THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OFFICE OF STATE ASSESSMENT March 2018 TO: District Superintendents Superintendents of Public Schools FROM: Steven E. Katz SUBJECT: Spring 2018 Regents Examination Program Stand-Alone Field Testing This memorandum is to inform you of the stand-alone field testing for the Regents Examination program that will take place in Spring 2018. We appreciate all the hard work you do to help implement our field testing programs. Secure stand-alone field tests will be administered in most secondary schools this year. These field tests represent an important part of the test development process and provide the data necessary to ensure the fairness, validity and reliability of the Regents Examination program. The 2018 Regents Examination field tests are secure and should be administered to all students enrolled in the corresponding courses of study in selected middle and high schools. The Department will ship the Regents Examination field test materials via UPS in early May. Complete directions will be provided with the field tests. The 2018 Regents Examination field tests may be administered any time after they are received, but no later than May 25. All test materials must be returned to the State Education Department by June 1. All field tests are secure material that must be stored in a secure location; under no circumstances should the field tests be left unattended when out of the secure storage location. Photocopying and/or retaining copies of any field test material is prohibited. School personnel are not permitted to read or review secure field test booklets for any reason other than to read field tests to students who have “tests read” as an accommodation in their Individualized Education Programs or Section 504 Accommodation Plans. Building or district administrators who have questions about the Regents Examination field test program may contact the Office of State Assessment by email at [email protected] or by phone at (518) 474-5902. Thank you for your continued commitment to improving education in New York State.