AIS Flexibility Approved During Regents Meeting

The Board of Regents met in Albany on September 16 and 17. Noteworthy actions and discussions of the board follow:

Academic Intervention Services

The board approved emergency action to amend regulations §100.2(ee), to provide school districts flexibility for the provision of Academic Intervention Services.  For ELA and Math in grades 3 through 8, the following scale scores are applicable:

For ELA: Grade 3, 299; Grade 4, 296; Grade 5, 297; Grade 6, 297; Grade 7, 301; Grade 8, 302
For Math: Grade 3, 293; Grade 4, 284; Grade 5, 289; Grade 6, 289; Grade 7, 290; Grade 8, 293

School districts will be required to establish a policy to determine what services, if any, to provide in 2013-14 to students who are above the transitional cut scores but below proficiency on the 2013 assessments. By November 1, 2013, each school district must post to its website or distribute to parents in writing a description of its uniform AIS process. The Regents’ action in regard to AIS is applicable to the 2013-14 school year only. The board will determine whether revisions are needed subsequently.

Transition from the GED® to Test Assessing Secondary Completion

Deputy Commissioner Kevin Smith provided updated information regarding the SED’s transition from the current GED® tests to the Tests Assessing Secondary Completion, effective in January 2014. He pointed out that the new tests are currently under development by CTB/McGraw Hill. The tests will be administered in a paper-pencil format until testing sites develop technical capacity, and test content will become common core aligned over a term of three years. Smith also indicated that SED is looking into whether scores on the current GED® can be cross-walked to the TASC and remain applicable for a period of time (e.g., two years).

Regents Research Paper a Diploma Requirement

A discussion item was presented for the establishment of a new section of regulations, §100.5(a)(9),  to require students first entering grade 9 in September 2014 and thereafter to complete a Regents Research Paper as a graduation requirement, not as a prerequisite to take a Regents examination.  The school principal would be responsible to certify and maintain records on which students completed the new requirement. Deputy Commissioner Kenneth Slentz pointed out that although the research paper requirement is directly linked to the Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy, the paper could be completed for other subjects such as science and social studies, with appropriate sign-off by such teachers. This item will now be published in the State Register for public comment and will be brought back to the Regents for action in November.

Career and Technical Education

The Board of Regents directed department leadership to develop regulations to provide additional career and technical education options for students to graduate college and career ready. It is expected that the proposed regulations will address integrated academic credit as a means to promote student engagement and CTE course-taking.