Interim State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced Thursday that all New York State Regents exams set to be administered in January 2021 are canceled.
At this time, no decisions have been made regarding Regents tests set for June and August, as well as any other state assessment programs.
The state cited the ongoing pandemic as the reason for the cancellation.
In a statement, the Board of Regents Vice Chancellor T. Andrew Brown said in part, "The Board and I are enormously grateful to the dedicated educators, school staff, community members, and parents who are working so diligently to ensure that students are safe and healthy this school year."
New York State United Teachers president Andy Pallotta released the following statement:
"In the interest of safety, equity and fairness, canceling the January Regents exams is the right choice. We applaud Interim Commissioner Rosa, the Board of Regents and the State Education Department for putting students first with changes to state exam requirements that still allow them to achieve a diploma without being penalized during this pandemic.”