MHS Responds to Problems with Chemistry Regents Exams:
Failure Rate Still High After Recalculating Scores

"Ambiguous questions, ambiguous answers, no partial credit..and the reverse curve."

Chemistry teachers at MHS are still grading and recalibrating scores for the Regents exams, so it is too early to tally the final results. However, Department Chair Fred Levine estimates the failure rate will be "Much more than normal. A fair percentage failed that should not have."

Chemistry teacher Val Etra estimates over 20% of the chemistry students failed "And that is very high. I feel very bad for the kids." Since over 200 students sat for the Chemistry Regents, as many as 40 may have failed. And unless the State Department of Education (SED) decides otherwise, the failure will appear on students' permanent transcripts.

Levine has already spoken with Diana Harding, the State Education Department's point person for science assessments. She will be informing school districts to remove the Regents Exam score from the calculation of students' final course average. Mamaroneck Principal Mark Orfinger has approved calculating final grades without the Regents scores. However, there is no indication that the scores will be removed from transcripts.

In addition, the MHS Chemistry teachers will recalculate each student's test score using "a straight percentage" rather than using the curve approach required by SED. For example, if a student receives 60 points out of a possible 80, the final grade will be a 75. With the chemistry test curve applied by SED, scores below a raw score of 65 will have points added, but those in the higher ranges will have points removed when calculating the final mark. Etra reported one student with an 85 raw score who ended up with only an 81 SED score.

The SED applied its curves based on pre-testing of the exam in which they decided the test was easier than previous exams. However, judging from results throughout New York State, school districts are finding scores to be much lower than last year. Larchmont's big city neighbor New Rochelle is finding scores to be "Not as good as they've been in the past," according to Superintendent Linda Kelly. (See The New York Times and The Journal News for further state and county response.)

The reverse curve was not the only problem with the Chemistry test, reports Levine. "Ambiguous questions, ambiguous answers, no partial credit," are only a few of the problems Levine listed. Correcting the curve will not help students impacted by these problems.

For now, students and parents will have to wait to see exactly how the Chemistry, Physics and other Regents Exam scores will appear on report cards and transcripts sent to colleges.

What has been your experience with the Regents Exams this year?

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