• Graduation and Course Requirement Changes Due to COVID-19 and Statewide School Closures

    As of April 7th, the New York State Board of Regents has cancelled all June 2020 Regents exams. Further, there was guidance released on modifications to requirements for students to graduate and obtain their high school diplomas, credentials and endorsements. This page serves as a general summary of the NYSED guidance. Please use the following link in order to access the complete guidance as well as the “frequently asked questions” resource: .

    Regents Examinations

    All June 2020 Regents examinations are cancelled. Students who are enrolled in courses that would have culminated with a Regents exam in June will be exempted from having to take the exam provided that they pass the course. Students who previously failed a Regents exam, but received credit for the course and planned to take the Regents exam in June, are exempt from that Regents exam. NYSED has yet to make a decision regarding August 2020 Regents administration.

    Earning Course Credit

    • Science: Students do not need to complete the 1,200 minutes of laboratory experiences in all Regents science courses.
    • As long as a student has met the standard assessed in the provided coursework, either face-to-face or through other methods, the student should be granted the diploma credit.
    • The same applies to grade 8 students who were enrolled in a course leading to the Regents who have met the standards; they are exempt from that Regents and will receive course credit.

    Some examples:

    • Your child is enrolled in Algebra I and had expected to take the Regents in June. He/She will NOT be required to take and pass that exam, in order to graduate, as long as his/her final course average is 65 or higher.
    • Your child failed the ELA Regents and intended to retake in June. He/ She will NOT be required to take and pass that exam, in order to graduate, as long as his/her final course average is 65 or higher.
    • Your child is currently enrolled in a course that ends in a Regents exam and fails to earn credit by the end of the school year. He/She would return for summer instruction to make up and successfully complete the failed course. He/She would then be granted a diploma and Regents credit in August 2020.

     

    Advanced Placement

    Advanced Placement examinations will be offered as tests that can be taken at home. This information has been sent to all Advanced Placement teachers and administration.

     

    Graduation Requirements for Students Planning to Graduate in June 2020

    Students who are granted an exemption for any exam are NOT required to pass that exam to meet specific diploma requirements (i.e. local, Regents, or Regents with Advanced Designation).

    Diploma Designations

    Advanced Designation: Students who are exempt from Regents tests are NOT required to pass the Regents exams required to earn Regents diplomas with the advanced designation.

    Endorsement for Mastery in math and science: Students who are exempt from a math and/or science Regents exam and pass at least two additional math Regents exams with scores of 85 or higher OR pass two additional Regents exams in science with an 85 or above, are entitled to a mastery in math and/or science endorsement on their diploma.

    Honors Endorsement: The calculation for honors endorsement will be made ONLY for past examinations or post-exemption. Student may still use a maximum of two NYSED-approved alternative tests in the calculation of an honors endorsement.

    CTE Technical Endorsement: Students will be exempted from the three-part technical assessment as long as they have been successful in their coursework.

    Seal of Biliteracy: NYSED will issue separate guidance to address flexibility in earning this seal.

    CDOS Credential

    Any student exiting high school in June of 2020, including a student with a disability who meets the eligibility requirements for a Superintendent’s Determination of a local diploma, who is unable to complete the requirements for the CDOS Commencement Credential or the CDOS +1 pathway as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, and has demonstrated proficiency of the CDOS learning standards, may be granted a waiver from the completion of the 216 hours of Career and Technical Education (CTE) instruction and/or the 54 hours of work-based learning requirement.

    With regard to students who are continuing their high school education beyond the 2019-20 school year, such students may be exempted from the requirements that were not met due to COVID-19 closures in the 2019-20 school year. Such students must fulfill any requirements scheduled or planned for completion in subsequent school years.

    Pathway Assessments

    Any student preparing to take a NYSED-approved +1 Pathway Assessment in June 2020 shall be exempt from the requirements pertaining to passing an approved assessment for the purposes of meeting the diploma requirements.

    LOTE Checkpoint A and B Examinations

    • Students will be granted an exemption to the LOTE checkpoint B examination requirement for an advanced diploma as long as the student will have earned at least three diploma credits in the LOTE subject prior to the end of the school year.
    • If the principal in consultation with relevant faculty determines that the student has met the standards assessed in the provided coursework leading to the Checkpoint A LOTE exam, the district may choose to waive the exam requirement and grant the student their first unit of diploma credit in LOTE.

    Special Education

    Students with a disability eligible for the compensatory safety net may not use exemptions on tests to compensate for lower test scores.

    • All waived exams for all students should be considered scores of 65 for the purposes of making diploma determinations. However, no score shall be reported on the student’s transcript.
    • A Regents exam exemption cannot be used to compensate for the score of 45-54 on a different Regents examination.

    English Language Learners

    All waived exams for all students should be considered scores of 65 for the purposes of making diploma determinations. However, no score shall be reported on the student’s transcript.

     

    Note: As is the case in any situation, if you have any questions about your child(ren) and any of these areas, please contact your child’s guidance counselor for further clarification.