Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that New York State might prohibit teachers from grading their own students' Regents exams, due to a fear of grade inflation.
This proposal is tied to new regulations that factor student performance on state exams into teacher and principal evaluations. The New York State Department of Education hasn't made clear exactly who would grade the exams-other teachers in the building or district, or an independent third party-but it fears that teachers would be more likely to inflate grades if their own ratings (and, perhaps, their job security) were dependent, in part, on their students' standardized test scores.
So, who should grade the Regents exams? If New York entrusts teachers with the education and assessment of their own students throughout the school year, why should the grading of final exams be any different?
And, with Albany making statewide cuts in education funding, wouldn't this be an unnecessary expense? What are your thoughts?
Dennis Urban is a full-time social studies teacher and co-owner of Long Island Regents Prep, which offers regents review classes at SUNY Farmingdale. Visit liregentsprep.com for more information.
