2.08.02: Administrative Procedures/Regents' Test

SUBJECT: Regents' Testing Program: Administrative Procedures
SOURCE: Board of Regents Minutes, November, 1987; Memorandum from Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to Chief Academic Officers, April 24, 1989; Memorandum from the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to the Presidents, Chief Academic Officers, and Chief Student Officers, 10/28/91; Memorandum to Presidents, Chief Academic Officers and Chief Student Affairs Officers 8/18/94; Memorandum to Chief Academic Officers 07/24/98; Memorandum from Deputy/Senior Vice Chancellor for Academics and Fiscal Affairs to Chief Academic Officers, May 4, 2001; Memorandum from Vice Chancellor for Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs to Chief Academic Officers and Chief Student Affairs Officers, April 17, 2003. Memorandum from Vice Chancellor for Academic Planning and Programs to Chief Academic Officers and Chief Student Affairs Officers dated March 26, 2007 as a result of Board Approved Revisions to Regents' Test Guidelines as of March 21, 2007.
REFERENCE: Board of Regents approval of revised policy effective August 4, 2004

REGENTS' TESTING PROGRAM ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

These procedures implement Policy 307 of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

REGENT'S READING AND WRITING SKILLS REQUIREMENTS

Students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs leading to the baccalaureate degree shall pass the Regents' Reading Skills and Regents' Writing Skills courses as a requirement for graduation. These courses are offered for institutional credit. Students may exempt these courses through examination by passing the Regents' Tests or an approved alternative test in reading comprehension and in writing. Students who have earned 45 credit hours and have not passed or exempted the courses must take the Regents' Skills courses during each subsequent semester of enrollment. Students enrolled in a Regents' Skills course must pass the corresponding Regents' Test in order to receive a passing grade for the course.

Students with 30 or more semester credit hours transferring from outside of the System or from a System program that does not require the Regents' Skills courses must take the courses if they have not passed or exempted the courses before their third semester of enrollment.

The following are the specific implementation procedures:
1. Students in programs leading to the baccalaureate degree are expected to have satisfied the Regents' Reading and Writing Skills Requirements by the time they complete 45 college-level semester credit hours. Students satisfy the requirements by passing Regents' Reading Skills (RGTR 0198) and Regents' Writing Skills (RGTE 0199) or by exemption.
2. These requirements apply regardless of whether the student has taken or passed any other courses, including English courses, or completed any other institutional requirements.
3. College-level credit hours include all credit with the exception of institutional credit.
4. Students who have earned 45 college level credit hours and who have not satisfied the requirements will be required to register for the appropriate course(s) the next semester enrolled. The only exception that may be made is for part-time students taking one of the courses and no college-level credit courses.
5. Students may exempt RGTR 0198 by scoring at or above specified scores on the following examinations:
  
  Regents' Reading Test exemption score: 61
  SAT-I Verbal exemption score: 510
  ACT Reading exemption score: 23
  (SAT or ACT scores must be from a national administration. Scores from institutional SAT or residual ACT tests will not be acceptable for this purpose.)
6. Students may exempt RGTE 0199 by scoring at or above specified scores on the following examinations:
  - Regents' Essay Test exemption score: 2
  - College Board Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition exemption score: 3
  - College Board Advanced Placement (AP) English Literature and Composition exemption score: 3
  - International Baccalaureate (IB) higher-level English exemption score: 4
  - SAT II English Writing exemption score: 650
  - The following four are not available for students entering the system Summer 2008 or later:
  - SAT - I Verbal score of at least 530 and a grade of "A" in English 1101, or
    - SAT - I Verbal score of at least 590 and a grade of "B" in English 1101, or
    - ACT English score of at least 23 and a grade of "A" in English 1101, or
    - ACT English score of at least 26 and a grade of "B" in English 1101
  - SAT Reasoning Test, Writing Section exemption score: 560 (effective Spring 2007)
7. Additional standardized test scores may be specified by the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academics and Fiscal Affairs for use in exempting RGTR 0198 and RGTE 0199. Such scores must be from a national test administration and must indicate a very high probability (at least .95) of passing one of the courses or the associated component of the Regents' Test. Tests used to exempt the writing requirement must include an externally-graded writing sample.
8. Students with fewer than 45 semester hours of college-level credit are not required to take either RGTR 0198 or RGTE 0199. (Although institutions may require students to take courses before earning 45 hours, there should be an opportunity for students who plan their schedules appropriately to take Regents' Tests twice before they are required to take a course. Such planning may require enrollment in English the first two semesters and may include additional requirements established by the institution. Students who postpone taking English or who postpone taking Regents' Tests will not necessarily have two opportunities to take the test before the course requirement is imposed.)
9. Students should take the Regents' Tests in the semester after they have earned 30 credit hours if they have not taken them previously. Institutions may not prohibit students who have earned at least 30 credit hours but are not yet subject to the 45-hour Regents' course requirements from taking the Regents' Tests for the first time.
10. Students may be permitted or required to take the Regents' Tests prior to the completion of 30 credit hours.
11. Students may be permitted to take the Regents' Tests during a semester in which they are not enrolled.
12. Having passed RGTR 0198 and RGTE 0199 shall not be a condition of transfer into an institution. All transferring students from programs leading to the baccalaureate degree within the System shall be subject to all provisions of this policy. Students with 30 or more semester credit hours transferring from outside of the System or from a System program that does not require the Regents' courses should take the Regents' Tests during their first semester of enrollment in a program leading to the baccalaureate degree unless they have otherwise exempted the courses. Those who have not exempted the courses before their third semester of enrollment are subject to the course requirements.
13. Students entering with AP credit, credit from other advanced placement programs or examinations, and/or joint enrollment credit may take the Regents' Tests during their first two semesters of enrollment. They are not subject to System- mandated course requirements unless they have earned at least 45 hours and been enrolled at least two semesters.
14. Passing or exempting RGTR 0198 or RGTE 0199 is not a requirement for an Associate of Applied Science degree or an Associate of Science degree in an allied health field, although institutions may choose to require the courses for these degrees.
15. The Regents' Reading Test and Regents' Essay Test are to be administered in accordance with the instructions provided in the Regents' Testing Program Administration Manual.
16. Institutions are responsible for enforcing the requirements related to the Regents' Reading Skills and Regents' Writing Skills courses..
Guidelines for Regents' Reading Skills and Regents' Writing Skills Courses
1. Students enrolled in a Regents' course must pass the corresponding Regents' Test in order to receive a passing grade for the course.
2. Students not passing the course receive a "U" and must repeat the course until they pass. Those passing receive a grade of "S."
3. Each course carries three hours of institutional credit. (Note: The number of credit hours for these courses will be reviewed 2003-2004.)
4. The following are the course descriptions:
  
  REGENTS' READING SKILLS (RGTR 0198)
  The Regents' Reading Skills course is intended to ensure that all graduates of USG institutions possess certain minimum skills in reading comprehension. Students work on improving their comprehension of material drawn from a variety of subject areas (social science, natural science and humanities) with various modes of discourse (exposition, narration and argumentation). Critical thinking and the following four major aspects of reading are emphasized: vocabulary in context, inferential and literal comprehension, and analysis.
  
  REGENTS' WRITING SKILLS (RGTE 0199)
  The Regents' Writing Skills course is intended to ensure that all graduates of USG institutions possess certain minimum skills in writing. Students learn to evaluate their own writing strengths and weaknesses and work on improving their writing skills so that they are able to write an essay meeting the Regents' criteria.
Special Categories of Students
1. STUDENTS HOLDING A BACCALAURATE OR HIGHER DEGREE
  A student holding a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education will not be required to pass RGTR 0198 or RGTE 0199 in order to receive a degree from a University System institution.
2. STUDENTS WHOSE NATIVE LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH
  Each institution may develop special procedures for examining and exempting students whose native language is not English. These procedures shall require a formal examination of competence in English. At a minimum, the examination shall include the writing of an essay. The testing procedures may be locally developed and administered. The grading of the essay may be local and shall involve multiple raters, of which at least two of three must pass the essay. The use of culturally neutral topics, the granting of extended time, and the use of translation dictionaries are permissible accommodations for the essay examination.
3. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
  Each institution shall develop special procedures, in accordance with the description of procedures and requirements (see appended .Special Administration of the Regents' Test') for examining and exempting students with disabilities. A written description of the institutional procedures shall be submitted to the Chancellor. Such procedures shall include provision for Regents' courses if needed and formal examination prior to exemption or passing the courses. Such examination shall equal the standards of the Regents' Tests.
4. FORMER STUDENTS
  Students who failed the Regents' Reading Test before Fall Quarter, 1980, shall not be held to a higher passing standard at a subsequent retaking of the test than was in effect at the time of their original attempt. All students, regardless of when they entered the system, must pass or exempt the Regents' Skills courses as a requirement for graduation.
5. STUDENTS RESIDING OUT OF STATE
  Students who live out of state may be permitted to have the Regents' Tests administered out of state if they have fulfilled course requirements and follow the procedures outlined in the Regents' Testing Program Administration Manual.
Essay Review
A student may request a formal review of his or her Regents' Essay Test if that student's essay received at least one passing score among the three scores awarded. The review procedures shall be as follows:
1. A student must initiate the review procedure by mid-term of his/her first semester of enrollment after the semester in which the essay was failed. The review must be initiated, however, within one calendar year from the semester in which the failure occurred.
2. Students whose essays are under review and who have earned 45 credit hours must enroll in the Regents' Writing Skills course.
3. The review will be initiated at the campus level, with procedural matters to be determined by the institution. The on-campus review, however, will be conducted by the three faculty members designated by the institution as a review panel. The on-campus review panel may (1) sustain, by majority opinion, the essay's failing score, thus terminating the review process, or (2) recommend, by majority opinion, the re-scoring of the essay by the Regents' Testing Program Office. The student will be notified concerning the results of the on-campus review. A decision by the on-campus review panel to terminate the review process is final.
4. If the on-campus panel recommends re-scoring of the essay, that recommendation will be transmitted in writing, along with the essay, to the office of the System Director of the Regents' Testing Program. The Director will utilize the services of three experienced Regents' essay scorers other than those involved in the original scoring of the essay to review the essay, following normal scoring procedures for the Regents' Essay Test. The decision of the panel on the merits of the essay will be final, thus terminating the review process. The student will be notified through the institution concerning the results of the review.

SPECIAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE REGENTS' TESTS

STUDENTS WITH VISUAL, HEARING, OR MOTOR IMPAIRMENT

An alternative means of exempting or examining students with visual, hearing, or motor impairment may be used. Such examination shall equal the standards of the Regents' Tests. In most cases, a Regents' Test would be administered with accommodations determined by the institution on the basis of the student's needs.

The Regents' Reading Test administration for a student with a visual, hearing, or motor impairment should correspond as closely as possible to the student's usual means of obtaining information from text. A visually impaired student, for example, could use the Braille, large-print, recorded or text-to-speech version of the Reading Test. If it is necessary for the Reading Test to be scored locally rather than submitted to the Regents' Testing Program Office for scoring, a test form designated by the Regents' Testing Program Office may be used.

If a student with a visual, hearing, or motor impairment is unable to handwrite an essay on the regular Essay Test form for rating, the institution has two options: the essay may be locally rated in the format produced by the student (e.g., typed or written on enlarged paper), or the essay may be copied to the regular Essay Test form by a proctor and submitted to the Regents' Testing Program Office for rating. The Regents' Testing Program Office cannot obtain ratings for essays that are not written on the regular test form or that are otherwise identifiable as special administrations.

The Regents' Testing Program Office does not have to be informed when a student with a visual, hearing, or motor impairment takes or passes an alternative test. However, the student record system must indicate that alternative procedures have been used. The documentation for each student is to be evaluated and maintained by the institution and summarized in the institution's Annual Report on Learning Disorders.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES OR OTHER DOCUMENTED NEEDS

The following procedure is for the accommodation of students who are competent in the skills required by the Regents' Reading Skills and Regents' Writing Skills courses but are unable to demonstrate competence in a standardized administration of the Regents' Tests because of a learning disability or other documented problem. A diagnosis of learning disability must include evidence of a discrepancy between ability and achievement in the area affecting test performance and must be consistent with the definition and criteria for evaluation provided in Section 2.22 of the Academic Affairs Handbook.

The documentation for each student is to be evaluated and maintained by the institution.

Allowable Accommodations and Restrictions

The accommodations that may be made are limited to the following:

extended time
separate room for test administration
large-print test format
use of a word processor, typewriter, or scratch paper for composing the essay (The student must handwrite the essay on the regular essay form for grading, or, if the student's diagnosis indicates an inability to copy the essay, the test administrator or proctor must copy the essay as written by the student with no changes and send both the original and copied essay to the Regents' Testing Program Office.)
reading of the essay to the student (If the student's diagnosis indicates a visual processing deficit that prevents the student from reading his or her own essay accurately, the proctor may read the essay aloud exactly as written while the student makes corrections to the essay.)
transcription of reading test responses to the scanner sheet

Essays must be rated through the usual rating process, which does not allow for the provision of any information about the student to the raters. Raters cannot be asked to take a student's disabilities into account when rating an essay. Instead, appropriate modifications in the test administration process must allow the student's essay to be rated through the usual process.

All test administrations must meet the following conditions:

The essay and Reading Test responses must be submitted to the Regents' Testing Program Office for scoring.
The product submitted must be in the standard format for grading: the essay must be handwritten on the regular essay form with no extra paper, and the Reading Test responses must be recorded on the student_s scanner sheet.
Except as indicated above under allowable exceptions for students who are unable to copy or read their own essays, the product submitted for grading must be produced by the student with no assistance provided or changes made by any other person.
Tests must be administered under secure conditions, and all work must be completed under supervision.

Accommodations other than those described above may be made only upon recommendation of a Regents Center for Learning Disorders. The Centers will make recommendations for students with learning disabilities or acquired brain impairment. The procedures used by the Centers are described in Section 2.22.

The Regents' Reading and Writing Skills courses may not be waived for students with disabilities. However, appropriate accommodations will be provided.

STUDENTS ENROLLED IN REGENTS' READING SKILLS OR REGENTS' WRITING SKILLS COURSES AT LEAST TWICE

Students who perform well in RGTR 0198 or RGTE 0199 but continue to fail the corresponding Regents' Test may have test anxiety that interferes with their test performance. A student may be given extended time if he or she has been enrolled in RGTR 0198 at least twice or in RGTE 0199 at least twice and there is evidence that the student has the skills required for passing the corresponding Regents' Test but is unable to display the skills during a regular timed test administration.

Last Updated: 03/27/2007

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2.08.02: Administrative Procedures/Regents' Test