Letter: Regents' changes need more thought

I am in total agreement with the concept of an outside marker being the objective way to grade exams ["Regents move to curb cheating on state tests," News, Sept. 14]. However, I do not believe the Board of Regents has thought this through carefully enough, and I worry about who these outside graders will be and what qualifications they hold that ensure their grades are the correct ones.

Advanced placement exams are marked outside of school buildings. They are marked in committees, each led by an individual who has spent several days going over the questions and determining which solution are acceptable and how many points will be deducted for certain errors. Each room handles one question, and each question is read by two people.

When the graders differ on the points to be awarded, the head of the committee makes a final determination. All papers are marked fairly and equally. The graders are well-versed in their subjects. This procedure costs a lot of money.

No outside grading should take place until a proper plan is in place. If it does, one broken system will just be replacing another one.

Linda Silverman, Bellerose Manor

Editor's note: The writer is a retired high school math teacher.