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NY Regents Promise Not to Weaken Physics Standards

September 12, 2003 -- ALBANY - State education officials yesterday promised not to weaken standards for the Regents physics exams, despite an outcry that the tests are too tough.
"I don't think there's a necessary connection that if you make it more accessible you make it easier," said Robert Bennett, chairman of the Board of Regents, which oversees the state's vast education system.

"I don't think there's any intention of any board member of lowering standards," he added.

"There's absolute unanimity on this."

This past school year, 60 percent of the students who took the test failed.

Recognizing the complaints about the difficulty of the test, Bennett established a three-member group to develop ways to improve the exam and make it easier for teachers to know what they should do to help students prepare for it.

During the board's meeting yesterday, it heard from various educators from across the state that the tough tests have resulted in fewer students taking them.

But Kathleen McGroddy Goetz of IBM urged the board not to lower standards, saying the tougher expectations are more attractive to companies looking to hire.

"I understand that competition is hard, but competition is part of life," Goetz said.

"Lowering standards is not the answer."


— Kenneth Lovett
Regents Hard Line on Sci Test
New York Post
2003-09-12
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/5625.htm

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