Statement From Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa and Interim State Education Commissioner Shannon Tahoe Regarding Elementary- and Intermediate-Level State Assessments

The school closures caused by Novel Coronavirus are unprecedented and so, we have to make unprecedented decisions for our students. The administrations of the 2020 elementary- and intermediate-level State assessments have been suspended for the remainder of this school year.

It is most important that during the time of closure, schools are able to continue to focus their efforts toward local school and community needs, as they have been doing, and not be concerned about State assessments. NYSED has applied for federal waivers for testing, accountability, and reporting requirements.

The priority for the Board of Regents and the Department is to ensure that districts provide continuity of instruction for students to the greatest extent possible. It is a critical component of school emergency management, as it promotes the continuation of teaching and learning and prevents learning loss while schools are closed. However, many considerations play a role in developing continuity of learning programs such as access and availability, type and quality of materials and the length of time that the various types of learning will require. We are working with districts now to receive and review their plans.

We are incredibly grateful to the educators who are devoted to developing these plans in the most equitable way possible and who have provided resources for parents and children.

NYSED continues to work with the Governor’s Office, the state Department of Health, the Division of Homeland Security and the Office of Children and Family Services to ensure that we are up to date on all guidance and all of our resources for schools related to COVID-19 can be found on NYSED's dedicated website. 

Most of all, we hope that our students and educators are well.  We are thankful for the devotion and ongoing leadership of our teachers, administrators, school board members and parents who have gone above and beyond so that students are safe and impacted as little as possible.

This suspension for the remainder of the school year applies to the following New York State testing programs:

• New York State Grades 3-8 English Language Arts Test;
• New York State Grades 3-8 Mathematics Test;
• New York State Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test;
• New York State Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test;
• New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) in Grades K-12; and
• New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) for students with severe cognitive disabilities in Grades 3-8 and high school.