Marybeth Casey - Associate Office of Curriculum and Instruction
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Ave 318-EB
Albany, NY 12234
518-474-0059
E-Mail: [email protected]
The following link will take you to the revised diploma requirements chart available on the Curriculum and Instruction Website. http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/gradreq/revisedgradreq3column.pdf The chart has only one revision to footnote h, which lists the mathematics examination combinations leading to a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation. In February, the Board of Regents adopted a revised regulation that now includes Mathematics Regents Examinations aligned to the Common Core in the three examination combinations. Please distribute the chart to your component districts and networks. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Marybeth Casey - Associate Office of Curriculum and Instruction New York State Education Department 89 Washington Ave 318-EB Albany, NY 12234 518-474-0059 E-Mail: [email protected]
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On February 11, 2014, the Board of Regents adopted emergency regulations to address concerns that have been raised by the field and by stakeholders to adjust and improve the implementation of the Common Core Standards and teacher/principal evaluation. The approved regulatory amendments to the APPR are intended to help districts and BOCES reduce local testing and ensure that the amount of testing should be the minimum necessary to inform effective decision-making.
The Office of Teacher and Leader Effectiveness, Policy and Programs has just released important resources for districts and BOCES in response to the approved regulatory amendments to APPR that can be found under “Guidance on the Approved Regulatory Amendments to APPR to Help Reduce Local Testing” (see: http://www.engageny.org/resource/guidance-on-the-approved-regulatory-amendments-to-appr-to-help-reduce-local-testing) on the “Leading APPR” landing page on EngageNY (see: http://www.engageny.org/resource/leading-appr). Resources are both attached and listed below: A memo from Dr. Julia Rafal-Baer that outlines the Board of Regents emergency adoption of the amendments to Subpart 30-2 of the Rules of the Board of Regents. This memo includes a summary of the changes, an explanation of the impact the changes have on APPR, and a projected timeline of resource updates (see: http://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/appr-impact-field-memo-2-24-14.pdf). Information and materials associated with the Expedited Material Change Process to Eliminate Unnecessary Assessments for APPR Purposes can be found here: http://www.engageny.org/regents-regulatory-changes-subpart-30-2-expedited-materials-change-form. The Office of Teacher and Leader Effectiveness, Policy and Programs looks forward to working together with you to ensure that all students achieve college and career readiness. Julia Rafal-Baer, Ph.D. Executive Director Teacher and Leader Effectiveness, Policy and Programs New York State Education Department 89 Washington Ave., 1071 EBA Albany, NY 12234 518-486-2573 [email protected] Ira Schwartz regarding updates on SED's request to eliminate double testing in mathematics for certain grade 7 and 8 students. The memo can also be found at:
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/accountability/documents/UPDATEDDoubleTestingFieldMemo2.21.14.pdf Additional information regarding the potential impact on district APPR plans as a result of the ESEA Waiver for "double testing" in mathematics has now been provided by Julia Rafal-Baer from NYSED:
After conducting a review of a representative sample of approved APPR plans, the Department has found that only a small percentage of districts and BOCES may require a material change to their currently approved APPR plan for the 2013-14 school year to allow educators of seventh and/or eighth grade students to be evaluated for APPR purposes using the applicable Regents Examination in Algebra I (Common Core) and/or the Regents Examination in Geometry (2005 Standards) for students who take Algebra or Geometry rather than the NYS Common Core Mathematics Assessment. The two documents hyperlinked below are intended for use by those individuals in your district or BOCES who are responsible for determining whether a material change to your APPR plan is necessary and preparing such a submission.
With the approaching March 1, 2014 deadline to submit a material change, the Department will conduct an expedited review for those impacted by the ESEA wavier through the use of the attached ESEA Waiver Material Change Form. Please note that the Department will only review the listed material changes included on the ESEA Waiver Material Change Form. No other portion of the APPR plan will be reviewed by the Department for compliance with Education Law §3012-c. If your district/BOCES has concerns regarding the implementation of measures in its currently approved APPR plan in light of the ESEA waiver, the Department recommends that you consult with your local counsel before determining whether a material change is needed to your currently approved APPR plan. If you have any further questions, please contact [email protected] and use the subject line “ESEA Waiver APPR” when submitting such questions. Since the release of the June 2014 Regents Examination schedule, NYSED received feedback from school administrators expressing concern about having an adequate supply of graphing calculators for all students taking Regents Examinations in mathematics on Friday, June 20, 2014.
To address this concern and ensure that all students taking Regents Examinations in mathematics will have access to a graphing calculator, the Department has issued a revised June 2014 Regents Examination schedule posted at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/schedules/2014/regents-614updated2.pdf. The Regents Examination in Algebra 2/Trigonometry will now be administered on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 at 1:15 p.m. and the Regents Examination in Physical Setting/Physics will now be administered on Friday, June 20, 2014 at 1:15 p.m. This schedule supersedes any previously released schedule for the June 2014 examination period. This updated schedule is also available on the Department’s web site at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/schedules/. This decision was made after much deliberation and consultation, including a discussion with a representative group of superintendents and district superintendents from across the State at a recent meeting of the Commissioner's Advisory Council. NYS was recently granted a waiver from double testing for accelerated math students in Grades 7/8. In response to this waiver, a FAQ document was created and shared in November 2013. Some districts raised a question about item 15 in the memo as it relates to a district's approved APPR plan:
Please note that if the waiver is approved by USDE and the Board of Regents adopts conforming regulations, districts opting to have seventh or eighth grade students take only the Regents Examination in mathematics will need to make a material change to their approved APPR plan in the State-provided Growth and Other Comparable Measures subcomponent (Task 2), as well as the Locally-Selected Measures subcomponent (Task 3), as applicable. See questions 14 and 15 of this document for additional information about material changes related to principal evaluation. Two questions were sent to Educator Eval in response to this memo: Does this mean that all districts are required to open their APPR plans to make a material change? If so, would making this change open a district’s APPR plan to complete review? The response from Educator Eval follows: Thank you for your email. In response to the below questions, yes, the information provided in Ira Schwartz’s November 2013 Memo is correct. Also, only those districts that wish to have seventh or eighth grade students take only the Regents Examination in mathematics will need to make a material change to their approved APPR plan in the State-provided Growth and Other Comparable Measures subcomponent (Task 2), as well as the Locally-Selected Measures subcomponent (Task 3), as applicable. If any material changes are made to an approved APPR plan, the school district or BOCES must submit the material changes on a form prescribed by the Commissioner, to the Commissioner for approval. The Commissioner has the authority to reject the plan if any of the changes do not rigorously adhere to the law and regulations. For the 2013-14 school year, a district wishing to make a material change to their approved APPR plan must submit the proposed material change to the Commissioner by March 1, 2014 and each March 1 thereafter for subsequent school years. For more information, please see Section C8 of the APPR Guidance document, posted on EngageNY at http://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/appr-field-guidance.pdf. If you have further questions about the teacher and principal evaluation system, please refer to the following resources on EngageNY: • The updated APPR Guidance document: http://www.engageny.org/resource/guidance-on-new-york-s-annual-professional-performance-review-law-and-regulations • The Task-By-Task Guidance documents and other resources (such as the teacher and principal evaluation road maps): http://engageny.org/resource/appr-planning • The updated list of SLO Resources: http://www.engageny.org/resource/student-learning-objectives/ Thank you for everything you do on behalf of the students in New York State and please let us know if you have any further questions. Best, EducatorEval Team In November 2013, the United States Department of Education (USDE) offered states with approved ESEA Flexibility Waivers the opportunity to participate in a streamlined renewal process for the 2014-15 school year. Under this process, states with approved waivers may submit amendments to the state’s approved plan to take effect in 2014-15 as part of the renewal process. If the state is submitting amendments, it must consult with stakeholders before submitting them as part of its flexibility renewal request. A copy of New York State’s approved ESEA Flexibility Waiver can be found on the New York State Department’s (NYSED) website at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/accountability/ESEAFlexibilityWaiver.html .
At the January Board of Regents meeting, the Department presented for consideration proposed amendments to New York’s approved ESEA waiver related to institutional accountability and testing requirements, and the Board of Regents directed the Department to post the draft amendments for public comment beginning on January 16 and ending on January 27. (See http://www.regents.nysed.gov/meetings/2014/January2014/114bra6.pdf for a copy of the item presented to the Board of Regents at their January meeting.) The proposed amendments can be found at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/accountability/documents/ESEAFlexibilityRenewalforPublicComment011614_1.pdf. Following review of public comment, the Department will submit a final draft waiver renewal request with related amendments for action by the Regents in February 2014. If approved by the Board of Regents, the Department will submit New York’s application for renewal of its ESEA waiver for the 2014-15 school year to the USDE no later than February 28, 2014. If you would like to submit a comment regarding the renewal application or one or more of the amendments, please send them by email to [email protected]. Please identify in the subject line the amendment(s) on which you wish to comment. For example, if you wish to comment on the proposed amendments pertaining to "Revising the AMOs for Grades 3-8 English language arts and mathematics" and "Testing for English language learners," then please put "Public Comment on Amendments 4 and 5" in the subject line of your email. Comments may also be submitted to Dr. Lisa Long, Supervisor, Office of Accountability, 55 Hanson Place, Room 445, Brooklyn, NY 11217. Please indicate “ESEA Waiver Comment Submission” on the outside of the envelope. Comments must be received by January 27, 2014. Elementary/Intermediate Testing Schedule -
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/schedules/schedule-ei.html http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/schedules/2015/38testingschedule15.pdf Regents/High School Testing Schedule - http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/schedules/schedule-hs.html January 2015 - http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/schedules/2015/regents115.pdf June 2015 - http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/schedules/2015/regents615.pdf State Education Commissioner John B. King, Jr. announced today that the United States Department of Education (USDE) has approved New York State's request for a waiver from the provisions of federal law that currently require students who take Regents exams in mathematics when they are in seventh or eighth grade to also take the state mathematics assessment. The waiver will effectively end the "double-testing" of these students, beginning with the spring 2014 assessments.
"USDE's approval of New York's waiver request means the end of double-testing for nearly 60,000 New York students," said King. "The Regents, the Chancellor and I are committed to reducing the amount of time students spend on tests and eliminating any tests that don't inform instruction or improve student learning. Testing is an important part of the instructional cycle and good, sound assessments are necessary to monitor student academic progress. But we have repeatedly said that the amount of testing should be the minimum necessary to inform effective decision-making. Our successful waiver request is an example of New York's commitment to smarter, leaner testing." At their October 2013 meeting, the Board of Regents directed the State Education Department (SED) to submit a request to USDE to waive provisions of the federal law that require states to measure the achievement of standards in mathematics using the same assessments for all students. The approved waiver will relieve teachers and schools from having to prepare students in seventh and eighth grade who are receiving instruction in Algebra I for multiple end of year assessments. Currently, seventh and eighth grade students who are receiving instruction in Algebra I and who take the Regents Examination in Algebra I (Common Core) are also required to take the NYS Common Core Mathematics Test for the grade in which they are enrolled. School districts will now be allowed to administer only the Regents Examination in Algebra I (Common Core) to these students, eliminating the need for double-testing in grades 7 and 8. This provision also applies to students in grades 7 and 8 who receive instruction in Geometry and who take the Regents Examination in Geometry. Other than two high school history Regents exams, all required state tests – including all grades 3-8 assessments; secondary-level exams in English, math and science; alternate assessments for students with disabilities; and annual assessments for English language learners (ELLs) – are required by federal law. The State has not created any additional tests as part of Common Core implementation, and the Department is currently developing "Teaching is the Core" Grants to encourage the reduction or elimination of locally selected pre-tests and locally bargained and selected achievement measures. With respect to the existing State tests, SED reduced the number of questions and testing time on the federally required assessments for grades 3-8, and our State budget request will include funding to eliminate multiple-choice stand-alone field tests. SED is also asking the U.S. Department of Education for flexibility to use for accountability purposes Native Language Arts tests for Spanish speaking ELLs who are newly or recently arrived to the United States and permission to allow testing at instructional level rather than chronological age for students with significant cognitive disabilities not eligible for the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA). Additional information about New York's approved ESEA Flexibility Waiver, including FAQs, can be found at: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/accountability/waivers/home.html The Board of Regents item that directed the Department to submit a waiver request can be found at: http://www.regents.nysed.gov/meetings/2013Meetings/October2013/1013p12d6.pdf Informational materials for the Regents Exam in Algebra I (Common Core), including the Educator Guide, 3 webcasts, and additional Sample Items have been posted on EngageNY at: http://www.engageny.org/resource/regents-exams-mathematics
The materials and their individuals links are as follows: Educator Guide to the Regents Examination in Algebra I (Common Core) The Guide was designed to support educators by providing an overview of the new test design. Information about how the assessment shifts informed test development and how the CCLS will be measured on the new Regents Exam in Algebra I (CC) is specified. http://www.engageny.org/resource/regents-exams-mathematics-algebra-i-test-guide Algebra I Webcasts The three webcasts provide: (1) background on the Common Core State Standards along with teaching principles and tools that are crucial for implementing changes in pedagogy and a mathematics curriculum (2) information for teachers on the test design of the Regents Exam in Algebra I (Common Core) and how it measures the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS) and (3) background information on the sample questions for Algebra I (Common Core). http://www.engageny.org/resource/regents-exams-mathematics-webcasts Algebra I Sample Questions Fall 2013 Additional sample questions have been provided to help students, parents, and educators understand the instructional shifts under by the Common Core. http://www.engageny.org/resource/regents-exams-mathematics-algebra-i-sample-items Please share with educators and parents. Thank you, Candace Shyer Assistant Commissioner of Assessment, Standards and Curriculum |
IES Team
This page provides updates on the work of the team as well as updates from NYSED. Archives
February 2014
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