State education officials are considering eliminating a wide range of Regents examinations,

New York&#8217s traditional measure of high school student achievement.

The contingency plan would eliminate all Regents exams in foreign languages, three of four

Regents exams in science and two of three in math. Regents exams would no longer be given in

global history and geography or U.S. history and government.

The proposal, part of a package that would save $13.7 million, will be discussed by a Board

of Regents committee Monday afternoon. But the plan fails to answer a host of crucial

questions:

What would become of the state&#8217s all-Regents high school graduation standards?

How would it be determined whether students should receive course credit?

Without standardized Regents exams, how can student performance be compared between

individual schools and between school districts?

State Education Commissioner David Steiner described the contingency plan as part of a

broader look at the department&#8217s budget crunch, and not an indication that Regents exams

will actually be scaled back.

&#8220We&#8217re saying: &#8216Here&#8217s our budget situation,&#8217&#8221 Steiner said.

&#8220&#8216Here are our challenges.&#8217 There is no implication that any particular line

of action be recommended. This is about budget information that is accurate and

transparent.&#8221

With the state facing a severe fiscal crisis, it is important that the Regents understand

&#8220what the key elements are and what they cost,&#8221 Steiner said.

The proposal also would stop giving Regents exams in January and August, making the tests

available only in June.

It also would no longer let students take retests on particular portions of math and

English exams they previously fell short on. The practice of translating tests into Chinese,

Haitian-Creole, Korean and Russian also would end.

&#8220It&#8217s mind-boggling that they would propose this,&#8221 said John D. Carlino,

executive director of the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers and a German

teacher at Kenmore West High School. &#8220How could this possibly be real?&#8221

The proposed cuts would &#8220literally gut standards-based education in New York and could

potentially cost thousands of teachers their jobs if courses and exams that were always

required no longer were,&#8221 Carlino said. &#8220What is being proposed is a scaling back of

the New York State assessments to the bare minimum that is required by the [federal] No Child

Left Behind Act.&#8221

Regent Robert Bennett, a resident of the Town of Tonawanda, said the contingency plan

results from a request from the Regents for &#8220a very straightforward picture&#8221 of the

cost and effectiveness of a broad range of state Education Department programs.

&#8220I think this will get a lot of good discussion,&#8221 he said.

Bennett said the review will likely tweak the Regents program by placing greater emphasis

on critical thinking skills or vocational training, but will not result in the wholesale

elimination of Regents exams.

For example, he said, if only a small number of students benefit from the retesting on

portions of Regents exams, &#8220there must be a better way to help students&#8221 and save

money at the same time.

&#8220We&#8217re still going to have measurements of student achievement and report them to

the public,&#8221 Bennett said. &#8220I can&#8217t envision us abandoning those exams.&#8221

The Regents program hasn&#8217t been closely examined for 11 years, &#8220and it&#8217s

worth a look,&#8221 Bennett said.

A memo to the Regents from John B. King Jr., senior deputy commissioner of the state

Education Department, calls the measures &#8220contingency plans and options for the

board&#8217s consideration to reduce operating costs&#8221 in 2010-11. &#8220We have not

included any actions that would compromise our compliance with No Child Left Behind

requirements,&#8221 King said.

King said the state and federal budgets are among the &#8220many variables that may impact

our future choices.&#8221

The need for cuts also will depend on whether New York receives funding in the first round

of the federal government&#8217s $4.35 billion &#8220Race to the Top&#8221 grant program, King

said. New York this week was named one of 16 finalists for a share of that money.

In a letter to a member of the Board of Regents, Joanne E. O&#8217Toole, past president of

the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers, said there would be

&#8220potentially devastating effects&#8221 to eliminating Regents exams in foreign languages.

&#8220Eliminating our assessments would serve to lower, if not destroy, the high standards

we have set for the students of New York State,&#8221 said O&#8217Toole, a language teacher at

two State University of New York campuses. &#8220In addition, we would lose our place in the

country as leaders in foreign language education.&#8221