Regent examinations are Middle School and High School tests administered in New York City that students earn credits for to take to graduate High School. New York High School students must pass at least 4 regents in subjects social studies, math, English, science, and one additional exam.
As of the school year 2024-2025, the first Biology regents are being conducted and are becoming the new replacement for life sciences Living Environment. This change will be enacted in June 2025 and is expected to align with the High School Biology curriculum, which will be different from the Living Environment course. Many science department teachers teaching Living Environment believed that it is not “real science” and students should be learning the study of life biology. Ultimately, this was one of the major pushes that led to the transition to Biology for incoming freshmen students.
However, biology regents will be much more difficult than regents in the previous Living Environment. Teachers and students also do not have prior resources and knowledge for the Biology regents exam because it will be the first year that the exam will take place.
“When we started the unit, there was no assessment made that we could use for reference like what should a test we design should look like, there are no examples to use,” Biology teacher Mr. McGowan expressed. “These kids are going to take the Biology regent in June and there’s no sample, there’s no exam that we could give as a practice to really anticipate what the test is going to look like.”
Many biology teachers find it difficult to navigate their lessons and set clear goals for students without any idea of what the exam is going to look like. “It’s a new curriculum and there’s a phrase that people like to use we’re building the plane as we fly it” Biology Teacher Mr. McGowan stated. Students typically look back on old regent exams and do practice tests to test their knowledge. However, biology students this year do not have that advantage.
“Since it’s so new, the teachers have kind of been going back and forth. We have good days and bad days,” Biology teacher Mr. McGowan said. “We have days where we feel like the students didn’t learn much at all because there is not much of an entry point for them”
Consequently, biology students are having a hard time with their studies with exams and assignments while the curriculum is packed with content. Since the topics covered by the regent exam are unknown and unsure, it’s difficult for students to focus on different topics to study.
“Some hardships I have are probably having to pay attention in class and studying, and looking over my work so I can pass,” Freshman biology student Mia Lal said. “I know enough to at least answer some regent questions”
In comparison to Living Environment, most freshmen can connect their scientific knowledge from middle school to Living Environment. However, multiple parts of biology require students to memorize concepts and vocabulary that they are unfamiliar with. Therefore, many biology students aren’t confident in approaching the new biology regent in June.
“This year is allowing the teachers a chance to see what works and what doesn’t work and I think after seeing the first exam given down by the state teachers will have a better idea of what to expect for the future,” Biology teacher Mr. McGowan stated. “without having any test or goal in sight it’s hard to predict.”
With the implementation of a new science regent that is unfamiliar to the science department teachers and biology students, the outcomes of the exam are hard to expect.
