ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York State Education Department (NYSED) announced Tuesday that the Regents exam for US History and Government that was scheduled for June 1, 2022 has been canceled.
NYSED cites the recent violence in Buffalo as a contributing factor in canceling the exam. They say there is content in the exam that may cause further trauma to the students.
Emily DeSantis, Spokesperson for the Department issued this statement:
“In the wake of the heinous mass shooting in Buffalo, content experts from the Department, in partnership with NYS educators, reviewed all June 2022 Regents Exams and determined there is content on the new Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework) that has the potential to compound student trauma caused by the recent violence in Buffalo.
“While developed by NYS-certified social studies teachers more than two years ago and field-tested to confirm that the exam's content is educationally sound, the tragedy in Buffalo has created an unexpected and unintended context for the planned assessment. In the wake of the Buffalo tragedy, it is not appropriate to administer the exam with a question that could compound the grief and hardship faced by our school communities.”
At the June 2022 Board of Regents meeting, NYSED will ask the board to approve a graduation exemption for students that were scheduled to take the US History and Government exam on June 1, 2022. They will consider exemptions for this exam in August 2022 and January 2023.
"New York has exceptional school communities that show unwavering dedication to their students. The Department is committed to supporting our students, schools, and communities in the wake of the tragedy in Buffalo. We will work together to ensure that goodness and compassion will always triumph over ignorance and hatred. Thank you for everything that you do every day to support children," said Betty A. Rosa, NYSED Commissioner.
This change does not affect other regents or local exams at this time.