June 2007
TO: Principals of Public and Nonpublic Schools
FROM: Thomas J. Schoeck 
SUBJECT: Administration of the June 2007 Regents Examinations,
Regents Competency
Tests, and Proficiency Examinations
IMPORTANT: Test booklets
for the June Regents Examination period will be shipped so as to arrive at
schools (or approved storage locations) between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on June
11 or June 12. See “Shipment of Examination Materials” below for further
information.
This memorandum provides essential information about the
administration of the June examinations. In
addition, all persons coordinating the administration of the June 2007
examinations should be familiar with the publication Regents Examinations, Regents Competency Tests, and Proficiency
Examinations: School
Administrator’s Manual, 2001 Edition.
This manual is available on the Department’s web site at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/hsinfogen/hsinfogenarch/sam2001.pdf.
Also enclosed with this memorandum, which has been posted
on the Department’s web site, are the list of regional centers, a memorandum
regarding the content of each June examination, and the schedules for the June
2007 and August 2007 examination periods.
SHIPMENT OF EXAMINATION MATERIALS
Testing materials are
delivered to schools in several shipments, depending on the examinations
requested. The performance test (Part One) of the Second Language Proficiency
Examinations (SLPs) and of the Comprehensive Regents Examinations in languages
other than English have already been shipped to schools that requested those
examinations.
Nonsecure materials for the June examinations are
shipped to schools in cardboard cartons and/or padded mailers and were
delivered in May. This shipment included student identification sheets and
answer pads for the Regents Competency Test (RCT) in Writing;
answer sheets for all other RCTs; answer
booklets for the Regents Examinations in English, social studies, and languages
other than English; Earth Science
Performance Test materials; science reference tables; directions for
administering and scoring all examinations; and Regents diplomas.
The final shipment, comprising secure materials for
June examinations, will be delivered in locked Regents boxes to arrive at
schools or approved storage locations between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on June
11 or
June 12. Please be sure that someone in your school or approved storage
location is available during those hours to accept the examination shipment.
Should any problems occur in connection with the delivery of examination
materials, please call this office at 518-474-8220 or 474-5902
immediately.
All
packages containing secure examination materials for your school will be shipped
via UPS and will be delivered between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on
either or both of the dates indicated on the previous page.
The locked plastic sliding-lid Regents boxes will be
secured with two locks and a plastic crimp. Padlock keys are mailed to the principal
and should arrive no later than June 11. Please call the Test Distribution
Unit
at 518-474-5914 if padlock keys have not been received by 12:00 noon on that
date.
CHECKING THE EXAMINATION SHIPMENT
Enclosed
in each delivery is a shipping notice listing the materials included. As soon
as you receive the Regents box(es), use the shipping notice and your School
Record of Examinations Requested to ensure that all appropriate examination
materials have been received for each subject. Under no circumstances may the
sealed packages of secure examination materials be opened during this
inventory. The number of test booklets contained in each of the sealed packages
is indicated below.
·
English editions of Regents Examinations, Second
Language Proficiency Examinations, and RCTs in
·
Spanish editions of the Regents Examinations in
Mathematics A, Living Environment, Physical Setting/Earth Science, Global
History and Geography, and
·
Braille and large-type editions, and translations
(other than Spanish) of Regents Examinations: The exact quantity requested will be shipped to the
school.
·
Restricted editions — The RCTs in Global Studies,
United States History and Government, Mathematics, and Science; the alternative
language editions of these RCTs; and the braille editions of all RCTs except
Reading and Writing: Each test
booklet is numbered and sealed in a separate envelope. Exact quantities
requested are shipped to the school.
EMERGENCY SUPPLIES OF EXAMINATION MATERIALS
If your school’s
shipment does not include all the materials needed, additional materials must
be obtained from a nearby regional center. The regional center must be
contacted immediately to ensure that a sufficient supply of examination
materials will be available when your representative arrives. A list of
regional centers is enclosed with this memorandum and posted on the
Department’s web site. Supplies will be available at regional centers of all
examination materials other than: the
Native Language Writing Test (NLWT) and braille, large-type, and alternative
language editions of all examinations. If you require an emergency supply of
materials that are not available at
the regional centers or if you require more than 25 booklets of an examination
that is available at the regional center, please send a fax to the Office of
State Assessment
at 518-474-2021.
Examination materials are available at the
regional centers only on the day of the 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
will not be released by regional centers until after the Uniform Statewide
Admission Deadlines (10:00 a.m. for morning examinations, 2:00 p.m. for
afternoon examinations). Subject to these limitations, materials may be picked
up at regional centers
between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
In order to obtain examination materials at a
regional center, an individual must present a letter of authorization written
on his/her school’s 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.
SAFEGUARDING
EXAMINATION MATERIALS
The
principal of each school requesting examinations must make the necessary
arrangements to safeguard the materials requested for the school. Upon
delivery, the locked Regents boxes must immediately be placed in the
Department-approved safe or vault at the storage location designated by the
school. Examination materials may be removed from locked Regents boxes only for
inventory and for administration of the examinations on the scheduled date.
If
the locked Regents boxes containing a school’s shipment of secure examination
materials are found to be too large for the approved storage location, the
principal who requested the examinations must contact this office immediately
at 518-474-8220 or 474-5902 to make arrangements for storage of the boxes in an
alternative approved location.
The Regents box keys and the combination or key to the
safe or vault must be maintained under strict security conditions to preclude
access to examinations by students and other unauthorized persons. When the
safe or vault where the Regents boxes are stored is unlocked, it must be kept
under continuous supervision by school personnel. Additionally, the locked
Regents boxes 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 their contents remain secure.
The
sealed packages containing examination booklets and teacher dictation copies
must not be opened until the day each examination is scheduled to be
administered, and no earlier than is necessary for distribution to proctors.
Scoring key packages must be kept secure and may not be opened until after the
Uniform Statewide Admission Deadlines of 10:00 a.m. for morning examinations
and 2:00 p.m.
for afternoon examinations. The principal must notify the Department by fax to
518-474-2021 if any of the packages of
secure examination materials were not sealed properly when received.
Department personnel will make unannounced visits to
some schools after the examination materials have been delivered in order to
verify that they are being properly stored. If a violation of storage
procedures is found, all examination materials will immediately be removed from
the school and transferred to a location designated by the Department. The
school principal will have to arrange to pick up examination materials from
that location each morning and afternoon during the Regents Examination period
and to pick up scoring keys after the morning and afternoon Uniform Statewide
Admission Deadlines on the appropriate days. The school will then be required
to store all examination materials at a location designated by the Department
for a period of at least one year. In addition, the Department may rescind the
school’s authorization to administer examinations.
Following
the examination period, the principal must return to the Department the
completed Examination Storage Certificate and Deputy and Proctor Certificate
(included in the shipment of secure materials).
ADMINISTERING AND
SCORING EXAMINATIONS
The
general administration procedures for secondary-level examinations are provided
in the School Administrator’s Manual.
Specific directions for administering regular and restricted examinations were
included in the shipment of nonsecure examination materials. These materials
must be distributed to teachers before the examination date in order to give
them time to become familiar with the instructions.
Schools
will receive no more than eight scoring keys for each State examination.
Scoring keys and rating guides, where applicable, for the restricted RCTs in
Mathematics, Science, Global Studies, and United States History and Government
may not under any circumstances be photocopied or reproduced in any way. Should
the necessity arise, all other scoring materials may be photocopied, but only
after the Uniform Statewide Admission Deadline for the corresponding
examination.
· Regents Examinations. The same scoring
materials are provided to score the regular English editions and the
alternative language and braille editions.
· RCT in Mathematics. Two scoring keys are
provided: one for the English edition, the second for the alternative language
and braille editions.
· RCT in Science. Three scoring keys are
provided: one for the English edition, one for the alternative language
editions, and one for the braille edition.
· RCT in
· RCT in Writing. The same
scoring key is provided for the regular English edition and for the braille
edition.
· RCT in Global Studies. One set of scoring
materials is provided for all editions: the semi‑transparent overlay for
the Part One multiple-choice questions, and the sequentially numbered
restricted rating guide for the Part Two essays.
·
RCT in
REPORTING ADMINISTRATION AND SCORING IRREGULARITIES
TO THE DEPARTMENT
The
building 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. In addition, the
principal must report the following events in writing to the Office of State
Assessment:
· All student infractions of the Department’s
policy prohibiting the use of cell phones and other communications devices
during State examinations.
· All confirmed cases of students having
committed fraud on State examinations.
·
All interruptions of testing sessions
including those caused by power outages or fire alarms.
· All suspected or confirmed cases of teachers,
administrators, or paraprofessionals giving aid to students during a State
examination or altering student responses on an examination paper.
· All instances in which a State examination is
administered without Department authorization at a time outside 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 a school official does
not adhere to the Department policy concerning the finality of examination
scores as determined by the teacher scoring committees. This policy is explained
in the Directions for Administering
Regents Examinations, June and August
Administrations under the heading “Rating Examination Papers” on pages 12
through 14.
· All cases in which a school official or staff
member alters or otherwise misrepresents a student’s earned examination score
during scoring, recording, or reporting.
· All cases in which
student answer papers are lost prior to either the scoring of the papers or
recording of the scores in students’ permanent records.
Principals must report all such occurrences in writing by
fax to 518-474-1989 or via e-mail to emscassessinfo@mail.nysed.gov.
More
complete information on strategies for avoiding the occurrences listed above
and for addressing them should they occur may be found in the School
Administrator’s Manual and in the Directions for Administering Regents
Examinations.
TESTING
ACCOMMODATIONS
Students with Disabilities
Principals
must ensure that students with disabilities are provided the testing accommodations
specified in their Individualized Education Programs or Section 504
Accommodation Plans when they take State examinations. Under certain
conditions, special examination arrangements may be made for general education
students taking State examinations. The guidelines to be followed in such
circumstances are provided on page 16 of the School Administrator’s Manual.
Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) Students
Schools may provide
the following testing accommodations to LEP students:
·
Time
Extension:
Schools may extend the test time for LEP students. 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 LEP students. Principals should consult with each student’s classroom
teacher in making these determinations.
·
Separate
Location: Schools are encouraged to provide optimal
testing environments and facilities for all students. Schools may administer
State examinations to LEP students individually or in small groups in a
separate location.
·
Third
·
Bilingual
Dictionaries and Glossaries: LEP students may use
bilingual dictionaries and glossaries when taking State examinations in all
subjects except languages other than English. 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
those Regents Examinations for which the Department provides direct written
translations, LEP students 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 document. (Note: the alternative language editions of RCTs provided by
the Department are not direct translations of the English editions being
administered during the same examination period and therefore may not
be used simultaneously with an English edition.)
·
Oral
Translation for Lower Incidence Languages: Schools may
provide LEP students with an oral translation of a State examination when there
is no translated edition provided by the Department. This accommodation is
permitted for State examinations in all subjects except English language
arts and languages other than 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 edition of the tests one hour prior to administration.
The Department’s Office of Bilingual Education and Foreign Language Studies and
the Bilingual/ESL Technical Assistance Centers (BETACs) can assist schools in
locating suitable translators.
·
Writing
Responses in the Native Language: LEP students making
use of alternative language editions or of oral translations of State
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 Foreign Language Studies
and the BETACs can assist schools in locating persons who can translate the
students’ responses into English to facilitate scoring of the answer papers.
DEPARTMENT REVIEW
Selected principals requesting examinations will receive notice concerning Department review by the end of the June Regents Examination period. This notice will indicate each subject for which answer papers must be submitted via traceable mail to the Department. All answer papers not requested must remain on file in the school for one year. Schools asked to submit answer papers for the Regents Examinations in English or Mathematics A should produce and retain in the school photocopies of answer papers for all students scoring below 65 on these examinations. These photocopies will be needed by the school to determine which component(s) the student may be eligible for in the Spring 2008 Component Retesting.
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 testing room. 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 on the students’ permanent records.
When answer papers are scored in cooperation with another school, they may be
transported to the cooperating school for such scoring. It remains the
principal’s responsibility to ensure the security of such 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 this office. This report must include (1) a description of the loss or
disappearance, including a list of all students whose papers are missing; (2)
the examination title and administration date; (3) the likely cause of the loss
or disappearance; and (4) what steps will be taken to prevent a similar
occurrence in the future.
MATERIALS
RETURNED IN THE REGENTS BOXES
The
materials that must be returned to the Department in the Regents boxes are
listed on page 22 of the School Administrator’s
Manual. Please combine all materials to be returned to the Department in
one Regents box whenever possible.
Return
all Regents boxes no later than July 16. Please check all storage locations for
any boxes remaining from previous examination periods and return those boxes as
well. Each school must pay for the return shipment of its own Regents boxes;
the boxes may not be returned collect. The boxes may be returned by UPS or any
other carrier. Regardless of the carrier, 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
delivery.
ONLINE
SUBMISSION OF TEACHER EVALUATIONS OF EXAMINATIONS
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.
Instructions for completing the evaluation form are as follows:
1.
Go to www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/exameval.
2.
Select the
examination title.
3.
Complete the
required demographic fields.
4.
Complete each
evaluation question and provide comments in the space provided.
5.
Click the SUBMIT
button at the bottom of the page to submit the completed form.