Research

Administrative History

A 1921 amendment to the State Constitution required that all new voters after January 1, 1922 "be able, except for physical disability, to read and write English." Subsequently, certification of literacy by the Board of Regents was established by Chapter 809 of the Laws 1923, which (in addition to age and residency requirements) required the new voter to present proof of literacy that was subject to scrutiny by election inspectors. Literacy certificates were issued by the Regents after applicants passed a test on their comprehension of written English, and these certificates were conclusive proof. According to the law, the new voter could also present as evidence a certificate or diploma showing completion of work of an approved eighth grade elementary school or of a higher-level school in which English was the language of instruction.

According to statistics reported in the series, 28,402 certificates of literacy were issued in 1923. Of that total, 19,806 were applicants who passed the Regents literacy test, and more than one-half came from New York City. After the first meeting of the 1924 Board of Regents, changes in regulations covering issuance of certificates were announced. These changes made the law easier to administer by opening up more schools, extending the period during which exams were held, and permitting applicants who could prove completed work at the sixth grade level in either day or evening school to receive certification of literacy at any time during the school year (decreasing the rush of applicants at election time). Another provision enabled school superintendents to give the Regents literacy test at special times during the year to students enrolled in classes for foreigners and in citizenship, bringing schools in closer contact with the naturalization procedure.