C&I

Curriculum and Instruction

Social Studies

New York State Social Studies Assessments

SUMMARY OF NEW YORK STATE SOCIAL STUDIES ASSESSMENTS

This PowerPoint ( 99 KB) presentation provides a succinct overview of New York State Education Department social studies tests at the elementary, intermediate, and commencement levels. It can be used by social studies leaders when addressing parents, school boards, and district administrators.

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TEST SPECIFICATION GRIDS

What is the general range of questions by learning standard and unit in the multiple-choice section of each State assessment? Each grid below provides a range of multiple-choice items for each social studies learning standard and unit.

The Test Specification Grids have been broken out for your convenience: 

Test Specification Grids Components and Weighting
Grade 5 Elementary Social Studies Test Grade 5 Elementary Social Studies Test
Grade 8 Intermediate Social Studies Test Grade 8 Intermediate Social Studies Test
Global History and Geography Regents Global History and Geography Regents
United States History and Government United States History and Government

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Revised Social Studies Generic Rubrics

All students and teachers in grades 7 – 12 should be using the revised generic scoring rubrics to prepare for the Grade 8 and the Regents social studies examinations. The rating guides used to score these examinations are based on these revised rubrics.

Where necessary, revisions were made to better explain the criteria for scoring each specific score point. These minor modifications result in changes to the general criteria for scoring the essays and are based on teacher comments and a review of operational examinations and rating guides produced since June 2000. The revised generic rubrics provide additional criteria on which to base a score of zero and deal with the issue of copying too much information directly from the documents. 

A complete explanation of these revisions and copies of the New Revised Generic Rubrics (pdf document 309.82 KB) are available on the Department's social studies website.

A revised grade 5 generic scoring rubric is under development and will be posted on the social studies website when it becomes available. The current generic rubric will remain in effect for the November 2005 and November 2006 examinations. 

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Directions for Administering Regents Examinations

This publication includes information on Administering Examinations to Students with Disabilities (pg. 2) and Administering Examinations to Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) Students (pg 3). For further information, contact the Office of Bilingual Education and Foreign Language Studies or your Bilingual Education Technical Assistance Center (BETAC).

For additional information concerning test access and accommodations for students with disabilities see: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/policy/
testaccess/policyguide.htm

Department-Approved Social Studies Alternative Examinations

Acceptable for Meeting Requirements for a Local or Regents Diploma

The test score(s) indicated below are the minimum acceptable score(s) that can be substituted for a Regents Examination score for all students who have completed the course of study for that subject.

print friendly version ( 99 KB)

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Regents Action on Graduation Requirements

In July 2005, the Board of Regents approved a proposed amendment to section 100.5 of the Commissioner's Regulations to implement its policy adopted in June for a four-year phase in of the 65 passing score on required Regents exams.

Diploma Requirements Based on June 2005 Board of Regents Action to Phase in the 65 Graduation Standard on Required Regents Exams ( 99 KB)

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Testing Exemptions for Transfer Students in Grades 11 and 12: Global History and Geography

The Regulations of the Commissioner of Education provide certain conditions under which a transfer student who has not previously been home instructed or attended school in New York can earn a diploma without meeting the requirements for passing the Regents examination in global history and geography.

Section 100.5(d)(5) of Commissioner’s Regulations grants high school principals the authority to waive certain testing requirements for a local or Regents diploma only for those students who first enter a New York State high school from another state or country in either Grade 11 or 12. For such students who first enter a New York State high school in Grade 11, "the principal may exempt a student from the requirement for the Regents examination in global history and geography." For those who first enter a New York State high school in Grade 12, "the principal may exempt a student from the requirement for the Regents examination in science and the Regents examination in global history and geography."

For transfer students who first enter a New York State high school from another state or country in either Grade 11 or 12 and who seek to earn a Regents diploma with advanced designation, the principal may exempt a student from the requirement for the Regents examination in global history and geography.

Transfer students seeking to earn a local diploma, a Regents diploma, or a Regents diploma with advanced designation must pass all of the remaining State examinations ordinarily required to earn that diploma. "Transfer students who first enter a New York State high school in either Grade 11 or 12 and who are exempted from taking specific State assessments shall have their transcript and permanent records so annotated." Principals may not waive any testing requirements for transfer students who were enrolled in a registered or non-registered New York State public or nonpublic school or who received home instruction in New York State for any or all of Grade 9 or 10.

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State testing: From development to Implementation

The Test Development Process

How are assessments developed by the New York State Education Department? What are the roles of teachers, supervisors, parents, and students in the test development process? Believe it or not, you have a direct impact on this process, and your active participation in the creation and evaluation of these examinations prior to their public administration is highly desired.

To help demystify the test development process, the New York State Education Department, partnering with Pearson Educational Measurement, sponsored a training entitled "State Testing: From Development to Interpretation" on Tuesday, May 25, 2004, at the Empire State Plaza’s Museum Theater, Albany, NY. The purpose of this seminar was to examine how and why State assessments are developed and to focus on the analysis and interpretation of State assessment data, so that school districts can optimally use assessment to monitor student achievement and improve student learning.

Video excerpts from
"State Testing: From Development to Interpretation"		 NYSED - Interpreting Data (Part 1)
NYSED - Interpreting Data (Part 2)
NYSED - Interpreting Data (Part 3)
NYSED - Interpreting Data (Part 4)

Glossary of Assessment Terms ( 99 KB)

2005-2006 Elementary and Intermediate-Level Field Test Information

New Sampling Method for Pretesting and Field Testing of Regents Examinations

19-Step Test Development Process ( 99 KB)

How are Regents Examinations Scored?

Test Distribution Unit

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Test Manuals for School Administrators 

The following sites provide general administration procedures for the four State Social Studies Assessments.

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NYSED SCORING MATERIALS

The materials listed below must be used when scoring state examinations:

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Case Studies:
Organizing State Assessment Scoring Sessions

In January 2005 The New York State Social Studies Supervisors Association (NYS4A) met to develop a series of case studies. These case studies explore the scoring process from a hands-on, pragmatic perspective. To aid other social studies supervisors, the group developed a series of Guided Questions that supervisors must answer when organizing scoring sessions. The number of papers to be scored is an important factor when organizing scoring sessions.

These mini case studies focus on scoring in different educational settings―a large city school district, a regional center, a large school, a medium-sized school, and two small schools. The mini case studies include scoring of the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test, the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test, the Global History and Geography Regents, and the United States History and Government Regents.

Guided Questions

Large District Scoring Case Study Grade 5  Elementary-Level Social Studies Test

Regional BOCES Scoring Case Study Grade 5  Elementary-Level Social Studies Test

Large School Scoring Case Study Regents Exam

Medium-Size School Scoring Case Study Global History and Geography and United States History and Government Regents Examinations

Small School Scoring Case Study Grade 8  Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test

Small School Scoring Case Study Regents Examinations

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Understanding Your School/District Report Card

Guide to Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Assessments

The New York State School/District Report Card is an integral part of the Board of Regents' effort to raise learning standards for all students. It is designed to provide information about student performance on social studies tests. Other measures of school district performance are also provided.

The Comprehensive Information Report (CIR) itemizes three years of results on all State tests, including an Overview and Analysis of student subgroup performance for elementary- and middle-level social studies tests. To find this Statewide information, you must choose the year in which you are interested. then select the NY State School District List, where you choose a specific district. This will take you to the District Comprehensive Information Report ( 99 KB) which will provide social studies test information along with other Statewide information that can be used for comparative purposes.

 

Last Updated: March 11, 2011