Politician Demands Action Over ‘Unfair’ New York Regents Exams

Anger and confusion over this year's New York State Regents exams have caught the attention of a State Assemblyman who is now demanding corrections from the Education Department.

State Assemblyman Anil Beephan called this year's state tests for Earth Science and Biology "unfair and unacceptable" in a social media post on Monday. The Dutchess County representative revealed the contents of a complaint he's lodged against the New York State Education Department on behalf of angry parents and students who are crying foul over two Regents Exams given last month.

'Unfair' Regents Exams Gain Attention From Lawmakers

Beephan's criticism of the Education Department echoes complaints from students who claim they spent the year studying subjects that never appeared on the test. Instead of questions about rocks and weather, test takers claim they were asked about biology and economics. Biology students have also complained that questions about Earth Science were included on their tests instead of the topics covered in class.

The Education Department has already defended the tests, stating that they are "very confident" that the Regents Exams are aligned with the curriculum, but Beephan is demanding "immediate relief" to students who scored low.

New York Lawmaker Makes Demands Over Controversial Regents Exams

In his letter to the New York State Education Department, Beephan says it's "unacceptable for high-stakes exams to deviate from approved learning standards" and is calling on officials to implement three immediate actions.

The Assemblyman wants the Education Department to make "accommodations" to students who were tested on topics not covered in their classroom. No specific remedies were suggested, but throwing out unfair questions and adjusting grades is something that has been done in the past when mistakes were made on Regents Exams.

Beephan is also demanding that the department review and address the test content that he believes is not related to the curriculum studied in class. Finally, he wants stronger vetting and transparency on test questions moving forward.

Will Changes be Made to Regents Scores and Exams?

It's yet to be seen whether Beephan's letter will make any impact. The Education Department has already stated that they believe the questions were in line with standards set forth in each subject. This has also been backed up by independent educators who have reviewed the material and say it was a fair assessment of the required curriculum.

Some students agree, stating that the questions simply required them to display actual knowledge of the subject instead of just spitting back facts about rocks and weather.