Earth Science

January 2001:

The January 2001 Regents examination in Earth science will have the same format as prior examinations based on the 1970 syllabus. The written portion of the examination will contain two parts: Part I will include 55 multiple-choice questions, all of which must be answered by the student, for a total of 55 credits; and Part II will include 10 groups of 5 multiple-choice questions each, of which 7 groups must be answered by the student, for a total of 35 credits. The content of the January 2001 examination will be based on the 1970 syllabus. This examination will also be appropriate for students who are studying the new Earth Science Core Curriculum.

The 2001 edition of the Earth Science Reference Tables should be used in classroom instruction beginning in September 2000 and will be required for the January 2001 Regents examination in Earth science. All copies of the 1994 edition of the Earth Science Reference Tables should be discarded.

Ten credits of the January 2001 Regents examination will be based on the 2001 edition of the Earth Science Performance Test, which is the 1994 edition of the Earth Science Performance Test with minor revisions. A description of the 2001 edition of the Earth Science Performance Test is provided in this memo. A student who is repeating the Regents examination in Earth science may use the performance test score obtained for the previous administration of the test or may retake the performance test. All copies of the 1994 edition of the Earth Science Performance Test must be securely destroyed and must not be shared with students.

There will be no local project credits given for the January 2001 examination.

June 2001:

The first Physical Setting/Earth Science Regents examination will be administered in June 2001. The examination will be based on the new Earth Science Core Curriculum. The written portion of the examination will include multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. (For more details, see the Physical Setting/Earth Science Regents Examination Test Sampler Draft sent to schools or access the draft on the web at www.nysed.gov under the topic Assessments.) The 2001 edition of the Earth Science Reference Tables will be required for the June 2001 Regents examination in Physical Setting/Earth science. 

The 2001 edition of the Earth Science Performance Test will be included as part of the Physical Setting/Earth Science examinations until further notice. A description of the 2001 edition of the Earth Science Performance Test is provided in this memo. A student who has previously taken the Regents examination in Earth science may use the performance test score obtained for the previous administration of the test or may retake the performance test.

There will be no local project credits given for the Regents examinations in Physical Setting/Earth Science.

2001 Edition of the Earth Science Performance Test:

Revisions to the 1994 edition of the Earth Science Performance Test include modifications to identification charts to accommodate the 2001 edition of the Earth Science Reference Tables, minor clarifications to directions, and revisions to scoring rubric directions (e.g., elimination of the requirement to answer in complete sentences). The total raw score credits is 23 and a conversion scale will be provided. Materials required for setting up the stations (e.g., beads, scratch plate, streak plate) and the general nature of the questions asked in the test will remain the same. Teachers are strongly encouraged to review this revised version of the performance test before administering or rating the test. All parts of the performance test are considered secure materials and must not be shared with students prior to the administration of the test.

All copies of the 1994 edition of the Earth Science Performance Tests must be securely destroyed and must not be shared with students.

Biology

January 2001:

The January 2001 Regents examination in biology is similar in format to prior examinations. It will be based on the 1984 syllabus and will include three parts: Part I will include 59 questions, all of which must be answered by the student; Part II will include 5 groups of 10 questions each, of which 2 groups must be answered by the student; and Part III will include 5 groups of 5 questions each, of which 3 groups must be answered by the student.

June 2001:

The June 2001 Regents examination in living environment will be based on the new Living Environment Core Curriculum and will include multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. (For more details, see the Living Environment Regents Examination Test Sampler Draft that will be sent to schools this fall.)