Regents Examination Storage and Security Requirements
Posted by Safe & Vault on Jul 08, 2014
Why it's important to schools in the State of New York
The Regents Competency Tests (or RCTs) are standardized tests developed by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) under the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. The RCTs were instituted by the State of New York in 1866 as way to measure efficacy in the acquiring of knowledge by public school students in pursuit of a diploma from the state. In order to graduate from a public school in the state of New York, college bound and non-disabled students must pass one section in each of four standardized tests during the four years they attend high school. The Regents Exams also offer an Advanced Designation, and an Honor Designation which are available to students who wish to qualify for higher distinctions within academia.
For all students entering the 9th grade in 2008 and after, the Regents Competency Tests must be passed with a 65 out of 100 possible percentage points. A score of 75-80 percent is deemed acceptable for college readiness. The exams consists of four main sections that offer differing sub-sections within, geared toward measuring knowledge on several fields within the main exam section. These sections are;
Social Studies
* Global History and Geography
* United States History and Government
English Language Arts: Comprehensive English
Mathematics
* Integrated Algebra
* Geometry
* Algebra 2 and Trigonometry
Science
* Earth Science / The Physical Setting
* Biology / The Living Environment
* Chemistry / The Physical Setting
* Physics / The Physical Setting
Regents Competency Exams in Science and Social Studies are offered in six languages other than English. United States History and Government are available in English, and four other additional languages, and the Mathematical Exams are offered in a total of twenty-nine languages and English.
The security of the Regents Examinations are of the utmost importance to the State of New York. Stringent security measures have been established to ensure that the examinations are stored securely from the time they are delivered to their testing destination, throughout the testing process, and up to the date when they are returned to the designated scoring center.
Materials for the Regents testing arrive in locked Regents boxes, and then must be stored in a Department approved safe or walk-in vault. There are several storage requirements for both storage containment options.
Walk-in vaults must meet five key criteria to qualify as approved. Those criteria are;
- Poured concrete floor.
- No windows or access panels.
- Walls must be of reinforced cement block or concrete, must be sealed to a poured concrete floor, and have a structural floor or roof deck above.
- Metal door in metal frame with interior or welded-pin hinges.
- Built in latch / deadbolt combo, or key lock that allows exiting at all times.
If the school or testing venue opts to use a safe for storage, there are six key criteria that must be met in order for the Tl-30 security safe to qualify for state compliance. These criteria are;
Meet or exceed Underwriters Laboratories TL-30 performance standards for burglary resistance.
- Steel door at least 1 ½” thick.
- Steel walls at least 1” thick.
- 750 lbs. minimum weight.
- Built-in combination lock.
- Sufficient capacity to store the Regents boxes for specific school’s typical exam request. (Minimum acceptable unobstructed inside dimensions: 11” x 20” x 27”.)
If a school or testing center does not have a qualifying safe or walk-in vault, then the Principal of the testing school must arrange to store them in a school or center that does meet the qualifying designations.
Each site must adhere to strict security measures while testing supplies remain in their possession. The Principal of the testing school must advise all receiving personnel (after or during school hours) of proper procedure for safeguarding exam security, access to testing materials must be restricted to the fewest number of staff possible, and all materials must be inspected daily by the person in charge of testing security to ensure security has not been breached.
School are allowed by the Board of Regents to have an “ongoing” storage plan that exists year to year, unless the Board is notified of changes by the testing institution.
While storage and containment of Regents examinations is strictly controlled, the regulations have been established in the best interest of the institution offering the testing, and the students who take part in these yearly assessments.