A higher percentage of Farmingdale High School students are not graduating on-time, although more of the school's graduates are receiving Regents diplomas instead of the less prestigious local diploma, according to a statistical report released last week by Farmingdale School District.

The report, which was presented at an Aug. 12 school board meeting, showed that 12.7 percent of seniors did not graduate this June, a rate that is almost double the figure for the Class of 1993. Five years ago, 6.4 percent of seniors did not graduate in June.

The report also revealed some good news for the school district, however. The number of graduates receiving a Regents Diploma has increased by 20 percent over five years ago. While 42 percent of the graduates in the Class of 1993 received a Regents diploma, 62 percent of the graduates in the class of 1998 received it. (Last year, 54 percent of graduates received it.) According to current mandates, a student must pass eight New York State Regents examinations in order to receive the Regents diploma.

Farmingdale Schools Superintendent Gerard W. Dempsey, Jr. expressed mixed feelings on the results. "I'm happy that we're making progress toward getting the overwhelming majority of our kids toward meeting the Regents requirements. I'm not happy that the gap is still as large as it is," he said in an interview this week, adding, "I am still concerned that a number of students did not successfully graduate in June."

An alternative to Regents examinations are the Competency tests, which are less rigorous. Students who opt to take the Competency tests, which are being phased out by a program of tougher state standards, receive a local diploma. Yet another alternative is the Individual Education Plan (IEP) diploma for special education students. This year, 36.5 percent of graduates received the local diploma, as compared to 56 percent in 1993. The percentage of IEP diplomas has remained relatively constant throughout the past five years, at between 1 and 3 percent.

As a result of the tougher state standards, new graduation requirements are being phased in, and the changes begin with the class entering 11th grade this year. These students must pass the English/Language Arts Regents exam in order to graduate. The following graduating class (students now entering 10th grade) must pass the Regents in both English and math. The class after that must pass the exam in English, math and social studies, and the requirements increase consecutively for every class thereafter until the full requirement of five Regents examinations is reached. When the new graduation requirements are fully phased in, students who pass five Regents examinations will receive a Regents Diploma. Students will also have the option of receiving an advanced Regents diploma by passing eight Regents exams. Also as part of the new standards, the contents of the exams are being made more challenging. The local diploma will no longer be available, and every student will be required to take and pass five Regents examinations in order to graduate, according to Dempsey. Those who fail to pass them will be given extra instructional support and the opportunity to take the exams again, he said.

The district has been preparing for the state requirements changes since the early 1990s, through such measures as adding extra support courses, curriculum rewriting and staff development. The extra focus may also partially account for the increase in the number of students receiving the Regents diploma this year, according to Dempsey, who added, "We've been working to convince students that the most rigorous program they can take benefits them - in terms of their college experience." He noted that other Long Island school districts are also experiencing such positive Regents results. "It's an Island-wide phenomenon. I think we're part of that," he said.

Farmingdale School District's emphasis for the upcoming school year, according to Dempsey, is to get 11th graders up to speed for the English/Language Arts Regents that they will take in June. If they fail it the first time, they may take it again. However, they must pass it in order to graduate, even if this leads to a fifth year of high school, according to the superintendent. "Our first goal is to make sure all of our students are successful on the English Regents," he said. Extended support classes will be key to the effort. The district will also host Regents preparation workshops on Saturdays as the spring exam approaches. The district also plans to hold parent meetings about the issue at the high school. Dempsey encouraged parents, especially of 11th graders, to attend those meetings, and to provide provide any support they can to their teenager's reading and writing endeavors. He added that parents should contact their child's teacher if he or she is struggling.

Dempsey added that ensuring that all students meet the minimum Regents requirements during the phase-in period is the district's number one priority.