The Algebra 1 Regents Is Easy to Pass. That's the Problem.
Here's something most parents don't know about the Algebra 1 Regents: a student needs only about 35% of the points to pass. On recent exams, a passing score of 65 has taken roughly 29 out of 82 raw points.
And here's something I've seen again and again in 20 years of tutoring: a student who is good with a graphing calculator can answer a large share of the multiple-choice questions without really understanding the algebra behind them. Graph both sides, find where the lines cross, pick the matching answer. Done.
The same is true of report cards. A passing grade in Algebra 1 tells you a student got through the class. It doesn't tell you whether they can actually do algebra.
Passing isn't the goal. Understanding is.
Starting with the Class of 2028, New York no longer requires students to pass Regents exams to graduate. For some families, that sounds like a reason to worry less about Algebra 1. I'd argue the opposite.
The real test of Algebra 1 was never the Regents or the final grade. It's what happens next year, and the year after that. Every math and science class your child takes from here on assumes they truly understand Algebra 1. A student who got through on a calculator or a generous grade usually hits a wall in Algebra 2, Chemistry or Physics, and suddenly a kid who "did fine" last year is struggling, and nobody is sure why.
Where Algebra 1 actually leads
Algebra 1 is the gateway to almost every path where math matters:
Medicine and health careers: Pre-med requires chemistry, physics and often calculus, all built on algebra. Nursing and pharmacy rely on it daily for dosage calculations.
Engineering: Every branch (civil, mechanical, electrical, biomedical) runs on algebra and calculus.
Computer science, data science and AI: Programming, statistics and machine learning are algebra at their core.
Business, finance and economics: Interest, growth, budgets and pricing models are all algebra.
Architecture and the skilled trades: Electricians, builders and designers use formulas and measurements every day.
The SAT and college placement tests: Algebra makes up a large part of the math sections, and weak algebra can mean extra placement courses in college before a student can even start their major.
A student who truly understands Algebra 1 has all of these doors open. A student who just got past it often finds them quietly closing, one class at a time.
What real understanding looks like
A student who truly understands Algebra 1 can:
Solve an equation step by step and explain each step, not just get an answer
Work comfortably with negative numbers and fractions inside equations, which is where most hidden gaps show up
Understand what a graph actually means, not just read the point where two lines cross
Set up an equation from a word problem, instead of guessing which formula to use
If your child struggles with any of these, even with a passing grade, there's usually a specific gap underneath. Often it isn't an algebra problem at all. It's a fractions or negative-numbers problem from years earlier that algebra finally exposes.
How to find out where your child really stands
A grade or a Regents score tells you how much your child got right. It doesn't tell you why they got the rest wrong.
That's why I start every student with a diagnostic built to find the specific misconceptions behind their mistakes, not just a score. Once we know exactly where the gap is, the fix is usually faster and more focused than months of general review.
Want to know whether your child really understands algebra, or is just getting by?
By Albert Eydelman, NY State-licensed teacher with 20 years of teaching experience
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