Regents' Testing Program
 


Board Policy

An examination (the Regents’ Test) to assess the competency level in reading and writing of all students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs leading to the baccalaureate degree in University System institutions shall be administered. The following statement shall be the policy of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia on this examination.

The formulation and administration of the Regents’ Test shall be as determined by the Chancellor.

Each institution of the University System of Georgia shall assure the other institutions, and the System as a whole, that students obtaining a degree from that institution possess certain minimum skills of reading and writing. The Regents’ Testing Program has been developed to help in the attainment of this goal. The objectives of the Testing Program are: (1) to provide System-wide information on the status of student competence in the areas of reading and writing; and (2) to provide a uniform means of identifying those students who fail to attain the minimum levels of competence in the areas of reading and writing.

Students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs leading to the baccalaureate degree shall pass the Regents’ Test as a requirement for graduation. ABAC requires all transfer degree students to pass the Regents’ Test in order to graduate. The Nursing degree (ADN) requires that students pass the Regents’ Test. The Agricultural Business Technology and Plant Science Technology degrees do not require the Regents’ Test if students earn “C” or better in both English 1101 and 1102.

The following Technology Program degrees do not require the Regents’ Test: Fashion Merchandising, Children and Family Services, Interior Design, Agricultural Engineering Technology, Golf Turf Management, Commercial Turf Management, Sports Turf Management, Landscape Design and Grounds Management, Ornamental Production, and Golf Clubhouse Management.

Students must take the test in their first semester of enrollment after earning 30 credit hours if they have not taken it previously. (Institutions may not prohibit students who have earned at least 30 credit hours from taking the test for the first time.) ABAC students may take the test during a semester in which they are not enrolled. ABAC students are eligible to take the test after they have completed English 1101 with a “C” or better. ABAC encourages students to take the Regents’ Test during the semester in which they are taking English 1102.

Each institution shall provide an appropriate program of remediation and shall require students who have not passed both parts of the test by the time they have earned 45 credit hours to take the appropriate remedial course or courses each semester of enrollment until they have passed both parts.

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’ Test must register for the test during their first semester of enrollment in a program leading to the baccalaureate degree or an ABAC program leading to all transfer degrees, or an ABAC program that requires passing the test in order to graduate (see above). Those who have not passed before their third semester of enrollment are subject to the remediation requirement.

A student holding a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education will not be required to complete the Regents’ Test in order to receive a degree from a University System institution.

Scores on other standardized tests as specified by the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academics and Fiscal Affairs may be used to fulfill Regents’ Test requirements. Such scores must be from a national test administration and must indicate a very high probability (at least 0.95) of passing the Regents’ Test. Tests used to fulfill the essay requirement must include an externally graded writing sample. A student who attains the Verbal score of 510 on the National SAT or 23 on the National ACT has fulfilled the requirement for the Reading portion of the test. A student who attains the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition or English Literature and Composition scores of at least 3, International Baccalaureate (IB) higher-level English scores of at least 4, or National SAT II English Writing scores of at least 650 will be considered as having fulfilled the essay requirement of the Regents’ Test and do not need to take the essay portion of the Regents’ Test.

REGENTS’ TESTING PROGRAM ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

These procedures implement the Policy on the Regents’ Testing Program of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

i. Testing and Remediation Requirements

  1. Students in programs leading to the baccalaureate degree who have not met the Regents’ Test requirement must take the test during the semester of enrollment immediately following the completion of 30 college-level semester credit hours. ABAC requires students in programs leading to the associate degree to take the test after earning 30 college-level semester credits. Degree exemptions are listed above. (College-level credit hours include all credit with the exception of institutional credit.) This requirement applies regardless of whether the student has taken or passed specific courses, including English courses, or completed any other institutional requirements.

  2. Passing the Regents’ Test is defined as having passed both parts of the test by scoring at or above the minimum passing score specified for each part. On a scale of 1 to 99, the passing score for the Reading Test is 61. The passing score for the Essay Test is “2” on a scale of 1 to 4. Students will also be considered as having passed a part of the test if they achieve a score on another standardized test as specified by the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academics and Fiscal Affairs (effective summer semester, 2003 for students graduating from a USG institution in summer semester, 2003 or later). Such scores must be from a national test administration and must indicate a very high probability (at least .95) of passing a part of the Regents’ Test. Tests used to fulfill the essay requirement must include an externally graded writing sample. The following tests and scores are approved, and other tests will be considered as data become available:

  1. Students with SAT- I Verbal scores of at least 510 or ACT Reading scores of at least 23 will be considered to have fulfilled the reading comprehension requirement of the Regents’ Test and do not need to take the reading portion of the Regents’ Test. Scores must be from a national administration of the SAT or ACT. (Scores from institutional SAT or residual ACT tests will not be acceptable for this purpose.)

  2. Students with College Board Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition or English Literature and Composition scores of at least 3, International Baccalaureate (IB) higher-level English scores of at least 4, or SAT II English Writing scores of at least 650 will be considered as having fulfilled the essay requirement of the Regents’ Test and do not need to take the essay portion of the Regents’ Test. (There is no implication that such students should be given any course credit or exemption in English.)

  1. Students who have earned 45 college-level semester credit hours and have not met the Regents’ Test requirement (have not passed either part of the test) are required to take the appropriate non-degree credit course(s) in remedial reading and/or remedial writing in each semester of attendance until they have passed both components of the test. The only exception that may be made is for part-time students taking one remedial course and no college-level credit courses.

  2. ABAC students are required to take remediation each time a portion of the test is failed.

  3. Institutions may not prohibit students who have earned at least 30 credit hours from taking the test for the first time.

  1. ABAC students are required to take the test before they have earned 30 hours.

  2. ABAC students are eligible to take the Regents’ Test after they have completed English 1101 with a “C” or better. ABAC encourages students to take the Regents’ Test during the semester in which they are taking English 1102.

  3. ABAC students may be permitted to take the test during a semester in which they are not enrolled. (For example, non-enrolled students from associate degree institutions who are otherwise eligible to take the test and not subject to a remedial requirement might be encouraged to take the test during the summer administration.)

  4. ABAC students who have failed both parts of the Regents’ Test are allowed to take the reading and essay portions of the test in separate semesters.

  1. Having passed the Regents’ Test 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’ Test should take the test during their first semester of enrollment in a program leading to the baccalaureate degree or associate degree at ABAC (see exemptions above). Those who have not passed before their third semester of enrollment are subject to the remediation requirement. Students entering with AP credit, credit from other advanced placement programs or examinations, and/or joint enrollment credit may take the Regents’ Test during their first two semesters of enrollment. They are not subject to System-mandated remediation requirements unless they have earned at least 45 hours.

  2. The Regents’ Test is to be administered in accordance with the instructions provided in the Regents’ Testing Program Administration Manual.

  3. Institutions are responsible for enforcing the requirements related to the Regents’ Testing Program. Institutions may increase these requirements provided that such increased requirements are authorized by the Chancellor and provided further that such requirements are published in the official catalog of the institution prior to implementation. Such additional requirements shall in no way affect the transfer of students from one institution to another or the readmission of students to University System institutions.

ii.    Guidelines for Remedial Courses

  1. Required remedial work shall be in keeping with regulations in satisfaction of federal and state student financial assistance and other such eligibility programs. Federal monies cannot be used to pay for Regents’ Test remediation classes. Thus, Federal loans and the Pell Grant cannot be used to pay for these classes. However, HOPE Scholarship monies can be used to pay for the remediation classes.

  2. Separate courses in remediation for the reading and the essay portions of the test are to be provided. Courses developed for other purposes, such as those for Learning Support students or for regular credit English, may not be used to fulfill the Regents’ Test remediation requirement.

  3. Each required Regents’ Test remedial course is to consist of a minimum of 25 hours of classroom/laboratory instruction provided before students retake the test.

  4. Regents’ Test remediation courses are to be classified as a regular part of the student’s academic load, resulting in institutional credit, and should be handled as part of the regular registration procedure. However, Federal Financial Aid cannot be used to pay for the Regents’ Test remediation classes.

iii.   Special Categories of Students

  1. A student holding a baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited institution of higher education will not be required to complete the Regents’ Test in order to receive a degree from a University System institution.

  2. Each institution may develop special procedures for certifying the competence of 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. To qualify for the International administration of the Regents’ Test, ABAC students must have graduated from a non-U.S. high school and earned a “C” or better in English 1101. ABAC students whose first language is not English receive double time on the test. These students are subject to the remediation requirements:

  1. Each time a portion of the test is not passed, students must take the appropriate Regents’ Test Reading Remediation and/or Essay Remediation course(s).

  2. Any non-native speaker of English who has not passed both parts of the Regents’ Test before earning 45 hours must take remediation every semester until student passes both parts of the test.

  1. Each institution shall develop special procedures, in accordance with the description of procedures and requirements (see appended “Special Administration of the Regents’ Test”) for certifying the competence of students with disabilities. Such procedures shall include provision for remediation if needed and formal examination prior to certifying competency. Such examination shall equal the standards of the Regents’ Testing Program. Refer to the following section on “Special Administration of the Regents’ Test.”

  2. Students who have moved out of state after completing all requirements for graduation with the exception of the Regents’ Test requirement may be permitted to have the Regents’ Test administered out of state if they have fulfilled remediation requirements and follow the procedures outlined in the Regents’ Testing Program Administration Manual.

iv.   Essay Review

A student may request a formal review of his or her failure on the essay component of the Regents’ 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. All applicable requirements of the Regents’ Test Policy remain in effect for those students whose essays are under review, including those regulations relating to remediation and to retaking the test.

  3. The review will be initiated at the campus level. Students need to contact the Chair of the Humanities’ Division (Dr. Bobbie Robinson) to initiate the process. The on-campus review 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 central 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 essay component of the Regents’ 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.

v.    Reading Review

  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. All applicable requirements of the Regents’ Test Policy remain in effect for those students whose tests are under review, including those regulations relating to remediation and to retaking the test.

  3. The Reading Test scantron answer sheet is machine scored two times. However, a student may request the Reading Test scantron answer sheet to be handscored.

  4. To initiate the process, ABAC students need to contact the Regents’ Test Administrator (Dr. Maggie Martin) to obtain the appropriate reading test review form. Students complete the form and mail it to the address listed on the form. There is a $10 charge for the reading test review.

SPECIAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE REGENTS’ TEST

STUDENTS WITH VISUAL, HEARING, OR MOTOR IMPAIRMENT

An alternative means of certifying the competence of students with visual, hearing, or motor impairment may be used. Such examination shall equal the standards of the Regents’ Testing Program. In most cases, the 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, or recorded 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, Form 21 of the Regents’ Reading Test may be used.

If an ABAC student with a visual, hearing, or motor impairment is unable to handwrite an essay on the regular Essay Test form for rating, the essay may be copied from the format produced by the student (e.g., typed or written on enlarged paper), 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 SIRS record submitted by the Office of Enrollment Services 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. The remediation requirements apply to all ABAC students, with or without a disability or disabilities.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES, TEST ANXIETY, OR OTHER DOCUMENTED NEEDS

The following procedure is for the accommodation of students who are competent in the skills required on the Regents’ Test but are unable to demonstrate competence in a standardized administration of the test because of a learning disability, severe test anxiety, or other documented problems. 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. For students to be eligible on the basis of test anxiety, there should be evidence that the student has the skills required for passing the test but is unable to display the skills during a regular test administration. Students who perform well in remedial classes but continue to fail the test should be evaluated for test anxiety. Except in unusual circumstances when strong clinical evidence of test anxiety is available, students would not be accommodated on the basis of test anxiety unless they have enrolled in remedial courses at least twice. ABAC allows students, with or without test anxiety, to receive double time on the test after they have failed and remediated a part (Reading and/or Essay) of the test twice.

The documentation for each student is to be evaluated and maintained by the institution. An Annual Report on Learning Disorders will be made of the types of accommodations made and diagnoses on which the accommodations were based.

All ABAC students with or without special needs or disabilities are required to follow the remediation requirements.

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 Test 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.

  • The test 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.

REMEDIATION REQUIREMENT

The remediation requirement may not be waived for students with disabilities. However, the institution will determine whether the regular Regents’ Test remediation course or another remedial experience is needed to accommodate the student. The student must complete the remediation requirement prescribed by the institution prior to retaking the test.