Ep. 4: Examining the Regents
Regents exams have been an annual ritual for students across New York state for decades.
“I think that teachers feel constrained by what they have to teach... in order for students to be prepared for the exam. I think that could take away from the joy of learning.”
Denisse Merino reported this story as a senior at Leadership and Public Service High School in Manhattan.
By Denisse Merino
If you grew up in New York City, chances are you have heard of the Regents. The Regents are standardized exams that students across the State of New York have to pass in order to graduate and earn a diploma that’s recognized by the State Board of Regents.
Some words people I spoke to used to describe these exams: “A mess,” “stressful,” “Frankenstein” and “inequitable.” Today, there are Regents tests for ten core subjects, including U.S. History, English Language Arts and Chemistry. Most New York high school students must pass five of them in order to graduate.
“Not only is the Regents harder because of the subjects, but also because after COVID, learning hasn’t been the same.”
New York is one of only eight states that mandate high school exit exams. As so many other states are turning to alternative forms of assessing academic proficiency, why does New York still use these standardized tests as a graduation requirement? How should graduation readiness be evaluated?
To all our New Yorkers, get ready for an educational flashback that you probably hoped would stay in the past.
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