The January 2021 administration of the High School Regents Examination Program is cancelled due to the ongoing COVID–19 pandemic, Interim State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced today. This cancellation applies to all Regents Examinations that had been scheduled for the January 2021 Regents Examination period. No decisions have been made regarding the June and August 2021 administrations of Regents Examinations or any of the other State assessment programs.
“Throughout the pandemic our priority has been the health and wellbeing of our students and educators,” said Interim Commissioner Betty A. Rosa. “We determined the January Regents Exams could not be safely, equitably and fairly administered across the State given where the pandemic currently stands. We will continue to monitor applicable data and make a decision on other State assessment programs as the school year progresses, being mindful of the evolving situation.”
Modifications to Diploma Requirements for Students Impacted by the Cancellation of January 2021 Regents Examinations
Due to the cancellation of the January 2021 Regents Examinations, the Department will propose modifications to the assessment requirements that students must meet in order to earn high school diplomas, credentials, and endorsements at the December Board of Regents meeting. These modifications apply to all students who are completing a secondary-level course of study or make-up program in January and are scheduled to participate in one or more of the January 2021 Regents Examinations.
Regents Examination Exemptions
To ensure students are not adversely impacted by the cancellation of the exams, the Department will ask the Board of Regents to adopt emergency regulations pertaining to the assessment requirements that students must meet in order to earn diplomas, credentials and endorsements. Under the proposed emergency regulations, students who are planning to take one or more Regents Examinations during the January 2021 examination period at the conclusion of a course of study or make up program shall be exempt from the requirements pertaining to passing such Regents Examination to be issued a diploma. To qualify for the exemption, the student must meet one of the following requirements:
- Be currently enrolled in a course of study that would ordinarily culminate in the taking of a January 2021 Regents Examination and earn credit for such course of study by the end of the first semester of the 2020-21 school year; or
- Between September 1, 2020 and the end of the first semester of the 2020-21 school year, successfully complete a make-up program for the purpose of earning course credit; or
- Be preparing to take a required Regents Examination to graduate at the end of the first semester of the 2020-21 school year.
