State and National Testing Updates

April 30 Memo: Cancellation of the August 2020 Regents Exams This cancellation applies to all Regents Examinations that had been scheduled for the August 2020 Regents Examination period.

April 17: NYSED "Regents Exams and Grad Requirements Questions Related to Covid-19 Closures" Presentation to New York State School Counselors Association by MaryBeth Casey, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Curriculum and Instruction. Audio and video of the presentation is available here.

April 7 Memo: Cancellation of the June 2020 Administration of the New York State (NYS) High School Regents Examination Program in Response to COVID-19 Related School and District Closures

See also: Regents Examination and Graduation Requirements Questions Related to COVID-19 Closure

Because of the cancellation of the June 2020 Regents Examinations, the Department is making certain modifications to the assessment requirements that students must meet in order to earn high school diplomas, credentials, and endorsements. These modifications apply to all students enrolled in grades 7-12 during the 2019-20 school year who were intending to participate in one or more of the June 2020 Regents Examinations.

Regents Examination Exemptions: Students who during the June 2020 examination period would take one or more Regents Examinations shall be exempted from the requirements pertaining to passing such examinations in order to be issued a diploma. In order to qualify for the exemption, students must meet one of the following eligibility requirements:

• The student is currently enrolled in a course of study culminating in a Regents Examination and will have earned credit in such course of study by the end of the 2019-20 school year;

• The student is in grade 7, is enrolled in a course of study culminating in a Regents Examination and will have passed such course of study by the end of the 2019-20 school year;

• The student is currently enrolled in a course of study culminating in a Regents Examination and has failed to earn credit by the end of the school year. Such student returns for summer instruction to make up the failed course credit and is subsequently granted diploma credit in August 2020; or

• The student was previously enrolled in the course of study leading to an applicable Regents Examination, has achieved course credit, and has not yet passed the associated Regents Examination but was intending to take the test in June 2020 to achieve a passing score. (See FAQ # 5 for additional information).

Note: NYSED will develop guidance on how schools and districts should record the exemptions from examination requirements. Student transcripts should not reflect an examination score for any examination for which the student is exempted.

Additional Information on the following topics are also included in the memo linked above:

• Pathway Assessments

• Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Locally Developed Checkpoint B Examinations

• Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) Commencement Credential and + 1 Pathway

• Use of Safety Nets

• Mastery, Honors, Technical Endorsements, Seal of Biliteracy

• Recording Student Scores for the COVID-19 Exemptions

• Accountability Determinations

• August Regents Examinations

Update: April 6 - Board of Regents Meeting

It was announced that June Regents exams have been cancelled. We are awaiting further information.

From Preliminary Guidance on the Preparation for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak in New York State Memo, March 13, 2020:

"In such instances where the COVID-19 virus has caused either an extended absence of individual students, or an extended closure of an entire school or program, thus preventing either the school’s ability to provide or student’s ability to meet the unit of study requirements, the superintendent may admit students enrolled in such courses to the culminating Regents examination.

In cases where the COVID-19 virus has caused either an extended absence of individual students, or an extended closure of an entire school or program, thus preventing either the school’s ability to provide or student’s ability to meet the mandatory laboratory requirement for admission to a science Regents examination, the superintendent may admit students enrolled in such courses to the culminating Regents examination."