January 2007 Regents Examinations and Regents Competency Tests

THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 89 Washington Avenue Room 775 EBA Albany, NY 12234

Office of Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education

Steven E. Katz, Director of State Assessment Office for Standards, Assessment and Reporting

518-474-5900 518-486-5765 (fax)

January 2007

TO: Principals of Public and Nonpublic Secondary Schools

FROM: Steven E. Katz

SUBJECT: January 2007 Regents Examinations and Regents Competency Tests

This memorandum provides information concerning the format, content, and credit allotment of the Regents Examinations and the Regents Competency Tests to be held in January 2007. Please make the information for each subject area available immediately to the teachers who will be administering these examinations.

The publication, Regents Examinations, Regents Competency Tests, and Proficiency Examinations: School Administrator’s Manual, 2001 Edition, contains the general procedures to follow in administering these examinations. This manual is available on the Department’s web site at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/hsinfogen/hsinfogenarch/sam2001.pdf.

Included in the shipment of nonsecure materials are four Information Booklets pertinent to the scoring of the Regents Examinations administered in January. These booklets address the scoring of Regents Examinations in the following content areas: English, Mathematics A and B, the Sciences, Global History and Geography, and United States History and Government. The package of nonsecure test materials that will be shipped to school principals for the January examination period will include two copies of each of these four publications. School administrators should photocopy these booklets and distribute copies to school personnel who will be involved in the scoring of these examinations.

A separate booklet, Directions for Administering Regents Examinations, January Administration, contains specific instructions for administering each Regents Examination. Each Regents Competency Test also has separate detailed directions for its administration and scoring. All persons involved in administering the January 2007 examinations must read these specific directions prior to the examination. Copies of these directions are included in the shipment of nonsecure examination materials.

Thank you for your cooperation.

IMPORTANT: When student papers for any State examination are scored in cooperation with another school, answer papers may be transported to the cooperating school. It remains the principal’s responsibility to ensure the security of such papers while they are out of the building.

DET 563 Ja (1-07)

PLEASE NOTE: The Following Policy is in Effect for All Secondary-Level State Examinations.

Use of Communications Devices

At the beginning of each test administration, proctors must read the following statement to all students taking secondary-level State examinations:

You may not use any communications device while taking a State examination, either in the room where the test is being administered or while on a supervised break (such as a bathroom visit). Such devices include, but are not limited to, cellular telephones, pagers, CD and audiocassette players, radios, MP3 players, Personal Digital Assistants, video devices, and associated headphones, headsets, microphones, or earplugs.

If your cell phone rings or vibrates, you may not answer it. If your pager beeps or vibrates, you may not look at it. You must therefore turn these and other such devices OFF right now and secure them underneath your desk [or in the location specified by the principal]. Your examination will be invalidated and no score will be calculated for you if you use any such device or related communications technology or if you wear headphones while in the testing room.

For Principals and Proctors:

Any student observed to be using any communications device while taking a State examination must be directed to turn it off and put the device away 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 was using a communications device during the test administration, the student’s test must be invalidated. No score may be calculated for that student.

The incident must be reported in writing to the Office of State Assessment, as is the case for all testing irregularities, misadministrations, or other violations of State testing policy and procedures.

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 Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Accommodation Plan (504 Plan). If not, the general policy on communications devices as provided above is in effect, and the school may not allow the use of any such equipment.

ENGLISH

Regents Comprehensive Examination in English

The January 2007 Regents Comprehensive Examination in English is similar in format to the examination administered in June 2006. The examination will be administered in two 3-hour sessions on separate days. To complete the examination, students must attend both sessions. Session One includes a listening comprehension part. School administrators should take this factor into consideration when making plans for the examination administration. Distribute the directions for administering this part, printed on blue paper, to the proctors one hour before the scheduled starting time so that proctors will have sufficient time to become familiar with the dictation materials prior to the start of Session One of the examination.

Session One has two parts. For Part A, students are to listen to a speech, answer 6 multiple-choice questions, and use information from the speech to write a response for a specific purpose and audience. For Part B, students are to answer 10 multiple-choice questions based on text and material presented in a graphic form (e.g., chart, table, illustration) and use information from both to write a response for a specific purpose and audience.

Session Two has two parts. For Part A, students are to answer 10 multiple-choice questions based on two literary texts and then write an essay discussing a controlling idea and the authors’ use of literary elements and techniques. For Part B, students are to interpret a statement provided to them about some aspect of literature and write an essay using two works they have read to support their interpretation of the statement.

The following tables show the types of questions and the credit allotment for each part of the examination.

Regents Comprehensive Examination in English Session One

Part	Question Type	Question Numbers	Raw-Score Credits Attainable for Each Question	Total Number of Raw-Score Credits
	multiple choice	1–6	0 or 1	6
I A	essay	Part A	0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, or 6.0	6
	multiple choice	7–16	0 or 1	10
I B	essay	Part B	0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, or 6.0	6

Regents Comprehensive Examination in English Session Two

Part	Question Type	Question Numbers	Raw-Score Credits Attainable for Each Question	Total Number of Raw-Score Credits
	multiple choice	1–10	0 or 1	10
II A	essay	Part A	0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, or 6.0	6
II B	essay	Part B	0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, or 6.0	6

Before allowing students to begin each session of the examination, have them check the cover of the examination booklet to be sure it has the correct title, date, and time.

A scoring key for each session contains the answers to the multiple-choice questions, scoring rubrics for each part, annotated anchor papers for each score level for each written response, and prescored practice papers. A chart for converting students’ raw scores to scaled scores will be provided on the Department’s web site at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa. The scaled score is the student’s final examination score. Because the scaled scores corresponding to raw scores change from one administration to another, it is crucial that scorers use only the conversion chart provided for the January 2007 administration to determine the student’s final score.

The Information Booklet for Scoring the Regents Comprehensive Examination in English provides further information about the scoring of this examination. This booklet is provided to each school in the shipment of nonsecure test materials and is available on the Department’s web site at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/hseng.html. This booklet includes detailed procedures for training scorers, resolving discrepant scores, and managing the logistics of the scoring process. School administrators should provide a copy of this booklet to all school personnel involved in coordinating the scoring of the Regents Comprehensive Examination in English prior to the date of Session One of the examination.

Suggestions and feedback from teachers provide an important contribution to the test development process. The Department provides an online evaluation form for State assessments. It contains spaces for teachers to respond to several specific questions and to make suggestions. This form is posted at www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/exameval.

Regents Competency Test in Reading

The January 2007 Regents Competency Test in Reading is similar in format to the test administered in June 2006. It uses the Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) test methodology to measure a student’s ability to understand written material. It contains a total of 10 nonfiction prose passages and 70 multiple-choice test items, numbered 1–70. Each test item has five choices, labeled a, b, c, d, and e.

Before allowing students to begin the test, have them check the cover of the test booklet to be sure it has the correct title, date, and time.

A student’s raw score on the test is the total number of items that the student answers correctly. The student must obtain a raw score of 47 in order to pass the January 2007 test. The passing score is printed on the scoring key.

The shipment of nonsecure test materials provided to each school includes special directions for administering and scoring the Regents Competency Test in Reading. Each person involved in the administration of the examination should become thoroughly familiar with these special directions prior to the date of administration.

Regents Competency Test in Writing

The January 2007 Regents Competency Test in Writing is similar in format to the test administered in June 2006. It is designed as a direct measure of a student’s ability to organize and present ideas in written form. The tasks are set in a context that is related to the experience of students and that clearly indicates the purpose for the piece of writing and the specific audience for whom the piece is intended.

The test consists of three separate writing tasks: a business letter of complaint, a report based on information provided, and a composition. The Part III composition may be expository, narrative, descriptive, or persuasive in purpose. Teachers should keep in mind, however, that rarely are tasks purely of a single type. For example, a task might require students to describe an object and then explain something significant about it or narrate an incident related to it. Whatever the purpose(s) of the task, information provided to the students makes clear what is expected.

Each of the three tasks requires a relatively brief piece of writing, about 100–200 words. For each task, students are directed to prepare a first draft and then to edit and revise the draft before producing their final response. Students are to write their final responses on special answer paper provided by the Department.

Before allowing students to begin the test, have them check the cover of the test booklet to be sure it has the correct title, date, and time.

The rating guide, printed on yellow paper, contains a detailed outline of the procedure to follow in rating the students’ answer papers. It also contains criteria for rating each of the three writing tasks. The criteria for the letter and the report remain the same for all administrations of the test; the criteria for the composition are task-specific for each new administration.

The shipment of nonsecure test materials to the school includes copies of the detailed directions for administering and scoring the Regents Competency Test in Writing. These directions, printed on white paper, contain specific instructions that the proctors who administer the test are to read to the students verbatim.

Please direct questions concerning examinations in English to Karen Kolanowski or Marguerite Pileggi in the Office of State Assessment at 518-474-5912.

LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH

Regents Comprehensive Examinations

The January 2007 Regents Comprehensive Examinations in languages other than English are offered in French and Spanish only. The January 2007 examinations are similar in format to the examinations administered in June 2006. However, the examination in French is provided in restricted form.

For the Regents Comprehensive Examination in French, the restricted examination booklet for each student is enclosed in a sealed envelope. Only students taking the examination may open an envelope and read the questions. Each Teacher Dictation Copy for Part 2 is enclosed in a sealed envelope. The teacher administering the examination may open the envelope one hour before the scheduled starting time in order to become familiar with the material. Each copy of the scoring key is also enclosed in a sealed envelope. Only teachers rating Parts 2 through 4 may open an envelope and read the scoring key. Each copy of the examination booklet, Teacher Dictation Copy, and scoring key is numbered, and all copies of these materials must be returned to the Department, along with all student answer booklets. Copies of the Regents Comprehensive Examination in French, Restricted Edition, Directions for Administering and Scoring, January Administration are provided to schools in the shipment of nonsecure examination materials. Each person involved in the administration of the examination must carefully read these directions prior to the examination administration.

The Regents Comprehensive Examinations in French and Spanish consist of two tests: a speaking test (Part 1) and a written test (Parts 2 through 4). The speaking test should be administered at the school’s convenience during the speaking-test period, which begins 10 weeks prior to the written test and ends five calendar days prior to the written test. Students earn a maximum of 24 raw-score credits on Part 1. Student scores for the speaking test must be reported to the principal no later than January 19, 2007. To indicate that this was done, the school principal should sign and date the report of speaking-test scores when it is submitted to his or her office. The Regents Comprehensive Examinations in Modern Languages, Teacher’s Manual for Administering and Scoring Part 1: Speaking includes a sample form for reporting student scores. The publication is sent to schools ordering these examinations.

Part 2 of the examinations measures listening comprehension and requires teacher dictation. School administrators should take this factor into consideration when making plans for the administration of the examinations. Distribute the Teacher Dictation Copy, which is printed on blue paper, to proctors one hour before the scheduled starting time so that they will have sufficient time to become familiar with the dictation material prior to the examinations.

Students must write their responses to Parts 2 through 4 of the Regents Comprehensive Examinations in French and Spanish in the separate answer booklets provided to schools in the shipment of nonsecure examination materials.

Before allowing students to begin either of these examinations, have them check the cover of the examination booklet to be sure it has the correct title, date, and time.

The table on the next page shows the types of questions and the credit allotment for each part of the examinations.

Regents Comprehensive Examinations in Modern Languages (French and Spanish)

Speaking Test Part	Question Type	Question Numbers	Credits Attainable for Each Question	Total Number of Raw-Score Credits
1	open ended	First Task: 1–6 Second Task: 1–6	0, 1, or 2	24
Written Test Part	Question Type	Question Numbers	Credits Attainable for Each Question	Total Number of Raw-Score Credits
2	multiple choice	1–15	0 or 2	30
3	multiple choice	16–30	0 or 2	30
4	open ended	31–33*	0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8	16
	TOTAL	—	—	100

*In Part 4, students select two of the three questions to answer.

For the Regents Comprehensive Examinations in French and Spanish, it is recommended that all student answer papers that receive a final score of 62 through 68 be scored by two teachers. For the second scoring of each of these examinations, a different committee of teachers may score the student’s paper or the original committee may score the paper. However, no teacher may score the same open-ended questions that he or she scored in the first rating of the paper. It is the responsibility of the school principal to ensure that the student’s final examination score is based on a fair, accurate, and reliable scoring of the student’s answer paper.

Please direct questions concerning the Regents Comprehensive Examinations in French and Spanish to Ron Dygert at 518-474-5912.

MATHEMATICS

Regents Examinations in Mathematics A and Mathematics B

Prior to the dates of the examinations, schools should provide all school personnel involved in the scoring of these examinations with a copy of the Information Booklet for Scoring Regents Examinations in Mathematics A and Mathematics B. This publication includes a supplement to the Guide for Rating Regents Examinations in Mathematics (1996 edition).

Schools must make scientific or graphing calculators available for use by all students—including general education students and those with disabilities—while they take the Mathematics A Regents Examination. Since students are not permitted to use trigonometric and logarithmic reference tables during this examination, scientific calculators must have these features. A graphing calculator is permitted but not required for the Mathematics A Examination. A graphing calculator must be available for use by each student while taking the Mathematics B Examination. The memory of any calculator with programming capability must be cleared, reset, or disabled when students enter the testing room. If the memory of a student’s calculator is password-protected and cannot be cleared, the calculator must not be used. No students may use calculators that are capable of symbol manipulation or that can communicate with other calculators through infrared sensors, nor may students use operating manuals, instruction or formula cards, or other information concerning the operation of calculators during the examinations.

Schools must be sure that each student has a straightedge (ruler) and a compass while taking the Mathematics A or Mathematics B Examination.

Students should write their Part I answers on the detachable answer sheet, which is printed as the last page of the examination booklet. They should write their answers to questions in Parts II, III, and IV in the examination booklet. Students must clearly indicate the necessary steps, including appropriate formula substitutions, diagrams, graphs, charts, etc., they used in arriving at their answers to questions in Parts II, III, and IV.

Scrap paper is not permitted. Students may use the blank spaces and the page of graph paper included in the examination booklet as scrap paper. Schools should have a supply of graph paper available for students who request it in the event that they need to change their work on graphs.

Students should write all work in pen except for graphs and drawings, which should be done in pencil.

Before allowing students to begin either of these examinations, have them check the cover of the test booklet to be sure it has the correct title, date, and time.

The January 2007 Regents Examination in Mathematics A is similar in format to the examination administered in June 2006. The examination has four parts, with a total of 39 questions. Students must answer all 39 questions. The following table shows the types of questions and the credit allotment for each part of the examination.

Mathematics A

Part	Question Type	Question Numbers	Raw-Score Credits Attainable for Each Question	Total Number of Raw-Score Credits
I	multiple choice	1–30	0 or 2	60
II	open ended	31–35	0, 1, or 2	10
III	open ended	36–37	0, 1, 2, or 3	6
IV	open ended	38–39	0, 1, 2, 3, or 4	8
	TOTAL	—	—	84

The January 2007 Regents Examination in Mathematics B is similar in format to the examination administered in June 2006. The examination has four parts, with a total of 34 questions. Students must answer all 34 questions. The following table shows the types of questions and the credit allotment for each part of the examination.

Mathematics B

Part	Question Type	Question Numbers	Raw-Score Credits Attainable for Each Question	Total Number of Raw-Score Credits
I	multiple choice	1–20	0 or 2	40
II	open ended	21–26	0, 1, or 2	12
III	open ended	27–32	0, 1, 2, 3, or 4	24
IV	open ended	33–34	0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6	12
	TOTAL	—	—	88

The Department provides a scoring key and rating guide for each administration that includes answers to the Part I multiple-choice questions and rubrics for scoring the open-ended questions. A chart for converting the student’s total-test raw score to a scaled score will be provided on the Department’s web site at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa. The scaled score is the student’s final examination score. Because the scaled scores corresponding to raw scores change from one examination administration to another, it is crucial that scorers use only the conversion chart provided for the January 2007 administration to determine the student’s final score.

All student answer papers for the Mathematics A and Mathematics B Examinations that receive a scaled score of 60 through 64 must be scored a second time. In addition, the principal may also elect to have the scoring committee score a second time those answer papers that received a scaled score of 50 through 54, or all answer papers. For the second scoring of each of these examinations, a different committee of teachers may score the student’s paper or the original committee may score the paper. However, no teacher may score the same open-ended questions that he or she scored in the first rating of the paper. It is the responsibility of the school principal to ensure that the student’s final examination score is based on a fair, accurate, and reliable scoring of the student’s answer paper.

The Information Booklet for Scoring Regents Examinations in Mathematics A and Mathematics B provides further information about the scoring of these examinations. This booklet is provided to each school in the shipment of nonsecure test materials and is available on the Department’s web site at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/hsmath.html.

Regents Competency Test in Mathematics

The January 2007 Regents Competency Test in Mathematics is a restricted test. The test booklet for each student is enclosed in a sealed envelope. Only students taking the test may open an envelope. School personnel are not permitted to open an envelope containing a test booklet or to examine a test booklet for any reason other than to read the test to students with disabilities whose IEPs or 504 Plans call for this accommodation. Each copy of the test booklet is numbered, and all test booklets must be returned to the Department.

The January 2007 Regents Competency Test in Mathematics is based on the first seven units of the course described in the Department publication General High School Mathematics. The test is similar in format to the test administered in June 2006. It is divided into two parts and contains a total of 60 questions. Part A consists of 20 completion questions for which students are to provide the answer. Each of the questions in Part A is worth one raw-score credit. Part B consists of 40 multiple-choice questions for which students are to select the correct answer from among the four choices given. The choices are labeled 1, 2, 3, and 4. Each of the questions in Part B is worth one raw-score credit.

Please note that general education students taking this test may not use calculators. Students with disabilities may use calculators when taking this test only if the use of these devices is included as a testing accommodation in the student’s IEP or 504 Plan.

Before allowing students to begin this test, have them check the cover of the test booklet to be sure it has the correct title, date, and time.

The passing score for this test is a raw score (total number of correct answers) of 39.

Copies of the detailed directions for administering and scoring the restricted Regents Competency Test in Mathematics are included in the shipment of nonsecure test materials to the school.

Please direct questions concerning examinations in mathematics to Jacqueline Marcano at 518-474-5900.

SCIENCE

Regents Examination in Living Environment

The January 2007 Regents Examination in Living Environment is based on the Living Environment Core Curriculum. It is similar in format to the examination administered in June 2006. The examination has four parts, with a total of 76 questions. Students must answer all questions in all parts. Four-function or scientific calculators must be available to all students who wish to have them during the entire scheduled time for this examination. Students are not permitted to use graphing calculators when taking this examination. The following table shows the types of questions and credit allotment for each part of the January 2007 examination.

Living Environment

Part	Question Type	Question Numbers	Raw-Score Credits Attainable for Each Question	Total Number of Raw-Score Credits
A	multiple choice	1–30	0 or 1	30
B–1	multiple choice	31–40	0 or 1	10
B–2	1-credit open ended	41, 43–49, and 51–55	0 or 1	15
B–2	multiple choice	42 and 50	0 or 1	15
C	2-credit open ended	56 and 61–62	0, 1, or 2	17
	1-credit open ended	57–60 and 63–64	0 or 1
	5-credit open ended	65	0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5
D	1-credit open ended	66–69, 71–72, and 74–75	0 or 1	13
	multiple choice	70 and 76	0 or 1
	3-credit open ended	73	0, 1, 2, or 3
	TOTAL	—	—	85

Before allowing students to begin this examination, have them check the cover of the examination booklet to be sure it has the correct title, date, and time.

Students are to record their answers to Part A and Part B–1 on the detachable answer sheet printed as the last page of the examination booklet. For each question in Part A and Part B–1, students are to choose the word or expression that, of those given, best completes the statement or answers the question and write its number on the appropriate line on the answer sheet. The answers to the questions in Part B–2, Part C, and Part D are to be written in the test booklet.

A scoring key and rating guide that accompanies the examination includes the answers to the multiple-choice questions and rubrics for scoring each of the open-ended questions. A chart for converting the student’s total-test raw score to a scaled score will be provided on the Department’s web site at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa. The scaled score is the student’s final examination score. Because the scaled scores corresponding to raw scores change from one administration to another, it is crucial that scorers use only the conversion chart provided for the January 2007 examination to determine the student’s final score.

All student answer papers for the Regents Examination in Living Environment that receive a scaled score of 60 through 64 must be scored a second time. In addition, the principal may also elect to have the scoring committee score a second time those answer papers that received a scaled score of 50 through 54, or all answer papers. For the second scoring, a different committee of teachers may score the student’s paper or the original committee may score the paper. However, no teacher may score the same open-ended questions that he or she scored in the first rating of the paper. It is the responsibility of the school principal to ensure that the student’s final examination score is based on a fair, accurate, and reliable scoring of the student’s answer paper.

The Information Booklet for Scoring Regents Examinations in the Sciences provides further information about the scoring of this examination. This booklet is provided to each school in the shipment of nonsecure test materials and is available on the Department’s web site at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/hssci.html. Prior to the administration date, provide a copy of this publication to all school personnel involved in the scoring of this examination.

Please note the statement on page 17 of this memorandum regarding the laboratory requirement for Regents Examinations in science.

Regents Examination in Physical Setting/Chemistry

The January 2007 Regents Examination in Physical Setting/Chemistry is based on the Chemistry Core Curriculum. The examination has four parts, with a total of 83 questions. Students must answer all questions. The following table shows the types of questions and credit allotment for each part of the January 2007 examination.

Physical Setting/Chemistry

Part	Question Type	Question Numbers	Raw-Score Credits Attainable for Each Question	Total Number of Raw-Score Credits
A	multiple choice	1–30	0 or 1	30
B–1	multiple choice	31–50	0 or 1	20