this period.
Public schools should also notify their BOCES District Superintendent of their plan.
Attendance Records
For purposes of meeting the 180-day requirement for calculation of State aid allocations, days within
secondary-level State examinations period are counted. For June Regents Examination periods, this
includes the Rating Day at the end of the examination period. For purposes of the minimum annual
instructional-hour requirement, school districts may use the greater of the average number of
instructional hours it ordinarily provides on non-examination days, or the amount of time provided for the
tests.
Schools are permitted to excuse students in grades 7 through 12 who are not taking a Regents
Examination, and who are located in the same building as students taking a Regents Examination, if their
class schedules are disrupted by the Regents Examination schedule and if staff are needed to properly
administer the examinations.
Schools are expected to continue regular instruction during the January and June Regents Examination
periods to the fullest extent possible. The additional flexibility provided by the revised minimum
instruction time requirements beginning with the 2018-19 school year may allow districts to dismiss other
students and grade levels depending on the district’s available hours. Districts may consult the State Aid
Office at 180day[email protected]
for more information.
Admission Requirements
In accordance with Section 8.2 of the Rules of the Board of Regents, all students who have completed
the course of study leading to a Regents Examination have the right to be admitted to that examination.
Students may not be barred from an examination for disciplinary reasons or because their
achievement in a subject is considered unsatisfactory. In the case of a science Regents
Examination, only students who have also met the laboratory requirement, which includes 1200 minutes
of hands-on laboratory experience with satisfactory laboratory reports, may be admitted. (See also Credit
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by Examination below.) Once a student qualifies, through completion of course of study, to take a
Regents Examination, that student is eligible to retake that examination.
Credit by Examination
In accordance with Section 100.5(d)(1) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, students
who have not completed the generally expected units of study may be admitted to a Regents
Examination for the purpose of demonstrating academic proficiency acquired through independent, out-
of-school, or other study. Such students may be admitted to an examination only upon the determination
by the superintendent of a public school district or the chief administrative officer of a religious or
independent school, or his or her designee that, based on the student’s past academic performance, the
student will benefit academically by exercising this option. School administrators are expected to develop
local criteria, consistent with Section 100.5(d), for determining which students may attempt to earn credit
without completing the course of study. Up to 6½ units of credit may be earned in this manner.
Pursuant to Section 8.2(c) of the Rules of the Board of Regents, in the case of the science Regents
Examinations, the student must meet the laboratory requirement before admission to the examination.
With documentation, this requirement can be met through industrial and commercial experiences or by
completing the necessary number of minutes of school laboratory exercises.
Testing Students Enrolled in Other Schools
Students enrolled in a high school other than the school in which an examination is to be administered
must provide the test site administrator with written permission from their home school principal. In
addition, before a student from another school is admitted to a Regents Examination, the test site
administrator must receive from the home school principal a scannable answer sheet for that student’s
use. The test site administrator must retain the written permission from the home school administrator for
a minimum of one year from the date of testing.
The school administering the examination must require that students from other schools provide
adequate prior notice and present satisfactory personal identification. The school may establish its own
policy regarding charging nonresident students a reasonable fee to cover administrative and rating costs.
The test site administrator is responsible for maintaining a record of the test results for all students taking
State examinations at that test center, including those of students enrolled in other schools. Following
scoring of the constructed-response questions, the test site administrator must return the student’s
scannable answer sheet to the home school. The home school is responsible for having the answer
sheet scanned by its scanning center and for reporting the examination results to the State Education
Department.
Schools must inform students when they sign up to take examinations at a school other than their home
school that they may be required to use calculators provided by the school.
Use of Alternative Assessments
In accordance with Section 100.2(f) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, the
Department may authorize the use of alternative examinations in lieu of Regents Examinations. A list of
the
assessments that have been approved for use in lieu of Regents Examinations is available on the
Department’s website.
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SECTION TWO
REQUESTING AND ADMINISTERING REGENTS EXAMINATIONS
Informational Materials
School principals will receive a minimum of two e-mails concerning the requesting and administering of
Regents Examinations for each examination period. The first e-mail includes a memorandum that
provides information on the procedures for requesting and storing the examinations. These materials are
e-mailed well in advance of the January and June examination periods to all registered secondary
schools and to other educational institutions that have been given specific approval to administer the
Regents Examinations. The materials for requesting the August examinations are e-mailed to all
secondary schools that, during the regular school year, have indicated a need for them through the
online examination request system. Other schools wishing to request August examinations should notify
the Office of State Assessment (OSA) by June 27 via e-mail
. Online requests for each Regents
Examination period should be submitted by the date specified in the memorandum.
Approximately three weeks before each examination period, the second set of materials is e-mailed to
school administrators. Included in this e-mail are two memoranda: the first provides information on the
shipping and administration of the examinations and the return of examination materials to the
Department; the second provides information on the format and content of the examinations.
Obtaining Examination Materials
General Requesting Procedures
Schools may request only the quantities of examination materials that are actually needed during an
examination period. Except when restricted, copies of past Regents Examinations
are available on the
Department’s website.
When requesting regular examination booklets, indicate the number of booklets needed plus no more
than 5 percent to provide for unanticipated increases. Schools are not permitted to request examinations
for other schools. The Department does not provide printed copies of the answer booklets for the essay
questions for the English and social studies Regents Examinations, teachers’ directions, or English or
alternative-language editions of reference tables. These materials
are available on the Department’s
website. Schools are responsible for printing sufficient quantities for student use during the examinations.
Except for those instances in which an examination is provided in restricted form (Physical
Setting/Physics in January and some Braille editions), the Department does not provide printed copies of
scoring keys and rating guides. For restricted examinations the Department will continue to send to
schools, printed copies of scoring keys and rating guides. For all other examinations, these
scoring
materials will be made available on the Department’s website. Posting time for the scoring materials for
the January and June Regents Examinations will be approximately 11:00 a.m. for morning examinations
and approximately 3:00 p.m. for afternoon examinations. Posting time for the scoring materials for the
August Regents Examinations will be approximately 11:30 a.m. for morning examinations and
approximately 3:30 p.m. for afternoon examinations.
Each scoring key and rating guide posted on the Department’s website will be password protected.
Principals and/or their designees will need to access the Online Examination Request System
to
obtain the passwords required for the scoring materials each day that Regents Examinations are
being administered.
Access to the scoring materials posted for each examination will require Adobe Reader
®
10 or higher.
Schools should check and update, as necessary, the version of Adobe Reader available on school
computers in order to avoid any difficulty accessing the scoring keys and rating guides posted on the
days of the examinations.
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Examinations for Students with Visual Disabilities
Braille and large-type test booklets are available for all examinations and may be requested through the
online examination request system. The braille and large-type test booklets requested will be included in
the shipment of secure examination materials to the school. Only the exact number of copies required for
the students actually taking each examination may be requested. Because of the time required for the
production of braille and large-type examination booklets, the Department may not be able to fill requests
for braille and large-type materials that are received after the deadline for submitting examination
requests.
Sample copies of past examinations and reference tables in braille and large type may be borrowed from
the New York State Resource Center for the Visually Impaired, 2A Richmond Avenue, Batavia, New
York 14020 (phone 585-343-5384). To make this loan service possible, schools are required to return all
braille materials and unused large-type examinations and reference tables to the Department in the
Regents box after each examination period.
Examinations for English Language Learners/Multilingual Learners (ELLs/MLLs)
English Language Learners/Multilingual Learners may take State examinations in mathematics, science,
and social studies either in an alternative-language edition or in English, whichever is more appropriate
to the student’s reading skills. During the January and June examination periods, the Regents
Examinations in Algebra I, United States History and Government, Global History and Geography, Living
Environment, and Physical Setting/Earth Science are available in five languages other than English:
Chinese (Traditional), Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, and Spanish. During the August examination
period, these Regents Examinations are available in Spanish translation only. During all three
examination periods, only English language editions are provided for the Regents Examinations in
Algebra II, English Language Arts, Geometry, Physical Setting/Chemistry, and Physical Setting/Physics.
The translated editions of Regents Examinations are direct translations of the English editions that will be
administered during the same examination period, so students identified as ELLs/MLLs may be permitted
to use both editions simultaneously.
Restricted Forms of Examinations
Certain administrations of selected examinations may be provided only in restricted editions. For
restricted editions, each test booklet is numbered and then shipped to the school and returned to the
Department in a sealed envelope. Information concerning the examinations that will be available in
restricted form is provided to school administrators on the examination schedule and in the memorandum
that is sent to them regarding the procedures for requesting and storing State examinations.
Schools must request the exact number of test booklets for restricted editions since all copies, whether
used or unused, must be returned to the Department. Request one booklet for each student to be tested.
Also request one additional copy for each proctor who will be reading the test to a student with a
disability in accordance with a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504
Accommodation Plan (504 Plan).
Reference Materials
The Regents Examinations in Physical Setting/Chemistry, Physical Setting/Earth Science, and Physical
Setting/Physics require the use of reference tables provided on the Department’s website. Students
taking these examinations may use no other reference materials.
These reference tables are separate publications. The Department does not provide printed copies of the
regular or translated-edition reference tables. Schools are required to use the online versions of the
reference tables to print sufficient copies to supply one clean copy to each student during the
administration of the examination. Note that the Department will continue to provide schools with the
braille and large-type editions of reference tables in the shipment of secure test materials.
The regular and translated-edition reference tables
are available on the Department’s website.
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Confirmation of Examination Requests
Within three business days after submitting an examination request, the school principal will receive an
e-mail confirmation notice indicating the number of test booklets requested and the number of test
booklets that will be shipped for each examination. The confirmation notice will also indicate the address
of the storage location to which shipments of secure examination materials will be sent. The confirmation
notice must be carefully checked against the school’s record of examinations requested to ensure that
the correct quantities of materials will be shipped.
Safeguarding Examination Materials
Every principal requesting State examinations must provide any information or affirmations required on
the online examination request system. The principal’s agreement to the security pledge on the first
screen indicates understanding and agreement to comply with the examination security requirements
described in this manual.
Secure examination materials must be stored in locked Regents boxes, which must, in turn, be stored in
a Department-approved safe or walk-in vault that meets all of the specifications listed below. Newly
constructed vaults, existing vaults that have been modified, or newly purchased safes must be inspected
by a Department representative and approved by the Department before secure materials may be stored
in any such facility. Approval of such a storage facility is contingent upon its having met all of the criteria
outlined below. If a school’s safe or vault has not been approved, but the administrator believes that it
meets the criteria outlined below, arrangements for an inspection may be made by faxing a written
request on school letterhead signed by the principal to OSA at 518-474-1989. Once a school’s safe or
vault is approved by the Department, the principal will be notified and the secure storage location will be
reflected on the School Information page of the online examination request system.
WALK-IN VAULTS must have all of the following:
• poured concrete floor
• no windows or access panels
• walls of reinforced cement block or concrete, sealed to a poured concrete floor below and structural
floor or roof deck above
• metal door in a metal frame with interior or welded-pin hinges
• built-in dead-latch (deadbolt) with combination or key lock that allows exiting at all times
SAFES must meet or exceed Underwriters Laboratories (UL) TRTL-30 performance standards for burglary
resistance, and must have:
• steel door at least 1½" thick
• steel walls at least 1" thick
• 750 lbs. minimum weight
• built-in combination lock
• capacity to store the Regents boxes for the school’s largest examination request (minimum
acceptable unobstructed inside dimensions of 11"H×20"W×27"D to store one Regents box)
Principals of schools that do not have either of the above-mentioned secure storage facilities must make
arrangements to store the examination materials in a Department-approved safe or vault in another
school, school district building, or BOCES building and complete the Examination Storage Plan. If these
arrangements cannot be made, it is the responsibility of the principal to notify OSA.
Principals who need to amend their school’s storage information must send a fax to 518-474-2021 or
e-mail to OSA
with the school name and address where the examinations are to be securely stored. This
office will then request written verification of the storage arrangements from the person in charge of the
proposed “host” storage location before secure examination materials can be shipped to that address.
Principals should review the “School Information” page on the online examination request system to
determine whether the school must submit a new Examination Storage Plan. In providing the affirmations
required on the online examination request system, principals are indicating their intent to continue with
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the ongoing storage arrangement and reaffirming that the storage facility is in compliance with the safe
and vault requirements specified in this manual. Principals who need to revise their storage plans must
send a fax to OSA (518-474-2021) specifying the new location where the examinations will be stored.
Examinations will be shipped only to school locations that have Department-approved storage facilities.
Approximately three weeks before the examinations are scheduled to be administered, principals will be
notified by e-mail as to when the examination materials will be shipped to the schools. Shortly before the
expected delivery date(s), principals must notify all personnel who may be expected to receive the
examination shipment(s) that they will be delivered within the next few days and instruct them to contact
the principal immediately upon receipt of the shipment(s).
After an examination shipment has been delivered, the locked Regents box(es) must immediately be
placed in the Department-approved safe or vault. If, for any reason, the Regents box(es) containing
secure examination materials cannot be stored in the safe or vault at that location, the school
administrator must contact OSA by phone 518-474-8220 or e-mail
immediately for assistance in
arranging for the proper storage of the Regents box(es).
The padlock key(s) for the Regents box(es) should be kept in a secure location other than the safe or
vault where the Regents box(es) are kept. The combination or key to the safe or vault must be
maintained under strict security conditions to preclude access to the examination materials by students
or other unauthorized persons. When the safe or vault where the Regents boxes are stored is unlocked,
school personnel must keep it under continuous supervision. Also, the locked Regents box(es) must be
visually checked daily by the person in charge of the administration of the examinations to ensure that
they have not been tampered with and that the materials in them remain secure.
If the examination materials are stored in a building other than the school in which the examinations will
be administered, the materials for both the morning and afternoon examinations of each day may be
picked up from the storage location on the morning of that day. However, the materials may not be
picked up from the storage location before the day on which that examination is scheduled to be
administered. If the materials for both morning and afternoon sessions are picked up in the morning, the
principal must ensure that the afternoon examination materials are stored in a secure location until
needed for administration. This is particularly important when the morning and afternoon examinations
are shipped in the same Regents box. Those afternoon examinations must be immediately separated
and secured. Any packages containing secure materials must not be opened until the day that each
examination is to be administered. Any packages containing scoring keys for morning examinations must
not be opened prior to 10:00 a.m. (9:15 a.m. for August examinations) on the day of the examination.
Any packages containing scoring keys for afternoon examinations must not be opened prior to 2:00 p.m.
(1:15 p.m. for August examinations) on the day of the examination.
Department personnel will make random, unannounced visits to some schools after the examinations
have been delivered in order to verify that the tests are being properly stored and that the packages
containing examination booklets and scoring keys are not opened until the proper time on the day that
each examination is to be administered. If a violation of examination storage procedures is found, all
examination materials will immediately be removed from the school and transferred to a location
designated by the Department representative. Further, the school will be required to store all examination
materials at a location designated by the Department for a period of at least one year from the end of the
examination period during which the violation occurred. In addition, the Department may cancel the
school’s privilege to administer examinations.
Shipment and Emergency Supplies of Examination Materials
Shipment of Examination Materials
Each school requesting examinations will receive one or more shipments of examination materials,
depending on what was requested.
The nonsecure examination materials will be shipped in cardboard cartons and will arrive at schools
approximately twenty days before the examination period is to begin and, depending upon the
examination titles requested by the school, may include the following:
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• Earth Science Performance Test materials
• Regents diplomas
The secure examination materials will be shipped in locked Regents boxes to the location designated in
the online examination request system. School administrators may receive one shipment (Single
Shipment) comprising the secure examination materials for the entire examination period, or multiple
shipments (Daily Delivery) consisting of one shipment for each day of the examination period.
About three weeks prior to the delivery of the secure examination materials, school administrators will be
informed via e-mail of the type of shipment that they will receive and the date(s) on which the
shipment(s) are scheduled to arrive at schools. The padlock keys will be sent to principals by first-class
mail or UPS and will arrive about two to four school days before the Regents boxes are to be delivered.
Checking Receipt of Examination Materials
The principal is responsible for verifying that all of the materials requested by the school have been
received. All shipments must be inventoried as soon as possible after delivery to the school (or
alternative approved storage location). When checking the examination shipments, the principal
should use the shipping notice included in the shipment, which indicates the quantity of each type of
examination material that should have been included in the shipment. If the expected quantities of
examination materials have not been received, contact the nearest regional center immediately to
arrange to obtain the required materials. (See Emergency Supplies of Examination Materials listed next
in this section.)
Under no circumstances may the sealed packages of secure examination materials (test
booklets, scoring keys, and rating guides) be opened while the inventory is being conducted. The
packages may not be opened until the day of the examination, and no earlier than is necessary to permit
the distribution of materials prior to the scheduled starting time.
Upon completion of the inventory, all secure examination materials for each examination must be stored
in the locked Regents box in a Department-approved safe or vault until the morning of the day of the test.
OSA must be notified immediately by fax to 518-474-2021 or by e-mail
if any packages of secure
examination materials are not properly sealed. This office must be similarly notified if the school receives
any secure examination materials over and above the quantities requested, taking into account the
bundling factor used in packaging the examinations.
Emergency Supplies of Examination Materials
In January, June, and August, emergency supplies of examination materials are available from regional
centers throughout the State. The list of the regional centers
is provided for schools on the Department’s
website prior to each examination period. Materials will be released from the regional centers only on the
day of each examination. Secure materials for morning examinations will be released in the morning;
secure materials for afternoon examinations will not be released until after 11:00 a.m. Scoring keys and
rating guides for restricted examinations will not be released by regional centers until after the Uniform
Statewide Admissions Deadlines, which are specified on page 12.
In order to obtain examination materials at a regional center, an individual must present a letter of
authorization written on school letterhead and signed by the principal. The letter must identify the person
picking up the materials and list the specific materials requested. Anyone obtaining examination
materials must provide identification with a photograph and countersign the authorization letter before the
examination materials will be released.
School personnel are forbidden to make or authorize photocopies of secure State examination booklets
without the express written prior approval of OSA. Such approval will be considered only when it is not
feasible for the school to obtain the secure examination materials from a regional center.
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Preparations for Testing
General Information
Principals are responsible for ensuring that all proctors and school personnel authorized to have access
to secure test materials comply with these requirements and instructions. Principals are to authorize
specific personnel to serve as proctors and train them to properly administer tests and to designate other
school personnel permitted to access secure test materials and train them in test security protocol.
Instructions for Proctors
Specific instructions for administering each Regents Examination are provided in a separate publication,
Directions for Administering Regents Examinations
. These materials are available on the Department’s
website. Principals should print enough copies to provide them to teachers who will be responsible for
proctoring and/or scoring these examinations several days in advance of the Regents Examination
period, so that they have sufficient time to familiarize themselves with their contents.
Orientation of Proctors
The principal must appoint a chief proctor for each room in which an examination is administered and
sufficient deputy proctors to maintain adequate supervision of students at all times. Appropriate proctors
must be available at all times for supervision for restroom breaks.
Several days before the examination period, the specific directions for administering and scoring the
examinations must be distributed to all school personnel who will be responsible for proctoring and/or
scoring these examinations.
A proctor orientation session must be held before the beginning of each examination period, during
which the principal or the principal’s designee can disseminate any special administrative information
concerning the examination period and ensure that the proctors are familiar with the administrative
procedures for the examinations that they will be administering.
All proctors must enforce, in every particular, the Department’s regulations for administering
examinations. Each proctor must complete and sign the Deputy and Proctor Certificate to indicate that
the rules and regulations for administering examinations were properly observed.
Materials Provided by the School and by Students
The Department does not provide printed copies of the essay booklet for the Regents Examination in
English Language Arts or the essay booklet for the Regents Examinations in social studies. These
booklets
are available on the Department’s website. Schools must print enough copies to supply one to
each student.
The Department does not provide printed copies of the regular and translated-edition reference tables.
Schools are responsible for providing one clean copy of the regular and translated edition reference
tables for the Regents Examination in Physical Setting/Earth Science and the regular edition
reference tables for the Regents Examinations in Physical Setting/Chemistry and Physical
Setting/Physics to each student taking these examinations. Note that the Department will continue to
provide the large-type and braille editions of these reference tables to schools in the shipment of secure
examination materials.
The school must provide scrap paper for student use for all Regents Examinations, except for the
Regents Examinations in mathematics. (Students are not permitted to use scrap paper for Regents
Examinations in mathematics, unless this is indicated as an accommodation on the student’s IEP or 504
Plan.) Schools should also have a supply of coordinate graph paper available for students taking the
Regents Examinations in mathematics who request it in order to change their work on graphs.
Students should be informed before the day of the examination that they are expected to provide their
own pens, pencils, erasers, and rulers. Information concerning the use of calculators and reference
materials by students is provided later in this section under the headings Use of Calculators,
Administering Examinations to English Language Learners/Multilingual Learners (ELLs/MLLs), and
Reference Materials for Examinations.
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Schools may permit students to use highlighters when taking State examinations. Proctors must monitor
student use of highlighters to ensure that they are not being used by students to record their responses
to questions that must be answered in pencil or pen and that the use of highlighters does not obscure
students’ responses to open-ended questions.
Preparation of the Examination Room
The room in which State examinations are administered should be well lit, well ventilated, and quiet.
Preparations must be made before the testing period to keep noise and other distractions to a minimum.
A “Do Not Disturb” sign may be placed on the door, in order to prevent interruptions.
If examinations are to be administered in a classroom, the teacher using the room must be instructed to
make sure that it has been properly prepared. Desks and any shelves underneath them must be clear of
all books, papers, and other materials. Charts or maps on the walls and all board work pertinent to the
subject being tested must be completely covered or removed.
Seating arrangements must be made in advance, so that each student will be clearly visible to the
proctor at all times and so that there will be no opportunity for any communication between students.
Machine-Scorable Answer Sheets
Schools are required to use uniform machine-scorable answer sheets developed by the Regional
Information Centers (RICs) or large-city scanning center. Throughout the State, in consultation with the
Department, schools must make the necessary arrangements to obtain machine-scorable answer sheets
and scanning services for all Regents Examinations from a RIC or large-city scanning center.
The uniform answer sheets contain several grids with spaces for recording various types of student
identification information. The school, with assistance from the RIC or large-city scanning center, must
develop uniform written directions about the completion of these grids and provide these directions to all
teachers administering the examinations. Such directions should be based on careful consideration of
the student and score information needed, as well as on the processing requirements of the scoring
center that the school is using. Schools must also develop directions to students on what writing
implement to use and how to fill in the answer sheets. These directions must be provided to all proctors
administering the examinations.
All answer sheets provided by RICs or large-city scanning centers should be scanned only once, in order
to preserve answer sheet quality for audit purposes. If a school elects to scan its own answer sheets, it
must use the uniform answer sheet provided by the regional scanning center and provide a data file to its
scanning center in a format that is compatible with the center’s data system. Scanning should occur
within a timeframe that allows data to be submitted to the New York State Education Department
(NYSED) via the Student Information Repository System (SIRS) by the specified due dates outlined in
the SIRS data reporting timeline
.
Conflicts
A student who is scheduled to take more than one examination during the same session may do so,
provided that the principal is satisfied that exercising this option would not be detrimental to the student’s
academic interests. However, a student may not be allowed more time than the standard three hours for
each Regents Examination solely because of an examination conflict.
Students must take each Regents Examination on the day that it is scheduled for administration.
Students taking more than one examination during the same session should be sequestered in a
separate location and must be kept under close school supervision. School officials must prevent the
possibility of any communication between the examinee and students who either have already taken or
will be taking the same examination(s) as the examinee. Arrangements must be made for supervised
lunch and rest periods, and the Uniform Statewide Admission Deadlines must be strictly observed.
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Conducting the Examinations
Time Regulations
The specific hours during which Regents Examinations must be administered are indicated on
the examination schedules and may also be indicated on the examination booklets. During the regular
school year, examinations are scheduled for 9:15 a.m. or for 1:15 p.m. In August, examinations are
scheduled for 8:30 a.m. or for 12:30 p.m. To allow sufficient time for giving directions and distributing
examination materials, students should be instructed to be in their seats at least 15 minutes before the
time specified for starting each examination.
All Regents Examinations are scheduled for administration during a three-hour examination session and
proctors must ordinarily conclude each examination exactly three hours after the actual starting time.
Special arrangements must be made to allow additional time for eligible students. (See Administering
Examinations to ELLs/MLLs and Administering Examinations to Students with Disabilities, found later in
this section.)
At the discretion of the principals, schools may begin secondary-level examinations earlier than the
specified time. Regardless of the starting time, no student shall be permitted under any circumstances to
hand in his or her test materials and leave the examination room before the Uniform Statewide
Admission Deadlines. Any student who leaves the examination room without permission before the
Uniform Statewide Admission Deadlines listed below will have his or her test invalidated and no score
will be entered. When examinations are administered off-site to eligible students, the proctor is still
required to adhere to the Uniform Statewide Admission Deadlines.
Uniform Statewide Admission Deadlines
Morning
Examinations
Afternoon
Examinations
January/June
10:00 a.m.
2:00 p.m.
August
9:15 a.m.
1:15 p.m.
All students who arrive at the examination room before the Uniform Statewide Admission Deadline must
be admitted to the examination, even if the students arrive after the scheduled starting time. Students
who arrive at the examination after the Uniform Statewide Admission Deadline, but who have been under
the supervision of school personnel since the admission deadline, may be admitted to the examination
only if the principal is certain that the students did not have an opportunity to exchange information with
students who have already left the examination.
The purpose of the Uniform Statewide Admission Deadlines is to eliminate any possibility of the
exchange of information between students at different examination centers. All school principals must
strictly comply with these regulations. It is recommended that schools provide students and their parents
with written notice of this policy in advance of the tests, to make sure that parents are fully aware of why
students are not allowed to enter examination rooms after the Uniform Statewide Admission Deadlines
have passed.
Latecomers for Regents Examinations are not generally entitled to have the closing time extended.
However, if students started late because of extenuating circumstances beyond their control, the
principal is permitted, but not required, to extend the closing time of the examination for these students.
Further, when an examination is administered under special conditions to a student who is injured or ill or
who has a disability, the time may be extended at the discretion of the principal to allow the student
reasonable time to complete the examination. For more information on this topic, see Administering
Examinations to Students with Disabilities later in this section.
Use of Calculators
Schools must ensure that each student has the appropriate type of calculator when taking one of the
secondary-level Regents examinations specified on the following page.
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The memory of any student’s calculator with programming capability must be cleared, reset, or disabled
when the student enters the examination room. If the memory of a student’s calculator is password-
protected and cannot be cleared, the calculator must not be used. Any applications that have been
added to graphing calculators must be removed. No students may use calculators that are capable of
symbol manipulation or that can communicate with other calculators through infrared sensors or any
other means, nor may students use operating manuals, instruction or formula cards, or other information
concerning the operation of calculators during the examinations. Symbol manipulation calculators are
calculators capable of doing symbolic algebra or symbolic calculus (for example, factoring, expanding, or
simplifying given variable output).
Mathematics Regents Examinations. Students taking any Regents Examination in mathematics must
have a graphing calculator without symbol manipulation.
Science Regents Examinations. For the Regents Examination in Living Environment, all students who
wish to use a four-function or scientific calculator must have one available. All students taking the
Regents Examinations in Physical Setting/Chemistry and Physical Setting/Earth Science must have a
four-function or scientific calculator. Students are not permitted to use graphing calculators when taking
the Living Environment, Physical Setting/Chemistry, or Physical Setting/Earth Science examinations. All
students taking the Regents Examination in Physical Setting/Physics must have a scientific or a graphing
calculator without symbol manipulation.
Performance Tests
Regents Examination in Physical Setting/Earth Science. The Physical Setting/Earth Science examination
includes a performance test that must be administered during the last two weeks of the course and no
later than the day before the written examination. This performance test must be administered to each
student in one continuous block of time in one day. Printed materials for the administration of the Earth
Science Performance Test are shipped to schools approximately one month before the Regents
Examination period. Teachers are expected to administer the performance test in compliance with all
instructions provided in the teacher’s directions.
Students Repeating the Regents Examination in Physical Setting/Earth Science. Students retaking the
written test of the Regents Examination in Physical Setting/Earth Science must also retake the
performance test. Only the performance test score earned by the student in the weeks immediately
preceding the written examination may be used to determine the student’s final examination score for the
Regents Examination in Physical Setting/Earth Science.
Rules for Proctoring
Identification of Students. Plans must be made before the administration of State examinations to verify
the identity of each student entering the examination room, especially students who are not enrolled in
the school in which they are taking examinations. Accurate records must be kept of the students who
take each examination, so it will be possible to confirm the presence or absence of a student for each
examination administered.
Checking for Unauthorized Materials. Students who are taking State examinations must be under close
supervision at all times during the examination session. When students enter the examination room, all
materials brought into the examination room must be inspected to make sure that the materials do not
contain any unauthorized notes, electronic devices, or printed material that would give the user an unfair
advantage. The materials that students are permitted to bring into the examination room are identified in
this section of this manual under the heading Materials Provided by the School and by Students.
Obtaining Information from or Giving Information to Other Students. Students must not be permitted to
obtain information from or give information to other students in any way during the examination. If, in the
opinion of the proctor, such an attempt has occurred, the students should be warned that any further
attempts will result in the termination of their examinations. If necessary, the students should be moved
to another location. In order to allow for all possible outcomes of procedural due process, the student
should be allowed to complete the examination. If the steps described above fail to end attempts to
obtain or give information, the principal should be notified immediately, and the students’ examinations
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terminated. At the conclusion of the examination, all suspected acts of fraud must be reported to the
principal. Pursuant to Section 102.4 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, no score may
be earned by a student who, in the judgment of the principal, has attempted to obtain aid from or give aid
to another student or has otherwise committed fraud during an examination.
Student Use of Communications Devices
All students are prohibited from bringing cell phones and certain other electronic devices, as defined in
the script below, into a classroom or other location where a State examination is being administered.
Test proctors, test monitors, and school officials shall retain the right to collect and hold any prohibited
electronic devices prior to the start of the test administration. Admission to the test shall be denied to any
student who is in possession of a cell phone or other prohibited electronic device and refuses to
relinquish it. Possession of such a device will cause the student’s examination to be invalidated.
At the beginning of each test administration, proctors must read the following statement to all
students taking Regents Examinations:
You cannot have any communications device, including a cell phone, with you during this
examination or during any breaks (such as a restroom visit). Such devices include, but are not
limited to:
• Cell phones
• iPods or other MP3 players
• iPads, tablets, and other eReaders
• Personal laptops, notebooks, or any other computing devices
• Cameras, other photographic equipment, and scanning devices
• Wearable devices/smart wearables, including smart watches and health wearables with a
display
• Headphones, headsets, or in-ear headphones such as earbuds, and
• Any other device capable of recording audio, photographic, or video content, or capable of
viewing or playing back such content, or sending/receiving text, audio, or video messages
If you brought any of these items to the building today, and have not already stored it in your
locker or turned it over to me, a test monitor, or school official, you must give it to me now. You
may not keep your cell phone or any of these items with you, or near you, including in your
pockets, backpack, desk, etc. If you keep a cell phone or any of these items with you, your
examination will be invalidated and you will get no score. Is there anyone who needs to give me
any of these items now?
[Proctor: repeat list of devices.]
This is your last opportunity to do so before the test begins.
For Principals and Proctors:
a. Any student observed with any prohibited device while taking a State examination must be
directed to turn it over to the proctor or monitor immediately. To allow for all possible outcomes of
procedural due process, the student should be allowed to complete the examination. The incident
must be reported promptly to the school principal. If the principal determines that the student had a
prohibited device in his or her possession during the test administration, the student’s test must be
invalidated. No score may be calculated for that student.
b. The incident must be promptly reported, in writing, to OSA by fax to 518-474-1989 or by e-mail
, as
is the case for all student-related testing irregularities, misadministrations, or other violations of
State testing policy and procedures.
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NOTE: Some students with disabilities may use certain recording/playback devices ONLY IF this
accommodation is specifically required as a provision of the student’s IEP or 504 Plan. In addition, a
student may be allowed to retain an otherwise prohibited device in his or her possession if there is
documentation on file at the school from a medical practitioner that the student requires such a device
during testing. Without such documentation, the general policy on communications devices as provided
above is in effect, and the school may not allow the student to retain any such equipment while testing.
Proctoring. Proctors must circulate periodically around the room during the administration of each
examination to ensure that students are recording their responses to examination questions in the proper
manner and with the proper instrument. While circulating around the room, proctors should point out to
students when they have left one or more answers blank or when they do not appear to be recording
their answers in the proper place or appear to have provided more than one answer for a single multiple-
choice question.
For Regents Examinations, no additional time, beyond three hours, may be provided to students to
transfer answers from test booklets to answer sheets at the end of the test and no one other than the
student may transfer answers marked in his or her test booklet to a multiple-choice answer sheet. This
does not apply to students who have an IEP or 504 Plan that allows scribes to transfer answers from the
test booklet to an answer sheet.
Aid to Students. No one, under any circumstances, may interpret or explain examination questions to any
student, nor may anyone comment to a student on the correctness or sufficiency of the student’s
response while the examination is in progress. In response to inquiries by students concerning the
meaning or interpretation of questions on State examinations, proctors may advise students only to use
their own best judgment.
Safeguarding the Integrity of the Test Materials. Staff is not permitted to discuss test questions or other
specific test content with others online via e-mail or LISTSERV, or through any other electronic means
prior to or during the test administration period or until one week after the conclusion of the examination
period. Proctors may not use cell phones or other electronic devices to duplicate test materials,
and should keep their own communication devices put away during testing, using them only in
emergency situations. Test booklets cannot be opened prior to the distribution of tests to students.
Clock. A clock should be in sight of all students. If this is not possible, it is the duty of the proctors to
indicate the time on the board at intervals not exceeding one-half hour throughout the examination
session.
Temporary Absence from Examination Room. No student may be permitted to leave and then return to
the examination room during any session of the examination unless accompanied by a proctor. Students
who withdraw from the sight of the proctor during any examination session must have their examinations
for that session terminated. Any examination paper that is removed from the examination room without
authorization must be invalidated.
Emergency Evacuation of a School Building. Evacuation of a school building during an examination may
be required because of an emergency, such as a fire alarm or a bomb threat. In any situation in which
the safety of students is endangered, the principal has full authority to interrupt the examination
immediately. If possible, the students should be kept under continuous supervision during the emergency
and advised that they may not converse with each other. If it becomes feasible for testing to resume,
students may be permitted to continue taking their interrupted test only if the students had been kept
under continuous supervision and were not permitted to speak with each other during the interruption. In
these circumstances, the ending time for the test should be adjusted, so that the students are given the
full allotment of time for the examination. Following the examination, a written report of the circumstances
must be sent to OSA by e-mail
or by fax at 518-474-1989.
Preserving the Integrity of Students’ Responses. No one, under any circumstances, including the
student, may alter the student’s responses on the test once the student has handed in his or her
test materials.
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Proctors, teachers, and administrators who fail to adhere to the policies and procedures of the
Department risk discipline. Teachers and administrators who engage in inappropriate conduct
with respect to administering and scoring State examinations may be subject to disciplinary
actions in accordance with Sections 3020 and 3020-a of Education Law or to action against their
certification pursuant to Part 83 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.
Handling of Students’ Completed Examination Materials
When a student has completed a State examination, the student’s answer materials should be collected
and confirmed, or “checked in,” by a proctor and logged in to a list of examinees before that student is
permitted to leave the examination room. Once turned in, a student’s answer sheet must not be returned
to the student for any reason other than obtaining a signature on the student’s declaration. When they
are hand scored, answer papers for all State examinations must remain in the custody of teachers or
administrators in the school building or regional scoring site until the rating process is complete and
scores are recorded in the students’ permanent records. When student papers are scored in cooperation
with another school, answer papers may be transported to the cooperating school for scoring. It remains
the principal’s responsibility to ensure the security of all student answer papers while they are out of the
building. Answer papers that are sent to a scanning center for scoring may be stored either at the
scanning location or in the schools where the examinations were administered, as long as storage
conditions are maintained that will not limit the principal’s access to an individual student’s answer paper.
As an additional precaution, all scrap paper should be retained until all examination scores have been
recorded.
If a student’s answer paper is lost, the principal or superintendent must conduct an inquiry and file a
written report with OSA by e-mail
. This report must include (1) a description of the loss or disappearance,
including the number of students whose papers are missing; (2) the examination title and administration
date; (3) the likely cause of the loss or disappearance; and (4) the steps that will be taken to prevent a
similar occurrence in the future.
Student Declaration
Pursuant to Section 102.5 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, each student taking a
Regents Examination is required to sign the following declaration:
I do hereby affirm, at the close of this examination, that I had no unlawful knowledge of
the questions or answers prior to the examination, and that I have neither given nor
received assistance in answering any of the questions during the examination.
The declaration for each examination is printed on the answer paper or the student information sheet
provided by the Department for that examination. Proctors must check to be sure that each student has
signed the declaration before the student leaves the examination room. The declaration can be signed
with a pencil or a pen. Examination papers lacking a signed declaration must not be scored until the
student’s signature has been obtained.
Fraud
Under Section 8.5 of the Rules of the Board of Regents, fraud shall include the use of unfair means to
pass an examination; attempting to give aid to, or obtain aid from, another person in any examination;
alteration of any Regents Examination credential; and intentional misrepresentation in connection with
Regents Examinations or credentials. Section 225 of the Education Law makes fraud in examinations a
misdemeanor, whether perpetrated by a student, teacher, administrator, or any other person. In addition,
Section 102.4 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education prohibits testing fraud by students,
educators, and others involved in the handling, administration, and scoring of State assessments.
Student Fraud
Students who violate one of the prescribed State and/or local policies for taking examinations, but do not
attempt either to obtain or give aid, have not committed fraud. For example, if a student leaves the
examination room without the permission of a proctor but is under the supervision of school personnel at
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all times while out of the room and there is no evidence that the student attempted to either obtain or give
aid, the student may be disciplined only for leaving the examination room without permission and not for
having committed fraud.
Pursuant to Section 102.4 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, if, in the judgment of the
principal, a student has committed or attempted to commit fraud during a State examination, the principal
must cancel the student’s examination. Before any penalty may be applied pursuant to Section 102.4,
the student accused of fraud must be given an opportunity to make satisfactory explanations and to meet
with the local board of education or its designee. The student, together with the student’s parent(s) or
guardian and (if so desired by the parents) an attorney, shall be given the opportunity to ask questions of
the school officials and any other person having direct personal knowledge of the facts.
A student who has been judged by the principal to have committed or attempted to commit fraud must be
excluded from any subsequent examinations until he or she has demonstrated by exemplary conduct
and citizenship, to the satisfaction of the principal, that he or she is entitled to restoration of this privilege.
When an examination is canceled, no score may be entered in the student’s permanent record. The
principal shall report promptly to OSA via fax to 518-474-1989 the initials or ID number of each student
penalized under Section 102.4, together with a brief description of circumstances and the final action
taken.
Testing Improprieties by Adults
Testing misconduct by adults is strictly prohibited. Adults may not:
• Access secure test booklets and/or answer sheets prior to the time allowed by testing rules.
• Review test booklets prior to test administration in order to: determine and record correct responses
for use during testing; create pre-test lessons or discussions with students about concepts being
tested; or create a “cheat sheet” for students to use during testing, including sharing formulas,
concepts, or definitions necessary for the test.
• Provide students clues or answers during testing, including coaching students about correct
answers, defining terms and concepts contained in the test, pointing out wrong answers, suggesting
that a student reconsider or change a recorded response, reminding students during testing of
concepts they learned in class, or making facial or other non-verbal suggestions to students
regarding answers.
• Give a student more time to take the test than is allowed for that student under State regulations.
• Leave materials displayed in the room containing topics being tested.
• Write test specific formulas, concepts, or definitions on the board prior to or during testing.
• Review an answer sheet for wrong answers and return it to the student to change responses.
• Alter, erase, or change a student’s recorded responses after the student hands in test materials.
• Engage in rescoring of any portion of a test to add points, unless authorized by State rules.
• Encourage or assist anyone to engage in the above-described conduct.
Reporting Testing Misconduct and Irregularities to the Department
The principal is responsible for all aspects of the school’s administration of State examinations and must
take appropriate measures both to prevent, as much as possible, and to investigate all irregularities
associated with the administration and scoring of these examinations.
Reporting Student Testing Misconduct and Other Testing Irregularities
The principal must report the following misconduct by students and testing irregularities in writing on
school letterhead to OSA via fax to 518-474-1989 or by e-mail
:
• All student infractions of the Department’s policy prohibiting the possession or use of cell phones
and other communications devices during State examinations.
• All confirmed cases of students having committed fraud on State examinations.
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• All interruptions of testing sessions, including those caused by power outages or fire alarms.
• All instances in which a State examination is administered without Department authorization at a
time outside of the published Statewide schedule.
• All instances in which a school does not conform to the Uniform Statewide Admission Deadline in
administering a State examination.
• All instances in which scorers do not rate State examinations in accordance with the scoring
materials provided by the Department.
• All cases in which student answer papers are lost prior to the recording of the scores in students’
permanent records.
Mandatory Reporting of Testing Improprieties by Adults
The Department’s Test Security Unit (TSU) handles all reports of testing improprieties by adults involved
in the administration and scoring of State assessments. School officials and personnel are required to
report any incident of testing misconduct by an educator or other adult involved in testing. Reports should
be made via the TSU website by submitting the incident report form
located on the main page under
“Report Educator Test Fraud.”
No adverse action, including dismissal and any disciplinary action, may be taken against an employee
who files a mandatory report of testing misconduct, because the employee filed a report. Anyone who
takes such unwarranted adverse action against another employee may face disciplinary action by the
Department.
Administering Examinations to English Language Learners/Multilingual Learners
(ELLs/MLLs)
Schools may provide the following testing accommodations to ELLs/MLLs:
• Time Extension. Schools may extend the test time for ELLs/MLLs. Principals may use any
reasonable extensions, such as “time and a half” (the required testing time plus half that amount), in
accordance with their best judgment about the needs of the ELLs/MLLs. Principals should consult
with each student’s classroom teacher in making these determinations.
• Next-Day Completion of Testing. ELLs/MLLs who have been granted the accommodation of
extended time and are scheduled to take two Regents Examinations on the same day may be
approved by the school principal for the accommodation of Next-Day Completion of a Regents
Examination. If Next-Day Completion is approved by the school principal, the student must
complete the entire morning examination and at least the first part (Part 1 or Part A) of the afternoon
examination on the date the Department scheduled the administration of those examinations. The
student must then complete the remainder of the afternoon examination on the next school day.
Prior to administration, the school principal must complete and submit to OSA an Assurance form.
For more information, see the memorandum
on the Department’s website.
• Separate Location. Schools are encouraged to provide optimal testing environments and facilities
for all students. They may administer Regents Examinations to ELLs/MLLs individually or in small
groups in a separate location.
• Bilingual Dictionaries and Glossaries. ELLs/MLLs may use bilingual dictionaries and glossaries
when taking Regents Examinations. The bilingual dictionaries and glossaries may provide only
direct translations of words. Bilingual dictionaries or glossaries that provide definitions or
explanations are not permitted.
• Simultaneous Use of English and Alternative-Language Editions. For Regents Examinations for
which the Department provides written translations, ELLs/MLLs may use both an English and an
alternative-language edition of the test simultaneously. However, they should be instructed to record
all of their responses in only one of the two editions. The alternative-language edition used by the
student should be so indicated on the student’s answer sheet.
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• Oral Translation for Lower Incidence Languages. Schools may provide ELLs/MLLs with an oral
translation of a Regents Examination when there is no translated edition provided by the
Department. This accommodation is permitted for State examinations in all subjects except English.
All translations must be oral, direct translations of the English editions. Written translations are not
allowed. No clarifications or explanations may be provided. Translators should receive copies of the
English editions of the tests one hour prior to administration. The Department’s Office of Bilingual
Education and World Languages (phone 518-474-8775) and the Regional Bilingual Education
Resource Networks (RBERNs)
can assist schools in locating suitable translators. A list of RBERNS
is available on the Department’s website.
• Writing Responses in the Native Language. ELLs/MLLs making use of alternative-language editions
or of oral translations of Regents Examinations may write their responses to the open-ended
questions in their native language. Scoring the tests is the responsibility of the school. However, the
Department’s Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages and the RBERNs can assist
schools in locating persons who can translate the students’ responses into English to facilitate
scoring of the answer papers.
Former English Language Learners/Multilingual Learners (ELL/MLLs)
Schools may provide the testing accommodations listed above under the heading “Administering the
Examinations to English Language Learners” to Former ELLs/MLLs who met the exiting criteria specified
in Part 154-2 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education and were exited from English
Language Learner status following their participation in one of the two most recent administrations of the
New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT). Such students either
achieved an overall level of Commanding on the NYSESLAT or achieved an overall level of Expanding
on the most recent administration of the NYSESLAT and scored at Level 3 or higher on the New York
State Grades 3–8 English Language Arts Test or earned a score of 65 or higher on the Regents
Examination in English Language Arts.
These accommodations may not be provided to Former ELLs/MLLs who achieved the exiting criteria
through NYSESLAT administration more than two school years ago. Additional guidance
on identification
of Former ELLs/MLLs is available on the Department’s website.
Administering Examinations to Students with Disabilities
Students Who Incur Disabilities Shortly Before Test Administration
Principals may provide testing accommodations for general education students who experience the
onset of a short-term disability (e.g., incur an injury such as a broken arm) or a long-term disability (either
cognitive or physical) acquired or diagnosed within 30 days prior to the administration of State
examinations. In such cases, when sufficient time is not available for the development of an IEP or a 504
Plan, principals may authorize certain accommodations that will not significantly change the skills being
tested. These accommodations are limited to:
•
extending the time limit for an examination,
• administering the examination in a special location,
• recording the student’s answers in any manner (When answering questions on the Regents
Examination in English Language Arts, students receiving this accommodation must provide all
punctuation, the spelling of difficult words, paragraphing, etc.), and
• reading the test to the student. (This accommodation is allowed only for students whose vision is
impaired. The Regents Examination in English Language Arts may not be read to these students.)
Eligibility for these accommodations is based on the principal’s professional discretion, but the principal
is advised to confer with members of the Committee on Special Education (CSE) or with other school
personnel in making these determinations. Pursuant to Section 102.3 of the Regulations of the
Commissioner of Education, building principals are responsible for administering State examinations and
for maintaining the integrity of examination content and programs in accordance with directions and
procedures established by the Commissioner of Education.
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Prior permission need not be obtained from the Department to authorize testing accommodations for
general education students. However, a full written report concerning each authorization must be sent to
OSA via fax to 518-474-1989. The report must be on school letterhead, must be signed by the principal,
and must include the following information:
• the initials or ID number of the student,
• the title of the test,
• a brief description of the student’s injury or disability, and
• a listing of the accommodations that were authorized by the principal.
If the student is expected to continue to need testing accommodations, the principal must immediately
make the appropriate referral for the consideration of an IEP or 504 Plan.
Students with Disabilities
Principals must ensure that students with disabilities receive the testing accommodations specified in
their IEPs or 504 Plans, while also ensuring that the implementation of such testing accommodations is
consistent with Department testing policies for administering State examinations. Principals must also
ensure that only the accommodations specified in each student’s IEP or 504 Plan are implemented. The
use of these accommodations provides students with disabilities the opportunity to demonstrate
proficiency on State examinations without being limited or unfairly restricted by their disabilities.
Information concerning the administration of State examinations to students with disabilities can be found
in the publication
Testing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities, Policy and Tools to Guide
Decision-Making and Implementation, February 2018. This publication is available on the Department’s
website.
Any accommodation listed as allowable for Regents Examinations in Appendix J of Testing
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities may be authorized for students with disabilities in their
IEPs, 504 Plans, or recommended upon declassification. Questions designed to measure reading ability
in English may be read or signed to students when taking the Regents Examination in English Language
Arts. Answers to questions designed to measure writing ability in English may be recorded in an
alternative manner (for example, dictation by means of a scribe or an electronic recording device).
Devices with spell-checking and/or grammar-checking capability are permitted.
Detailed information pertaining to the administration of State examinations over multiple days for
students whose IEP requires this testing accommodation is available on the Department’s website.
Large-Type Examinations
In general, large-type examinations should be administered in the same way as regular examinations.
Large-type examinations are exact reproductions (enlarged 136 percent) of the regular examinations.
They have the same directions, questions, etc., as the regular examinations. They may be administered
in the same room at the same time and with the same directions as those used for the regular
examinations. Schools should limit all requests for large-type editions to the exact quantities needed for
students requiring this accommodation, that is, students who are actually provided instructional materials
(e.g., textbooks), locally developed tests, etc., in large-type format.
Braille Examinations
The braille examinations require no special directions to students. The proctor administering a braille
examination does not need to be able to read braille. The examination booklet provides the student with
complete directions and descriptions. The questions on braille examinations are the same as those on
the printed examinations with certain exceptions, which are described in the following paragraph. The
questions are numbered the same as those on the printed examinations. Separate or special answer
sheets are not provided with copies of braille examinations. The student may answer the questions in
any manner appropriate and familiar to the student. The student may write, type, or braille the answers,
dictate them to a proctor or a recorder, or use any combination of these methods.
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When the Department transcribes an examination into braille, questions that contain material that cannot
be reproduced in a manner understandable to a visually impaired student are modified. The questions
are reworded or replaced with questions that measure skills similar to those measured by the original
questions. In these situations, the Department provides teachers with special notices advising them of
the modification(s) and any resulting scoring change(s) that may be necessary. Unless otherwise noted,
the scoring key provided by the Department can be used for both the printed and braille editions of an
examination.
Reader-Administered Examinations
The regular examination booklet should be used when a proctor reads an examination to a student with
a disability. The principal should provide the proctor with an examination booklet no earlier than one hour
in advance of the required starting time so that the proctor can become familiar with the examination
questions before reading them to the student.
In cases where test questions are to be read, the entire test must be read, including reading passages,
open-ended, and multiple-choice questions. The test must be read in a neutral manner, without
intonation or emphasis, and without otherwise drawing attention to key words or phrases. Passages and
questions must be read word for word, without any clarification or explanation. However, such content
may be read more than once.
Unless the IEP or 504 Plan specifically disallows it, when reading a mathematics test question to a
student who has this accommodation, all numbers and mathematics symbols, along with words, should
be spoken by the proctor to the student. For example, the symbol < should be read as “less than,”
and 1,211 should be read as “one thousand, two hundred, eleven.” However, test questions may never
be modified or simplified, nor may proctors provide additional examples.
Reference Materials for Examinations
All information normally provided to students taking an examination must be provided for students with
disabilities. All reference materials for Regents Examinations (e.g., tables, charts, and graphs) are
available in large-type and braille. These materials will be supplied with the braille or the large-type
examinations. When an examination is read to a student in accordance with the student’s IEP or 504
Plan, the proctor may read the required reference information to the student, as long as it does not give
the student an unfair advantage.
No student may use an English language dictionary or thesaurus, either printed or electronic, during a
State examination.
Restricted Examinations
Safeguarding Examination Materials
The January administrations of the Regents Examination in Physical Setting/Physics and Braille editions
of the Regents Examinations in Living Environment, Physical Setting/Earth Science, and Physical
Setting/Physics are provided in restricted form. Extreme care must be taken to ensure that all restricted
examinations can be accounted for at all times. Administrators should make a written record of individual
booklet numbers to accompany the transfer of examinations to and from the deputies and proctors.
Under no circumstances may the examinations be left unattended.
Each restricted examination booklet will be sealed in an envelope, which must be distributed to the
student with the seal intact. Each student is to break the seal of the envelope at the time designated.
Deputies, proctors, and teachers are not permitted to open an envelope containing a test booklet or to
examine a test booklet for any reason other than to read questions to students with disabilities whose
IEPs or 504 Plans call for this accommodation.
Administering Restricted Examinations
Detailed directions for administering and scoring restricted examinations are provided in
separate
publications available on the Department’s website. Principals should print copies of these directions and
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distribute them several days before the examination period to each teacher administering restricted
examinations.
All restricted examination booklets, both used and unused, scrap paper, and reference tables must be
returned to the Department.
Replacing Defective Booklets. If a student receives a defective examination booklet, the proctor should
provide the student with a new envelope, if one is available. If no extra envelope is available,
call 518-474-8220 for instructions. After receiving the new envelope, the student should break the seal
and write the new examination booklet number on the answer sheet above the old number. The student
should then seal the defective examination booklet in its original envelope. The proctor should write
“contains defective booklet” on the sealed envelope. All defective booklets should be reported in writing
to OSA. The report should include the initials or ID number of the student (at the discretion of the
principal) and the booklet number. The same procedure should be followed for a defective answer sheet.
Students with Disabilities. Restricted forms of examinations are available in both large-type and braille
and may also be read to students with disabilities. When administering a restricted form to students with
disabilities, a proctor should follow the same procedures as those followed when administering
nonrestricted forms to students with disabilities. See Administering Examinations to Students with
Disabilities, found earlier in this section. In addition, the proctor should follow the special procedures
outlined in the preceding sections for administering restricted examinations to general education
students.
English Learner Learners/Multilingual Learners. When a restricted form of an examination is
administered to an ELL/MLL who requires the services of a translator, the guidelines for translators,
found earlier in this section, must be followed. Both the student and the translator are allowed to read the
questions in the examination booklet.
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SECTION THREE
RATING EXAMINATION PAPERS, RECORDING SCORES,
AND PROVIDING ACADEMIC INTERVENTION SERVICES
Rating Examination Papers
General Information
The principal is responsible for establishing rating procedures that will ensure reasonable confidence in
the accuracy of the scores assigned to the answer papers by individual teachers or by committees of
teachers. The principal is responsible for the rating of all answer papers written in the school, including
papers written by persons admitted to examinations in subjects not regularly taught in the school, papers
written by persons not enrolled in the school, papers written by students taking the alternative language
editions of examinations, and papers written in braille.
Teachers are not permitted to score their own students’ answer papers. This means that teachers
currently instructing students in the coursework associated with a particular Regents Examination
may not score those students’ answer papers for that examination. This prohibition includes special
education and academic intervention services (AIS) teachers. For the August examinations, neither the
school year teacher nor the summer school teacher may score their own students’ responses. The
following examples are intended to offer guidance to school administrators who will be making
determinations as to a teacher’s eligibility to score specific students’ examination papers.
• A teacher providing AIS to a student in preparation for the Regents Examination in U.S. History and
Government may not score that student’s answer paper for this examination.
• An English teacher who is a student’s homeroom teacher but is not the student’s current year
English teacher may score that student’s answer paper for the Regents Examination in English
Language Arts.
• A mathematics teacher who taught a student algebra the year before but is not currently instructing
a student in the coursework in geometry may score the student’s answer paper for the Regents
Examination in Geometry.
• A Global History and Geography teacher who taught a student in this subject area the year before,
and is now currently instructing the same student in U.S. History, may score this student’s answer
paper for a retake of the Transition Examination in Global History & Geography – Grade 10, but
may not score this student’s answer paper for the Regents Examination in U.S. History &
Government taken during the same test administration.
The principal is responsible for making the final determination as to whether or not a teacher may score
specific students’ examination papers, based on this scoring policy. A principal may establish rules that
are more prohibitive than the illustrations above suggest.
To maintain uniform rating standards, all teachers involved in rating State examinations must be
thoroughly familiar with the rating instructions provided by the Department. Each examination has a
scoring key for multiple-choice questions and guidelines for rating the open-ended questions.
The teachers rating each answer paper must write their names or initials clearly on the answer paper or
scoring record, as required. Teachers must rate strictly according to the scoring materials provided by
the Department. They may allow credit for other answers to open-ended questions only if those answers
are clearly equivalent to that indicated in the scoring material. A teacher may not give credit for
answers that the teacher considers merely “possible” or “reasonable.”
At the conclusion of January, June, and August examination periods, the principal must arrange for the
collection and secure storage of all used and unused restricted test books (regular, large-type, and
braille) and all used answer sheets. Used answer sheets must not be left unattended and must not pass
from the custody of the teacher during scoring. Except when answer papers are being scored in
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cooperation with another school, answer papers must not be removed from the school building until the
rating has been completed and the test scores have been recorded in each student’s permanent record.
When the papers are being scored in cooperation with another school, it remains the principal’s
responsibility to ensure the security of the answer papers while they are out of the building.
Rating Regents Examinations
At least two teachers must rate the answer papers for the Examinations in English Language Arts, Global
History and Geography, United States History and Government, Living Environment, Physical
Setting/Chemistry, Physical Setting/Earth Science, and Physical Setting/Physics. For the Regents
Examinations in English and social studies, a third teacher must score all essays when the scores of the
first and second raters differ by more than one credit. All raters must follow the procedures described in
the appropriate Information Booklet
available on the Department’s website.
At least three teachers must rate the answer papers for the Regents Examinations in mathematics.
Raters must follow the procedures described in the appropriate Information Booklet
available on the
Department’s website.
When scoring student responses to multiple-choice questions on any Regents Examination, teachers
must follow the directions provided by the Department or by the school’s RIC or scanning center. For
Regents Examinations, raters must follow the procedures specified in the appropriate rating guide for
recording the credits awarded for responses to open-ended questions. The names and initials of raters
must be clearly written in the designated areas.
Schools are not permitted to rescore any of the open-ended questions on any Regents
Examination after each question has been rated the required number of times as specified in the
rating guide, regardless of the final examination score. Schools are required to ensure that the
raw scores have been added correctly and that the resulting scale score has been determined
accurately.
Machine Scoring of Regents Examinations
Before answer sheets are machine scored, several samples must be both machine scored and hand
scored to ensure the accuracy of the machine-scoring process. All discrepancies must be rectified
before student answer sheets are machine scored. When the machine scoring is completed, a sample of
the answer sheets must be rescored manually, in order to verify the accuracy of the machine-scoring
process.
Finality of Examination Scores
When the teacher scoring committee completes the scoring process, test scores must be considered
final and must be entered in students’ permanent records. In addition, each rater must sign the
Examination Scoring Certificate, to attest that he or she fully and faithfully observed the rules and
regulations for scoring the examinations. The principal must also sign this certificate, to attest that the
rules and regulations for scoring were fully and faithfully observed.
Principals and other administrative staff in a school or district do not have the authority to set aside the
scores arrived at by the teacher scoring committee and rescore student examination papers or to change
any scores assigned through the procedures described in this manual and in the scoring materials
provided by the Department. Any principal or administrator found to have done so, except in the
circumstances described below, will be in violation of Department policy regarding the scoring of State
examinations. Teachers and administrators who violate Department policy with respect to scoring State
examinations may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with Sections 3020 and 3020-a of
Education Law or to action against their certification pursuant to Part 83 of the Regulations of the
Commissioner of Education.
On rare occasions, an administrator may learn that an error occurred in the calculation of a final score for
a student or in recording students’ scores in their permanent records. For example, the final score may
have been based on an incorrect summing of the student’s raw scores for parts of the test or from a
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misreading of the conversion chart. When such errors involve the final scores on any Regents
Examination of no more than 5 percent of the school’s test takers for that examination or five students,
whichever is greater, and when such errors are detected within four months of the test date, the
superintendent of a public school district or the chief administrative officer of a religious, independent, or
charter school may arrange for the corrected score to be recorded in the student’s permanent record.
However, in all such instances, the superintendent or chief administrative officer must advise OSA in
writing by fax (518-474-1989) or by e-mail
that the student’s score has been corrected. The written
notification to the Department must be signed by the superintendent or chief administrative officer and
must include the initials or student identification numbers (at the discretion of the principal) of the
students whose scores have been corrected, the name of the examination, the students’ original and
corrected scores, and a brief explanation of the nature of the scoring error that was corrected.
If an administrator has substantial reason to believe that the teacher scoring committee has failed to
accurately score more than 5 percent or five student answer papers, whichever is greater, on any
examination, or when errors are detected more than four months after the test date, the administrator
must first obtain permission in writing from OSA before arranging for or permitting a rescoring of student
papers. The written request to OSA must come from the superintendent of a public school district or the
chief administrative officer of a religious, independent, or charter school and must include the
examination title, date of administration, and number of students whose papers would be subject to such
rescoring. This request must also include a statement explaining why the administrator believes that the
teacher scoring committee failed to score appropriately and, thus, why he or she believes that rescoring
the examination papers is necessary. As part of this submission, the school administrator must make
clear his or her understanding that such extraordinary re-rating may be carried out only by a full
committee of teachers constituted in accordance with the scoring guidelines presented above and fully
utilizing the scoring materials for this test provided by the Department.
In those cases in which the examinations were scored by a BOCES, the written notification for correcting
a student’s score or the request for permission to rescore a student’s paper must come from the District
Superintendent of the BOCES that had the responsibility for overseeing the scoring of the examinations.
The Department sometimes finds it necessary to notify schools of a revision to the scoring key and rating
guide for an examination. Should this occur after the scoring committee has completed its work, the
principal is authorized to have appropriate members of the scoring committee review students’
responses only to the specific question(s) referenced in the notification and to adjust students’ final
examination scores when appropriate. Only in such circumstances is the school not required to notify or
obtain approval from the Department to correct students’ final examination scores.
Passing Scores
Regents Examinations. Subject to certain exceptions, the passing score on Regents Examinations is 65.
Information regarding passing scores, options for earning a diploma, and challenging for credit can be
found at the websites listed in the chart on the following page.
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Topic
Website
Chart of Diploma Requirements
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/part100/pages/diprequire.pdf
Multiple Pathways to Graduation
http://www.nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction/multiple-
pathways/
Appeal to Graduate with a Lower
Score on a Regents Examination
http://www.nysed.gov/common/nysed/files/curriculum-
instruction/memo/appeal-graduate-lower-score-regents-
exam-memo-april-2017.pdf
Safety Net for Students with
Disabilities to Graduate with a
Local High School Diploma
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/safetyn
et-compensatoryoption.pdf
Challenging for Credit
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/part100/pages/1005.html
Recording Examination Scores
Schools must maintain complete and accurate permanent records. Each time that a student takes a
State examination at the scheduled time under proper supervision, the name of the examination, the
date of administration, and the score must be entered in the student’s permanent record, unless the
score has been canceled because of fraud or misadministration.
No examination score may be entered as a Regents Examination score unless it has been obtained on a
Regents Examination. Scores earned on Department-approved alternative examinations
must not be
recorded in the permanent record as Regents Examination scores. If a student fails to take a Regents
Examination, no score may be recorded in the student’s permanent record.
If a student who has failed an examination retakes the examination and achieves a passing score, the
school is required to record only the higher score on the student’s transcript. All scores must be recorded
in the permanent record. If a student retakes a State examination, the student’s option to have only the
higher score reported on the transcript should be honored. These decisions should be made in
consultation with the student, and the student’s choice of score for official transcript purposes should be
respected whenever possible.
Individual Student Results
At the school’s earliest opportunity after tests have been scored, schools are expected to provide results
to each student’s parent/guardian.
Retention of Answer Papers
All of the papers not requested for Department review must be retained in the school files for at least one
year. Any or all of these papers may be called for review during this period.
Required Academic Intervention Services
Section 100.2(ee) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education requires that students who fail
any of the core State examinations required for high school graduation shall be provided with the
appropriate academic intervention services to enable them to pass the test by the time they are
otherwise qualified to graduate. Charter schools are exempt from this provision. Providing academic
intervention services is not mandated for religious and independent schools.
Academic intervention services are intended to assist students who are at risk of not achieving the State
learning standards in English language arts, mathematics, social studies and/or science, or who are at
risk of not gaining the knowledge and skills needed to meet or exceed designated performance levels on
State assessments. Academic intervention services shall be made available to students with disabilities
on the same basis as non-disabled students, provided that these services are in accordance with the
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student’s IEP. The regulations also require that the parent or guardian of each such student shall be
notified in writing, by the principal, of the academic intervention services to be provided to the student,
the reason that the student needs such services, and the consequences of not achieving expected
performance levels. Such notification must be provided in the language best understood by the parent or
guardian.
In the fall of 2010, the Board of Regents amended the regulations regarding academic intervention
services (Section 100.2(ee)), to allow school districts to replace, in whole or in part, academic
intervention services with Response to Intervention (RtI). A school district that chooses to do so must file
an Assurance Form with the Department that indicates the buildings, grades, and subject that RtI will be
used in place of academic intervention services. School districts must also agree to adhere to the
requirements
in Section 100.2(ii), which defines the RtI process.
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SECTION FOUR
RETURNING TEST MATERIALS TO THE DEPARTMENT
Teacher Evaluation Forms
One of the main sources for improving State examinations is the evaluations provided by the teachers
who administer them. The content and test development specialists who prepare the examinations
review these evaluations before preparing each new edition. To facilitate the process, online evaluation
forms for teachers are provided during and after each examination period. These online teacher
evaluation forms
may be accessed on the Department’s website. Specific instructions for teachers to
follow in order to submit their evaluations of tests via the online process are included in the teacher
directions and in the scoring materials. By following these procedures, all teachers who administer
examinations may have the opportunity to comment on the content of examinations and the materials
and procedures for administering them.
Examination Scoring Certificate
Each rater must sign the Examination Scoring Certificate, attesting that he or she fully and faithfully
observed the rules and regulations for scoring the examinations. The principal or scoring leader must
also sign this certificate to attest that the rules and regulations for scoring were fully and faithfully
observed. The Examination Scoring Certificate is shipped to schools in a locked Regents box with the
secure examination materials. Schools must make enough copies to allow all scorers and scoring
leaders to print and sign their names. The completed certificate(s), originals or copies, must be returned
in the Regents box after each examination period. A photocopy should be retained in school files for one
year.
Deputy and Proctor Certificate
Each deputy and proctor must certify, by individually signing this certificate, that the rules and regulations
for administering Regents Examinations were fully and faithfully observed. The Deputy and Proctor
Certificate is shipped to schools in a locked Regents box with the secure examination materials. Schools
must make enough copies to allow all deputies and proctors to print and sign their names. The original
completed certificate(s) must be returned after each examination period in the Regents box. A photocopy
should be retained in school files for one year.
Examination Storage Certificate
After each examination period, the principal must certify, by signing the Examination Storage Certificate,
that the procedures for ensuring the security of Regents Examinations were fully and faithfully observed.
The Examination Storage Certificate is shipped to schools in a locked Regents box with the secure
examination materials. The original completed certificate must be returned after each examination period
in the Regents box. A photocopy should be retained in school files for one year. If any unusual situations
occurred during an examination period concerning the security of examinations, a full report of the
situation must be submitted along with the Examination Storage Certificate. (See Reporting Testing
Misconduct and Irregularities to the Department on page 17 in Section Two of this manual.)
Materials Returned to the Department in Regents Boxes
The following materials must be returned in the Regents boxes:
1. Examination Scoring Certificate
2. Deputy and Proctor Certificate
3. Examination Storage Certificate
4. All copies, used and unused, of restricted test booklets and answer booklets/answer sheets
(Include all Part 2 test booklets, where applicable), and all scoring materials for restricted tests
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5. All copies of braille examination materials
6. Padlock keys (Insert padlock keys into the special envelope provided, before placing them in the
Regents box.)
7. Any Regents Examination answer papers indicated by the Department Review Request form,
unless this form specifies an alternate address to which these answer papers must be shipped
If possible, pack all materials being returned to the Department in one Regents box. Return all Regents
boxes as soon as possible after the examination period. Each school must pay for the return shipment of
its Regents boxes; the boxes may not be returned collect. The boxes may be returned by United Parcel
Service (UPS) or any other carrier. Regardless of the carrier chosen, the school must call the carrier,
make the necessary arrangements, and pay for the return shipment. If the Regents boxes for a school
are returned collect, the Department will refuse to accept the delivery.
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SECTION FIVE
REVIEW OF EXAMINATION PAPERS
Local Review
Except when a State examination has been administered in restricted form, students, and the parents of
students, who have taken Regents Examinations have the right to review the students’ answer papers
after the papers have been scored and the students’ grades recorded in their permanent records.
Answer papers should be reviewed in the presence of the principal, or his or her designee, to ensure that
the answer papers are not changed as they are being reviewed. Schools may provide copies of answer
papers to students and their parents, on request. If a student’s answer paper has been sent to the
Department, the principal should contact OSA and the paper will be returned to the school.
Occasionally, a student or student’s parent may question the accuracy of the local rating of an answer
paper. When this occurs and cannot be resolved at the school or district level, the superintendent of a
public school district or the chief administrative officer of a religious, independent, or charter school may
arrange for the paper to be reviewed, for advisory purposes, by teachers from a neighboring school or
district, as obtaining feedback from neighboring teachers should help to quickly resolve any question
about the accuracy of the score. If the superintendent or chief administrative officer makes a
determination to correct the student’s score based on the feedback received, he or she must provide
written notification to the Department. (See Finality of Examination Scores on page 24 in Section Three
of this manual.)
Only when, in the superintendent’s or chief administrative officer’s judgment, such additional review has
failed to resolve the rating of the answer paper, the superintendent or chief administrative officer of the
district or school where scoring took place may send the answer paper to OSA for further review. When
Department content specialists’ time permits, the answer paper will be re-rated, for advisory purposes,
and returned to the school, showing both the local rating and the Department rating. Answer papers will
be re-rated by the Department only at the request of a superintendent of a public school district or chief
administrative officer of a religious, independent, or charter school, and may take up to two months to
complete from the date of submission.
Department Review of State Examinations
The purpose of the Department review is to ensure that all schools are following the same procedures
and applying the same standards when rating Regents Examinations. Selected principals requesting
Regents Examinations will receive notice concerning Department review at the conclusion of each
Regents Examination period. This notice will indicate each subject for which the student answer papers
must be submitted via traceable mail to the Department.
Following each administration, a random sampling procedure is used, so that the subjects selected will
vary from school to school and from year to year. The principal of each school is sent a “Notice of
Review” for each subject for which answer papers must be promptly returned to the Department,
unless the notice specifies an alternate address to which the papers must be shipped. If the examination
requires the use of scannable answer sheets, submit them to the Department after they have been
scanned by the RIC or large-city scanning center. The procedures below should be followed when
returning answer papers:
1. Package papers for each subject separately.
2. Complete a “Notice of Review” form for each subject and attach it to the package of answer
papers for that subject.
3. Do not submit papers for review for any subject other than those indicated on the form.
When the answer papers from a school are received by the Department, a sample of the papers
submitted for each examination is selected for Department review. Experienced classroom teachers,
under the supervision of Department staff, review these papers. The Department re-rating may confirm
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the local scoring of all questions on an examination or, at times, may focus on the scoring of specific
types of questions such as multiple choice or essays.
After the Department rating is completed, all answer papers submitted are returned to the schools, along
with a Department review report. These papers must be retained in school files for at least one year. The
Department review report shows the mean of the total raw score for parts of the test as scored by
the school and by Department raters for the sampling of the school’s papers that were reviewed. It also
shows the frequency and degree of discrepancy between the school scores and Department scores for
parts of the test, for the total constructed-response score, and for the scale score. In addition, the report
may show the mean total constructed-response scores and the mean scale scores for the sampling of
the school’s papers that were reviewed.
The principal is expected to carefully review the report with the appropriate staff and to implement
appropriate changes in school procedures for rating future examination administrations, including the
training of raters, if there were significant discrepancies between the school scores and the Department
scores.
When an examination whose answer papers have an excessive number of rating discrepancies is next
administered in a school, the school may again be required to submit answer papers for Department
review, to determine whether or not the school’s modified rating procedures have reduced the number of
rating discrepancies. If the discrepancy rate is still excessive, the school may be required to adopt other
corrective procedures, such as scoring its answer papers for an examination subject with a consortium of
teachers from other schools or districts.
When a pattern of discrepancies is identified that leads to a Department determination of suspected or
corroborated fraud, such as score tampering; or disregard of the required scoring procedures, rubrics,
rating guides, or scoring keys, the school or district in question may be required to submit original answer
papers to the Department or other authority (e.g., BOCES or District Superintendent) while arrangements
are made for third party scoring.
Principals or teachers with any questions about rating standards or procedures followed by the
Department reviewers may direct such questions to OSA.
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SECTION SIX
AWARDING OF CREDIT AND
ISSUANCE OF REGENTS DIPLOMAS
Awarding of Credit for Courses of Study
A course of study involves class attendance, homework assignments, quizzes, tests, and other
instructional activities. In many instances, it also involves the taking of a State examination at the end of
the course. When deciding whether a student who is enrolled in a course of study has satisfactorily
completed the course and is entitled to credit for said course, the teacher should evaluate the student’s
performance on all of these activities. In accordance with Section 100.5(a)(5)(v) of the
Regulations of the
Commissioner of Education, passing the Regents Examination in a subject shall not be construed as
having earned a unit of credit in that subject unless the student also passes the course as offered in a
registered high school or meets the requirements for credit by examination. (See section below, Students
Not Enrolled in Courses of Study.)
Students Not Enrolled in Courses of Study
In accordance with Section 100.5(d)(1) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, a student
may earn up to a maximum of 6½ units of credit without completing the units of study requirement. In
order to earn credit by examination, the student must satisfy each of the criteria listed below:
1. Based on the student’s academic performance, the superintendent of a school district or the chief
administrative officer of a religious, independent, or charter school, or his or her designee, must
determine that the student will benefit academically by exercising this alternative.
2. The student must pass an oral examination or successfully complete a special project to
demonstrate proficiency, as determined by the principal, in the subject area.
3. The student must achieve a score of at least 85 on the applicable Regents Examination.
4. The student must attend school, or have received substantially equivalent instruction elsewhere,
in accordance with Section 3204(2) of the Education Law, until the age of sixteen, pursuant to
Sections 3204 and 3205 of the Education Law.
Issuance of Regents Diplomas by Schools
A Regents diploma may be awarded in recognition of a student’s passing with a score of 65 or higher on
the Regents Examinations specified by the Board of Regents. Eligibility for the Regents diploma
endorsement will be determined by the principal on the basis of the student’s record. The following is a
sample Regents endorsement:
Diploma issued with the endorsement of the
BOARD OF REGENTS
on the basis of successful completion of
Regents Examinations
Most companies that print high school diplomas provide seals indicating Regents endorsement that may
be affixed to the diplomas of eligible students. Schools may issue, if they prefer, a separate Regents-
endorsed diploma. Regents diploma blanks are furnished by the Department to registered high schools
that request them as part of their online examination request for January or June Regents Examinations.
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School Administrator’s Manual 2019 New York State Education Department
Section Three: Rating Examination Papers Office of State Assessment
2019 Edition
School Administrator’s Manual
Regents Examinations
