NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The New York State Education Department on Tuesday cancelled the Regents exams set for January and said it is seeking modifications to high school graduation requirements.
“Once again, the January Regents Exams cannot be safely, equitably, and fairly administered across the state,” DOE Commissioner Betty Rosa said in a statement.
She noted that New York has set a “daunting record” with recent COVID-19 cases, driven by the highly contagious omicron variant, and has asked the Board of Regents to approve modifications to the assessment requirements that students must meet to earn high school diplomas.
“Given the unpredictable nature of the pandemic, the recent acceleration in COVID-19 infections, and continuing upheaval the virus has caused in schools across the state, this decision is the right one,” Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young Jr. said in a statement.
The New York State United Teachers union said it is in support of the decision to cancel the exams, given the current circumstances.
“Given the unevenness of this school year with the pandemic still ongoing and the acute social-emotional needs of our students, canceling the January Regents exams is the right choice,” the union said in a statement.
“We thank Commissioner Rosa, Chancellor Young and the Board of Regents for recognizing that our educators are still assessing their students, preparing them to receive their diplomas and setting them up for success after graduation without this round of state exams,” the union added.
Under the DOE’s proposal, students who were planning to take one or more Regents exams in January 2022 could be exempt from the requirements pertaining to passing a corresponding Regents Examination to be issued a diploma.
To qualify for the exemption, students must meet one of the following requirements by the end of the first semester of the 2021-22 school year:
· Be enrolled in a course that would ordinarily culminate with a January 2022 Regents Examination and earn credit for such course of study;
· Complete a make-up program to earn course credit; or
· Be prepared to take a required Regents Examination to graduate at the end of the first semester.
At least nine Regents exams were scheduled. No decisions have been made about the June and August exams or any other state assessment programs, according to Rosa.
The DOE plans to issue additional guidance within the next month to address topics such as safety net options, mastery, honors and technical endorsements, so schools can determine which diplomas to distribute.
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