United States Department of �� (USDE) Approves Extension of New York State’s “Double Testing” Waiver for Grades 6 and 7 Mathematics and Grades 7 and 8 Science

August 7, 2025

On July 15, 2025, USDE granted the �� (NYSED or “The Department”) a waiver extension of two statutory requirements of Title I, Part A under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), allowing Grade 6 or 7 students that take the Regents examination in mathematics to be exempt from the Grade 6 or 7 mathematics test and Grade 7 or 8 students that take the Regents examination in science to be exempt from the Grade 8 science test.��
This waiver, which will be in effect for a period of four years from the 2025–2026 school year through the 2028–2029 school year, is an expansion of the ESSA statute, which permits students enrolled in Grade 8 who take high school level Regents mathematics courses to take the high school level Regents examination in mathematics in lieu of the Grade 8 mathematics test.  ��
Questions about the Double Testing Waiver and other aspects of the New York State ESSA accountability system may be directed to the Office of Accountability at accountinfo@nysed.gov.��