Letters to the Editor: Regents

Dear Red Hook Star-Revue,

I recently graduated from college so I’m not too far removed from high school, which is usually associated with taking the Regents, but my high school (The Beacon School) used portfolio-based assessments (PBAs) instead, so my experience was a bit different. As mentioned in the article, the only regent I had to take was the ELA one, and I remember leaving the test feeling good about myself because it was much easier than a typical PBA. A  PBA could be a test, project, presentation, essay, or some combination of all of them (depending on the subject).

Most of my friends took the regents since we went to different high schools, and based on what they’ve told me, their classes focused on preparing them for the Regents. My school felt like the opposite. Each PBA was designed based on what we were doing in class, rather than using class time to prepare us for a test. I was drawn to the idea of not having to take the Regents when I began high school, but I also think each PBA covered more material and was more challenging than the Regents I did take. In hindsight, I think my high school’s system was beneficial and helped prepare me for college.

It’s possible that other schools will slowly turn to similar assessments instead of the Regents but as the article says, for most schools the Regents are all they’ve ever known, and that makes it unlikely that they’ll be willing to take a risk and make such a significant change.

From Brian Abate