I grew up in NY (granted that was over 20 years ago) and I can tell you just passing the Regents exam is no easy feat. If a kid barely goes to class and blows off the work, they will probably not score a 65 on the test. They are pretty tough and you really can't teach the test. Some things like math you can, because you teach the same concepts, but others the person has to really have their crap together. If they don't do the work and pass the test, they cheated or they are too smart to go to class. I went to a school that was very far above average and there were plenty of kids who went to class and still failed the Regents. All were required to go to summer school. The Regents is a test, written by the state, where every kid in the state has to take it at exactly the same time. It cuts down on cheating, but there are always scandals of leaded test material. The thing about the grading is somewhat common, though not a blatant policy. The thing is, if you fail the Regents, you go to summer school where all you have to do is pass the test anyway. No grades in summer school, you pass the test you pass the class. But seriously, if we have all this standardized testing, what is the point of grades anyway? Isn't the point just to pass the test? If you pass the test, do you have to go back and relearn the information the test says you already know (because you had a 50 grade)? No standardized testing is perfect, but I've always said the NY Regents was better because you had to do it in all subjects, not just reading and math. I remember sweating a French regents as a senior. But, it is accurate. If you get below a 65, they give you an F. The teacher does not have to post the actual grade until the end of the class. Most will make it a 64 unless you totally screw off. But it doesn't matter anyway. If you have a 100 average throughout the class and fail the Regents, good luck in summer school. That part I do like. Takes some of the subjectivity from the teachers who push kids through school. They have to pass the test.