BILL NUMBER:S6730

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
providing students an opportunity to take regents examinations if
missed due to school closure

PURPOSE: Relates to providing students an opportunity to take regents
examinations if missed due to school closure.

SUMMARY OF PROVISION:

Section 1 adds a new section 208-b requiring the State to provide
alternative regents exam testing days when schools are closed due to
emergency school closure. Any school district that is closed due to an
emergency during a regents examination period would be required to
provide any student qualified to take such exam on the original test
date, the opportunity to retest within thirty days from the date of
the original examination. The board of regents shall select the date
for the regents exam and notify school districts of the make-up date
and locations.

For purposes of this section, "emergency" shall be defined as a
situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life or property
that causes a school district to close.

Section 2 is the effective date.
              

JUSTIFICATION:  New York State requires that students pass five
Regents exams to graduate from High School: two in Social Studies and
one each in Math, Science and English. To ensure that students have
multiple opportunities to take the Regents exams, New York offers them
three times a year. The tests are usually given in January, June and
August, giving students three opportunities to take the exam. The
January test serves many purposes including allowing students to
graduate midyear, as well as helping students lighten their heavy exam
load in June. If a school is going to be closed due to an emergency at
the same time that a regents is scheduled to be given the State should
ensure that each student is still given three opportunities to take
the exam. Failure to allow this opportunity can lead to a higher rate
of dropouts, lower averages; while leaving qualified seniors unable to
graduate.

Typically New York State receives a few snow storms each winter. This
year some school districts like Eden Central School and Iroquois
School District had to cancel classes due to wind chills advisories.
Eden Central School District, which canceled classes this winter when
some students were scheduled to take Comprehensive English and Living
Environment exams, had to close its schools for six consecutive days
because of inclement weather. In previous years, school districts were
forced to close due to bad weather preventing students from taking
their exams and forcing them to wait until June. This lowers the
opportunity that students have to pass the exam and increases the
anxiety levels for some seniors. Creating make-up days for the regents
in the event that an emergency does occur, ensures each student a fair
chance at being able to take the Regents exam three times in a year.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: None.


FISCAL IMPLICATION: To Be Determined

EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.