The following email was sent from Nicholas Cruz, the UFT director of community and parent outreach, to all of the UFT's parent subscribers on Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

State exams will be optional this year

Dear parents, grandparents, guardians and education activists,

Since this school year has presented such unusual challenges for New York City families, the Department of Education will administer state exams for Grade 3-8 students at school buildings only on an opt-in basis.

Here's what you need to know about the citywide policies:

• Schools will administer English/Language Arts and math exams to students in grades 3 through 8 and science exams to students in grades 4 through 8.
• Tests will only be administered in person in the school building. Students may not take the exam remotely.
• Both remote students and in-person students will have the option to sign up for state exams.
• Students who choose not to participate will not be penalized. If your child doesn't participate in state testing, the DOE pledges that it will not affect middle or high school admissions.
• Schools will ask families in advance whether their students will participate in state exams and then plan a testing schedule that adheres to social distancing policies.

Here's what you need to know about the tests themselves:

• Math and English/Language Arts exams for grades 3 through 8 will be multiple choice only. Science exams for grades 4 through 8 will consist of multiple choice and short-answer questions.
• If you sign your child up for an English/Language Arts test, they will attend one session sometime between April 19 and April 29.
• If you sign your child up for a math test, they will attend one session sometime between May 3 and May 14.
• If you sign your child up for a science test, they will attend one session sometime between June 7 and June 11.
• Your school will be in touch with you about specific testing dates.

You can find out more about the DOE's state exam policy by reading its FAQ. Contact your child's school with any questions.

In unity,

Nicholas Cruz
UFT Director of Community and Parent Engagement
ncruz [at] uft [dot] org (ncruz[at]uft[dot]org)