The Physics Regents: Your Score Explained

December 4th, 2003

By Dr. Olga Livanis
To the Stuyvesant Community:

Your June 2003 Physics Regents score has disappeared from your transcript, but it will soon reappear, according to the Board of Regents in Albany. The Board of Regents is rethinking its conversion tables, which tell us where the 65 and 85 line is drawn and all the scores in between. On November 5, 2003 an article was released by the State Education Department that addressed how the new cut scores (65-85) for your June and August 2002, and June 2003 exams will be determined. They wrote:

To accomplish this task, the Committee will have identified test questions that should be answered correctly to achieve each of the standards. Each question, in turn, has a numeric difficulty value that is measured on the same difficulty scale used for all physics examinations, beginning in June 2002. That is, the difficulty values have been equated.

Consequently, the values corresponding to 65 and to 85 on the new adjusted (2004 and beyond) scale can be determined based on the equated item difficulty values. Because these values also correspond to the unadjusted scale scores, the new standards for passing and for passing with distinction can be applied both to the unadjusted scale values and to the new scale values. Following is an example of how it would work:

After the new standard setting, an item with a difficulty value of 0.7 may correspond to a scale value of 83. The same 0.7 item difficulty value would have corresponded on the June 2003 form to a scale value of 76. Therefore, an old scale score of 76 would now correspond to a new scale score of 83. A conversion table can be prepared showing that an old scale score of 76 becomes a new scale score of 83.

Using this methodology, we will create a conversion table(s) [sic] that can be used to give new scale value for each value of the former, unadjusted Regents examination scales, used for the June 2002 through June 2003 physics examinations.

So, as soon as we receive the new scale and rescore your June 2003 Physics Regents exam, it will reappear on your transcript. In the mean time, if you had a grade less than 55 on the June 2003 exam, you need to retake the exam again on January 28, 2004 at 9:15 a.m. Special review classes are now in session for you on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:25-4:25 in room 827.

– Dr. Olga Livanis,

Assistant Principal of Chemistry and Physics