The New York State Education Department says it has canceled the regents exam for United States History and Government in the wake of the racist mass shooting in Buffalo last week.
NYSED Commissioner Dr. Betty A. Rosa said in a letter Tuesday that the department has been evaluating ways it can support students following the May 14 attack, which left 10 Black people dead, and determined that the U.S. History and Government exam, originally set for June 1, “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,” Rosa said in the letter.
Rosa did not specify what content in the exam could have traumatized students. The finding was made by NYSED "content experts" in partnerships with teachers, she said.
All regents exams have already been printed and packaged for shipment to schools, so it was too late to change the test in time for the scheduled June 1 test date, Rosa said.
NYSED plans to ask the Board of Regents to approve a graduation exemption for students who were supposed to take the test next month. Because of regulations for new tests such as this one, NYSED will also ask the board to consider exemptions for students who were set to take the test in August and January.
"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," Rosa said in the letter. "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."
