Geometry Regents letter could have policy implications

WEBUTUCK  —   Math teacher Robert Reid attended the Board of Education meeting on Jan. 12 to address any concerns about a letter he sent to parents regarding the geometry Regents.

This is the first year that geometry has been offered at Webutuck High School in some time. Math Regents have had a history of being challenging for Webutuck students, and past algebra Regents have been curved upward of 30 points.

Reid explained that his letter was intended as a permission slip that parents could sign, indicating whether their child was interested in taking the Regents at the end of the year. This conflicted with a statement given by high school Principal Jay Posephney at the previous board meeting when the letter was first introduced; at that time Posephney said the letter was simply an informal questionnaire.

By law, high school students are only required to pass one New York state mathematics exam. As there is only one geometry class, Reid explained that he noticed a divide in student demographics. On one side were younger students who were planning to moving on to more advanced math classes during their high school career. On the other side were upperclassmen who were not planning to take additional math courses and in some cases were only taking geometry to fulfill credit requirements.

Bigger schools would have Regents and non-Regents classes, Reid explained. With his letter, he was simply looking to please both sides.

“I’m definitely encouraging students to try the Regents,� he said. “But some students are so afraid of them that they aren’t even trying in the course. Some kids need more hands-on work with math. The goal is to have those students gain a sense of accomplishment.�

School board member Susan Lounsbury asked if there was flexibility for students who opted out of the Regents at the beginning of the year, but decided near the end that they felt confident enough to try.

Reid responded that students could change their minds up until the day of the test. A student’s Regents grade has no effect on the final grade for the course, but Reid will use two separate grading formulas. He reported that in the past his system has worked out to be within two points of a student’s Regents score.

Another question was whether students interested in college would need those credits. Reid said it depended on what they intended to study. A theater major, for example, wouldn’t be accepted into the theater program at his school for strong math scores.

Parent Jeanne Rebillard said that while she understood what Reid was trying to do, and she applauded his efforts, she was fearful that the district was lowering the bar.

“If it doesn’t affect their grade, why not encourage all the students to take the Regents?� she asked.

Ultimately, district Superintendent Richard Johns said that Reid’s decision had policy implications, and the school’s Curriculum Council should look into the matter.

“What would this kind of a move mean for other courses?� Johns asked rhetorically.

Lounsbury agreed.

“The formula is really a Curriculum Council matter. It’s gotten to the point where it’s not our ball of wax until they look at it,� she said.

 The Curriculum Council is comprised of each department head, as well as district Curriculum Director John Biasotti. Johns said the council would meet to discuss the issue; his assumption was that by the February workshop meeting the board would have an answer.

School board President Dale Culver stressed that in the future, when similar letters are sent home to parents, the issue needs to already have the board’s agreement.

The next Board of Education meeting will be held on Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m.