The ELA Regents is one of the exams required to get a high school diploma

The English Language Arts Regents has changed this year. YNN's Erin Clarke tells us how Syracuse students did on the test and what the results mean for the school district.

The English Language Arts Regents has changed this year. YNN's Erin Clarke tells us how Syracuse students did on the test and what the results mean for the school district.

"Previously it had been multiple choice questions and short answer on the first day and then three essay questions on the second day. It's all one day now," said Syracuse City School District Deputy Superintendent for Information and Technology Anita Murphy.

Instead of each question being worth one point, the new scoring formula weighs each question based on how hard it is. It's a change made to the tests to reflect how proficient a student is in a subject by making them answer a higher percentage of questions correct.

So how did Syracuse students do on the new exam compared to the old one? Fifty-seven percent passed the new test. School officials say that's not much different from passing rates around this time last year. That means the district has to make some changes.

"We have to increase the rigor by which we are teaching students. We have to write more with kids, we have to prepare kids to be able to interpret more than just to spit back information," said Murphy.

The ELA Regents is one of the exams required to get a high school diploma. And the point of changing the scoring formula was to make sure students are prepared for college once they graduate. Murphy says the remodeled test is a start at doing that.

"If we're teaching what those kids needs to be able to do to pass that tests, then absolutely they will be more prepared," said Murphy.

The district will now provide teachers with test performance data in an effort to restructure the curriculum and get more students to graduate in four years.