Ellenville High School: Testing & Graduation Requirements

Dear High School Students & Parents/Guardians,

As you may have heard, the June 2020 New York State Regents Exams have been canceled due to the impact of the COVID-19 closure. The purpose of this question and answer document is to provide guidance on how the cancellation of these exams impacts graduation requirements. This document also addresses diploma endorsements, Advanced Placement testing, and the community service requirement. Our answers for these questions reflect what has been communicated by the New York State Education Department.

Regents Exams

Question: Are students exempt from the Regents Examination(s) they were planning to take during the June 2020 test administration?

Answer: Students who meet one of the following eligibility requirements are exempt from Regents Examinations they were planning to take in June 2020:

The student is currently enrolled in a course that was supposed to end in a Regents Exam AND the student passes this course with a minimum grade of 65 by the end of this school year. Note: As mentioned in our Distance Learning Plan, final course grades will be calculated based on the average of the first three marking periods and weight of the midterm, if applicable.
or
The student is currently enrolled in a course that was supposed to end in a Regents Exam and fails this course, but attends summer school during the summer of 2020 and passes the course with a minimum grade of 65. Note: We are awaiting further guidance from New York State regarding 2020 summer school accessibility.
or
The student was previously enrolled in a course that ended in a Regents Exam, passed the course with a minimum grade of 65, and was intending on re-taking the exam in June 2020 to achieve a passing score. Intention to take a Regents exam in June 2020 is defined by:
- the student informed the school that s/he wished to retake the examination; or
- the student was receiving academic intervention, supplemental instruction or tutoring of some kind in preparation to take the examination; or
- the student took the examination in June 2019, August 2019, or January 2020 in an attempt to pass or better his/her score.

Diploma Types (Local, Regents, Advanced Designation) & Endorsements

Question: How will students who are granted exemptions to exams meet assessment requirements for graduation?

Answer: Students who are granted an exemption from any examination will not need to take these exams to meet the assessments requirements for any diploma type - local diploma, Regents diploma, or Regents with Advanced Designation.

Question: Can students earn the mastery endorsement(s) in math and or science if they are exempt from a Math or Science Regents Examination needed for such endorsement?

Answer: Yes. While no actual score would be given, students who are exempted from a math and/or a science Regents examination, and pass at least two additional Regents exams in math with scores of 85 or above or 2 additional Regents Exams in Science with an 85 or above would be entitled to a mastery in math and/or science on their diploma.

Question: Can students earn the honors endorsement if they are granted examination exemptions?

Answer: Yes. While exempted exams may be used to meet assessment requirements for any diploma type, they would be removed from the calculation of the honors endorsement. If the average of the Regents exam scores required for the diploma type (not including the waived exam(s) equals 90, the student is entitled to the honors endorsement.

Question: How will students fulfill unfinished requirements for the Seal of Bi-Literacy?

Answer: We are awaiting further guidance on how to address flexibility in earning the seal.

Question: For students with disabilities that meet the requirements to earn a Local Diploma through a Superintendent Determination and have been working toward earning a CDOS Credential, may a district waive the required 216 hours of CTE coursework and/or work-based learning (at least 54 hours of which must be work-based learning)?

Answer: Yes. Students with disabilities who are otherwise eligible to exit from high school in the 2019-20 school year may be awarded the CDOS Commencement Credential without having met all of the requirements, for purposes of eligibility for the superintendent determination option, provided that the school principal, in consultation with relevant faculty, has determined that the student has otherwise demonstrated knowledge and skills in the commencement level CDOS learning standards.

Question: Students with a disability have access to the compensatory safety net option where a 65 or above on one exam can compensate for a 45-54 on another exam. Can an exempted Regents Exam be used to compensate for a lower Regents exam score (45-54 on science and social studies Regents Exams only) using the compensatory safety net option?

Answer: No. A Regents exam exemption cannot be used to compensate for the score of below 65 on a different Regents examination.

Language Other Than English (LOTE) Exams

Question: Can a district exempt a student from the locally developed Checkpoint B LOTE examination in order for students to meet the requirements of the Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation?

Answer: A district may exempt a student from the locally developed Checkpoint B examination if the student will have earned at least 3 diploma credits in the LOTE subject by the end of the 2019-20 school year.

Advanced Placement Exams

Question: Will Advanced Placement (AP) exams be administered this spring?

Answer: Yes. The College Board plans to offer an online exam that students can complete at home. Students will need an Internet enabled device and Internet access to take these exams. Additional information on the administration of AP exams can be referenced on the College Board’s website:
https://apcoronavirusupdates.collegeboard.org/students

Community Service Requirement

Question: My child did not fulfill their community service requirement of 40 hours needed for graduation. Will this impact their ability to graduate in June 2020?

Answer: No.The Board of Education has waived the community service requirement for June 2020 graduates.

If you have any further questions regarding exams and graduation requirements, please contact your child’s school counselor.