P-12

Prekindergarten through Grade 12 Education


Google Translate Disclaimer
To: District Superintendents
Superintendents of Public Schools
Principals of Public, Nonpublic and Charter Schools
From: John B. King, Jr.
Date: September 21, 2010
Subject: Intent to amend Commissioner's Regulations related to the elimination of the Second Language Proficiency Examinations (SLP), the Regents Comprehensive Examinations in German, Hebrew, and Latin, and the Grades 5 and 8 Social Studies Tests

At its June 2010 meeting, the Board of Regents approved several deficit-reducing actions that impacted the New York State assessment system. Given the decision to eliminate the Second Language Proficiency Examinations (SLP), the Regents Comprehensive Examinations in German, Hebrew, and Latin, and the Grades 5 and 8 Social Studies Tests, it is necessary to enact regulatory changes in order to preserve opportunities for our K-12 students.

Although the SLP Examinations have been eliminated, CR 100.2(d)(1) requires that public schools students complete at least two units of study in a language other than English (LOTE) at some time during grades kindergarten through nine. Under current regulations, in order to receive one unit of credit in a LOTE before entering grade 9, students are required to complete two units of study and pass the SLP in LOTE. The Department will bring draft regulatory changes to the Board of Regents for discussion in October and for action in December with an effective date of January 5, 2011. This will allow students continued opportunity to earn one unit of credit in LOTE, before entering grade 9, by completing the two units of study and passing a locally developed examination that is aligned to the Checkpoint A learning standards for LOTE.

With the elimination of the Regents Comprehensive Examinations in German, Hebrew, and Latin, some practitioners have expressed concern that students completing a sequence in these languages will not be able to meet the assessment requirements related to earning a Regents diploma with advanced designation. The Department will bring draft regulatory changes amending CR 100.5(b)(7) to the Board of Regents for discussion in October and for action in December with an effective date of January 5, 2011. The amendment seeks to allow students to meet the assessment requirement in those languages for which no Regents comprehensive assessment is available, by passing a locally developed examination aligned to the Checkpoint B learning standards for LOTE.

Although the Grades 5 and 8 Social Studies Tests have been eliminated, the program requirements in CR 100.3(a) and (b) and 100.4(b) and (c) require that social studies be taught in all grades, kindergarten through eight. Amendments to Commissioner’s regulations regarding the administration of the Grades 5 and 8 Social Studies Tests will be presented to the Board of Regents for discussion in October and for action in December with an effective date of January 5, 2011. These amendments will address the elimination of the required Grades 5 and 8 Social Studies Tests. However, the regulations continue to require schools to provide academic intervention services (AIS) for students who are determined, through a district-developed or district-adopted procedure uniformly applied, to be at risk of not achieving State standards in social studies, English language arts, mathematics and science. The elimination of the State elementary and intermediate assessments in social studies does not preclude schools from providing appropriate intervention services for any student at risk of not achieving the State learning standards in social studies.

Please visit the Department’s website for updates to the regulations after the Board of Regents discussion and action. If you have further questions please submit them to: info@engageny.org.

Last Updated: January 9, 2012