The following two messages about Regents Exams and NYS Grade 3-8 Assessments were emailed to all Ichabod Crane grade 9-12 and grade 3-8 families, respectively, on Friday, March 19.
All school reopening news and COVID-19 updates can be found on the district’s Reopening Information page here.
Regents Exams (Sent to Grade 9-12 Families)
Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,
This week the New York State Education Department released information about the Regents exams scheduled for this spring and summer. As of today, we know that August Regents exams have been canceled and that the State has asked the US Department of Education to cancel the June Regents exams. If the request to cancel the June exams is denied, we will administer only the exams required by the US Department of Education. At the high school level, the required exams are the following four Regents Exams: English Language Arts, Algebra 1, Earth Science, and Living Environment.
The June 2021 Regents schedule can be found here: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/schedules/2021/regents-exam-schedule-june-2021.pdf
Additionally, the NY State Education Department (NYSED) has removed the passing of Regents exams as both a graduation requirement and as a barrier to receiving local course credit as long as students meet one of the following criteria:
- The student is currently enrolled in a course of study culminating in a Regents Examination and by the end of the 2021 school year, or the 2021 summer session, will have earned credit in such course of study;
- The student was previously enrolled in the course culminating in the applicable Regents Examination, has achieved course credit, and has not yet passed the associated required Regents Examination but was intending to take the test in June 2021 or August 2021 to achieve a passing score; or
- The student is in grade 7 or 8, is enrolled in a course of study culminating in taking a Regents Examination and has met the standards assessed in the provided coursework.
There are other areas of flexibility relating to Mastery and Honors, Science Laboratory requirements, and the right for parents/guardians to decline graduation exemptions. You can read about those details here: http://www.nysed.gov/news/2021/board-regents-acts-emergency-regulation-revisions-2021-diploma-requirements
We will keep you informed as the situation unfolds at the federal and state levels, and as we make arrangements to follow their guidance. For right now, we strongly encourage all students to continue to work hard and to push through to a strong finish to the school year.
Sincerely,
Lucas Christensen, Assistant Superintendent
Craig Shull, Principal
Marcella Sanchez, Assistant Principal
NYS Grade 3-8 Assessment (Sent to Grade 3-8 Families)
Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,
This week the New York State Education Department released information about the federally required 3-8 Testing scheduled for this spring. As of today, we know that the New York State Education Department has asked the US Department of Education for a waiver from requiring the administration of the 3-8 State Tests. If the request is denied, only session 1 of the Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Math Tests will be required, and only the one-session written test component of the Grades 4 and 8 Science Tests will be administered.
There are other areas of flexibility relating to Regents Exams and graduation requirements. You can read about those details here: http://www.nysed.gov/news/2021/board-regents-acts-emergency-regulation-revisions-2021-diploma-requirements
It is important to note that the US Department of Education has agreed to only use state assessment results as a measure of student learning for this year. All links to accountability for school districts and teachers have been removed. If administered here at Ichabod Crane, the results and data will be used to help carefully tailor instruction to the needs of our students.
We will keep you informed as the situation unfolds at the federal and state levels, and as we make arrangements to follow their guidance. For right now, we strongly encourage all students to continue to work hard and to push through to a strong finish to the school year.
Sincerely,
Lucas Christensen, Assistant Superintendent
Tony Marturano, MS/ES Co-Principal
Tim Farley, MS/ES Co-Principal
Andrea Williams, Primary School Principal