New York Cancels US History Regents Exam Due To Buffalo Massacre

NEW YORK — New York has canceled its June Regents exam in U.S. History and Government because of the race-hatred mass shooting in Buffalo May 14.

"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," said Emily DeSantis, spokesperson for the department.

The exam, developed two years ago, was scheduled to be given for the first time this year. The test date was to be June 1, earlier than the others, so that educators could review the content and a sample of student results to recommend the performance standards (i.e., "cut scores").

"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," Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa explained in a letter posted on the NYSED website.

State officials noticed the problem as, in the wake of the race-hatred mass shooting in Buffalo, they were taking steps to explore potential areas of support for students and schools across New York. For example, teachers and content experts from the department reviewed all the June 2022 Regents Exams.

"During that review, our experts determined that 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," she said.

All the exams were already printed and packaged for shipping; there is no time to revise and reprint them, she said.

The Board of Regents will be asked at its June meeting to approve an exemption for students scheduled to take the U.S. history and government exam, which New York public school students must pass to graduate.

Also, due to the technical requirements associated with administering a new assessment, the regulatory change that the Board of Regents will consider will include exemptions for students planning to take this exam in June, August, and January, she said.

"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," she said. "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."

Among the 10 people slain by an 18-year-old white supremacist who said he traveled to Buffalo to kill Black people were a school bus aide and two people who had done work as substitute teachers. The New York teachers union wrote about them here.

Most commenters on the NYSED Twitter feed called for all Regents exams to be canceled as students were still affected academically and emotionally by the pandemic disruption.

Pandemic disruption already led the state to set a policy that students who score between 50 and 64 on any Regents exam in 2021 or 2022 and who were otherwise passing the course could ask their district to give them credit toward graduation. The normal "cut score" to pass is 65.

An appeal to earn credit can be filed by the student, their parent or guardian, the teacher or the head of that academic department. See the FAQ.

Most schools are struggling to support students' emotional health, according to a recent study from the Hopeful Futures Campaign, a coalition of national mental health organizations, the Associated Press reported.

When the accused shooter in Buffalo, Payton Gendron, was asked in spring 2021 by a teacher at his Conklin, New York, high school about his plans after graduation, he responded that he wanted to commit a murder-suicide, according to law enforcement. The comment resulted in state police being called and a mental health evaluation at a hospital, where he claimed he was joking and was cleared to attend his graduation, the AP reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.