By Jonann Brady
Of nearly 300 students who took the exam at Baldwin High School last week, just 12 percent passed with a score of 65 or higher, according to School Superintendent Dr. Kathy Weiss. Those numbers are comparable to the results in neighboring school districts. In Rockville Centre, for example, only 19 percent of students passed the exam.
Weiss spoke to Baldwin High School Principal Susan Knors after the test was administered and said students' reactions were swift and dramatic. "Kids were crying. Some went to the nurse's office. The teachers were beside themselves," said Weiss.
The Regents Math A exam, which became a requirement for graduation in 2001, is a three-hour test covering algebra, geometry, trigonometry and probability, and includes both multiple-choice questions and word problems. Many students take the exam as sophomores in January, after a year-and-a-half-long Math A class, but a number of students take the exam in June after an extended two-year course.
Though some students do put off the test until their junior or senior year, Weiss said it was unlikely that the exam would keep any students from graduating this week. She did say that the district would run a two- or three-week review course this summer for students who will retake the exam next year.
Weiss, who began her career as a math teacher, analyzed the test over the weekend and said, "It's incredibly difficult. I don't know many college students who could answer some of those questions."
Educators have noted that the test contained many ambiguously worded or overly wordy questions, questions with more than one answer and questions on topics that were not covered in the course. Weiss said that superintendents from across the state would be taking up the test results with the state Education Department.
Facing a barrage of complaints, the Education Department has asked local school districts to collect and submit test data as soon as possible so it can be analyzed. Typically, the data is collected in midsummer. "We're not certain yet if there are massive failure rates," said Jonathan Burman, an Education Department spokesman.
The math exam isn't the only test that has drawn fire. Districts have also complained about the results of the Regents physics exam, given both this year and last year. Several Long Island school districts, including Baldwin, joined an unsuccessful lawsuit last year against the state, charging that the physics exam was an inaccurate measure of students' skills.
Complaints about standardized tests come as the state has instituted more rigorous graduation requirements. By 2005, all students, with a few exceptions, will have to pass five Regents exams in order to receive a diploma.
