New York Math "A" Regents passing score a 27!

[mickman1962]

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/62567.htm

I guess these are the high standards we're setting for our kids/teachers.
27% correct answers will be curved to a 55% score which is now a passing grade in NY. Why even bother taking the test.

 

[mickman1962]

I guess there aren't many NY'ers here.

 

[BalooTheBear]

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/62567.htm

I guess these are the high standards we're setting for our kids/teachers.
27% correct answers will be curved to a 55% score which is now a passing grade in NY. Why even bother taking the test.

One of the many reasons we moved from NY State............

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Finally... a math test I could pass!

 

[CapeCodTenor]

What can I say, but why? Oh, I know, they don't want to hurt the kids feelings. That must be it.

 

[mickeyfan2]

How sad. When I took NY regents you needed a 65 to pass and they did not curve. So 65% correct was needed.

 

[jgmklmhem]

Ridiculous isn't it. I still remember the uproar that happened in Florida when low and behold the High-School Competency Test had to be passed to gasp graduate from high-school. When I took the test the first math question had a picture of a dollar and some change and asked you how much it was....the questions didn't get much harder after that.

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

Sorry for the long post but this just annoys me. You know, I took the math, science, history, and english regents only a few years ago. I never had a problem with them. And trust me, I didn't even try. (Still passed with flying colors, I guess my brain is a sponge.)

I have 3 friends that are now math teachers on LI. They (and I) cannot believe the amount of kids that cannot pass these tests. Well not so much "cannot" pass them, more like "won't" pass them because they REFUSE to try. Downright refuse. When I took the tests, passing was a 65%. And there was no curve, at all! I never saw a curve in grades until college and even then they only gave you a point or two, not 28 points!!

Its not always the teachers who are causing the horrible grades. It is the students who just don't care and the parents who pay no attention until it is too late. One of my friends posts all of her students grades online for the students and parents to see. She makes phone calls home and sets up meetings with the parents. She does this for every student. I think it was about 2 days before midterms that she gets a phone call from a mother complaining that their student is failing and she (the teacher) did nothing to inform the mother. She also has students to who come class with no notebook and no pens and just sleep. She reprimands them, sends them to the principal, calls their parents, gives them paper and pens and nothing gets them motivated. These are the students that come in at the last week demanding extra credit.

I'm not saying there arent bad teachers out there. I had my fair share of them. But I have also had excellent teachers. Ones who would do everything possible to make learning fun and to allow their students to pass. I'll admit that math isn't the worlds easiest thing and I know some people just don't get it, but that does not explain why they can't pass a regents exam. I have friends who just don't understand math but they tried and still passed the regents when 65 was the passing grade with no curve. I believe that if these students would just try and their parents also put in the effort then things like this wouldn't be happening.

 

[CapeCodTenor]

Ridiculous isn't it. I still remember the uproar that happened in Florida when low and behold the High-School Competency Test had to be passed to gasp graduate from high-school.

God forbid we ask students to know how to read, write and do math. It's ridiculous

when I took the test the first math question had a picture of a dollar and some change and asked you how much it was....the questions didn't get much harder after that.

Ok, this is just sad

 

[caitycaity]

How sad. When I took NY regents you needed a 65 to pass and they did not curve. So 65% correct was needed.

afaik, this was the way it was when i was in school too. that's what i remember anyways.

i still have to stick up for ny's educational system though. until i met dh i did not know how many states don't have statewide education standards. it was really shocking to me.

 

[mickman1962]

I believe a few years ago New York State changed it so in order to get a high school diploma you had to pass the Regents exams. In doing this they defeated the purpose of the Regents which was to distinguish the better (not necessarily smarter) students from the rest of the students. The dumbing down of America.

 

[punkin]

How sad. When I took NY regents you needed a 65 to pass and they did not curve. So 65% correct was needed.

Yes, that was true when I took it as well, but I recall my Algebra Regents was insanely easy. Everyone in my class passed and 3 or 4 got a perfect score (not me, I forgot to label my axis and put in a dollar sign, which earned me 2 pts off)

 

[Nancy]

It's true that NY has tough standards, but when they lower the grade for passing and grade on curves what good does having that high standard do? My oldest scored an 88 on her math regents. Middle DD just took hers last week. My biggest complaint with NY and our district is the fact that they stress these tests so much and also the standardized testing that all they do is teach for the tests. My youngest just went through the 7th grade standardized tests. For the last month all they did was review for these tests. They take practice tests based off of previous years tests. They learn nothing new. It drives me crazy. The district sends notes home telling parents that it is testing time, please make sure your child goes to bed early and eats a good breakfast on testing days. UUUHHHH...what about regular school days, they don't need to eat right and get a good nights sleep then???

 

[mickeyfan2]

i still have to stick up for ny's educational system though. until i met dh i did not know how many states don't have statewide education standards. it was really shocking to me.

Yes this is somewhat of a concern. Our state is just working on standards now.

But I will tell you a story. Our friends lived their entire life in NYS. They found out they were to be transferred out of state and to our area. They heard that the school in our state were horrible and did not compare to NYS. They were suppose to be in a great district. We told them that a certain district was considered one of the best in the country. They did buy there. There kids were going into 6th, 9th and 11th grade at the time of the move. Well a few months later they told us that their kids were way behind these kids and were playing catch up. So much for the NYS myth. They also have a nicer home and pay half the property taxes now. So this also shows money does not equal education. Another thing that they found out was the swim team let everybody who joined swim in meets. The NYS school had to compete for a spot on the team. They are much happier now that they are not in NYS. They were diehard NYS backers and almost quit the company rather then move.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I believe a few years ago New York State changed it so in order to get a high school diploma you had to pass the Regents exams. In doing this they defeated the purpose of the Regents which was to distinguish the better (not necessarily smarter) students from the rest of the students. The dumbing down of America.

This is so sad. I got a regents high school degree. Those who could not pass the requirements for regents got a local high school degree. Regents kids were the ones bound for college and they could succeed. BTW I got many a perfect regent test (all subjects but English).

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

The dumbing down of the education system jsut steams my clams--totally unfair to the kids who actually work hard to get good grades!

And I always chuckle over those letters we get (all the time, it seems--my oldest two are in fifth and third grade). "These are the test days, make sure they have enough rest and a good breakfast" Oh, thank God--I don't have to feed them or let them rest until next week! And for the fourth grade tests last year, DD reported that the kids were given chocolate and peppermint gum (normally banned in school), because peppermint and chocolate make you more alert. My response? "What? No coffee and cigarettes?" Do they really think these things are going to make a difference in whether the children have mastered the material or not?

BTW, I'm overall happy with our school system, but some of these things just make me scratch my head!

 

[caitycaity]

mickeyfan, can i ask what state you live in?

dh and i are considering a move out of the dc area this summer and i'm always on the lookout for good areas to raise a family.

thanks.

i think my pro-nys reaction comes from the fact that i only have first hand experiences with two state education systems: california and ny. the differences are like night and day.

 

[caitycaity]

And for the fourth grade tests last year, DD reported that the kids were given chocolate and peppermint gum (normally banned in school), because peppermint and chocolate make you more alert.

hehehehe - our earth science teacher gave us gum during our regents - for the same reason.

 

[mickeyfan2]

california and ny. the differences are like night and day.

Now this I agree with. I worked with somebody who was from NJ and moved to CA. Boy the stories about the education system that she told me.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

It seems to me that all they are doing is lowering the standard to meet the kids ---

rather than raising the kids to meet the standards.



It makes the test kind of pointless.