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The state Education Department will not give state third- through eighth-grade English language arts and math tests this year.
The state Education Department has applied for federal waivers for testing, accountability, and reporting requirements.
The suspension for the remainder of the school year applies to the following New York state testing programs:
¯ New York State Grades 3-8 English Language Arts Test;
¯ New York State Grades 3-8 Mathematics Test;
¯ New York State Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test;
¯ New York State Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test;
¯ New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) in Grades K-12; and
¯ New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) for students with severe cognitive disabilities in Grades 3-8 and high school.
LEARN AT HOME UPDATE
The state Education Department and New York's nine public television stations also announced that expanded educational resources and "Learn-at-Home" programming is now available for all of New York's students in response to school closings across the state. In addition, the state Education Department has launched a dedicated website featuring remote continuity of learning resources to provide districts and teachers with increased options.
Students from prekindergarten through 12th grade will have access to PBS educational programming every weekday starting Monday on-air.
"As we adapt to the ever-evolving situation around COVID-19, we're seeing heroic efforts by educators and parents to ensure that children have equitable access to home-learning," said Betty Rosas, state Board of Regents chancellor. "Our partners at PBS have once again stepped up to provide easily accessible, high-quality educational resources for New York students and I encourage educators and parents to make use of these additional resources."
All nine public television stations in New York are providing "Learn-at-Home" enrichment for students through their broadcast stations and increased online educational resources.
Pre-kindergarten and young learners can still watch familiar shows like Sesame Street. Elementary student broadcast schedules include programs like Wild Kratts, Peg + Cat and Cyberchase. Middle school and high school programming include shows like Nova, History Detectives, and Shakespeare Uncovered. Many additional programs are also available to stream on the free PBS Video and PBS KIDS Video apps.
Since every PBS station in New York has multiple digital channels, programming will be available for young children in pre-kindergarten through fourth grades and older children in fifth through 12th grades on different digital channels. They can be viewed for free over-the-air with a television antenna or on cable.
"PBS ensures that its content is not only engaging, but aligned to state and national learning standards, so parents can feel comfortable knowing it's going to reinforce what has been taught," said Rachel Friedman, a Suffolk County teacher. "I am so glad that PBS is providing this so quickly in this crisis."
Parents and educators should check local listings for their local public television stations for additional information on schedules and channel lineup. Local PBS station by using the PBS Station Finder.
Local stations will also provide more specific educational information and resources developed in conjunction with local school districts, BOCES, parents, and teachers.
New York's educators and parents can continue to access free educational resources that supplement and augment learning on the website, PBSLearningMedia.org. PBS LearningMedia provides original digital content and supplemental viewing guides for on-air programming that assist in learning. New special collections have been created for each grade level to make it easy for parents and teachers to select appropriate content if they are new to using the service. Webinars and online support materials have already been taking place and will continue to help educators make use of PBS LearningMedia as a distance learning tool.