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THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

                 Jean C. Stevens, Interim Deputy Commissioner
                                Office for Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education
                                Room 875 EBA                                                            (518) 474-5915 

March 2007                                                              

TO:              District Superintendents

                    Superintendents of Public and Nonpublic Schools

                    Principals of Public and Nonpublic Schools

FROM:         Jean C. Stevens

SUBJECT:    The Use of Calculators in Commencement Level Mathematics

In March 2005, the Board of Regents adopted a new Learning Standard for Mathematics and issued a new Mathematics Core Curriculum.  The Core Curriculum sets forth the State’s expectations of what students should know and be able to do in each of Grades Pre-kindergarten through 8, as well as in the three Regents-approved commencement-level mathematics courses, Integrated Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2/ Trigonometry. This document is particularly important to local curriculum developers in that it guides district and school efforts in producing a standards-based Pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 curriculum with rigorous instructional practices and materials to help all students achieve.

As schools prepare for the changes in mathematics, a continuing theme has been the use of educational technologies for improved student achievement and as a powerful student motivator.  Calculators are instrumental as an investigative tool in the teaching and learning of mathematics to enhance students’ conceptual understanding.  The graphing calculator should be used for all types of classroom activities and homework as an integral part of the three Regents-approved commencement level mathematics courses, Integrated Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2/Trigonometry.  A graphing calculator must be made available for use by each student while taking the corresponding Regents Examination.

The first administration of the Regents Examination in Integrated Algebra is scheduled for June 2008, Geometry in June 2009, and Algebra 2/Trigonometry in June 2010.  For additional information on the implementation timeline for Regents Examinations in mathematics and acceptable capabilities of graphing calculators that schools must provide for student use, access the Department’s Mathematics Curriculum web site, http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/math.html.  

If you have any questions regarding the use of graphing calculators, please contact the Curriculum, Instruction and Instructional Technology Team via
e-mail to emscurric@mail.nysed.gov, or the Office of State Assessment via e-mail to emscassessinfo@mail.nysed.gov.