Rachel Silberstein is reporting for the Times Union state education officials are requesting permission from the federal government to forgo state testing this spring in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Two draft federal waiver requests related to state assessment and accountability requirements are available for public comment, State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa and Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young Jr. announced Mon., Jan. 25. The waivers can be found online at NYSED [dot] gov [slash] ESSA. The department is accepting comments through February 5. The waiver references the health crisis which has resulted in many students receiving some or all of their instruction remotely. The first waiver request seeks to waive state testing requirements at the elementary, middle and high school levels. The second waiver request looks to eliminate the requirement that the state identifies schools for improvement based on 2020-21 school year testing results. Young said, “In light of the ongoing pandemic, we have determined that the Spring 2021 state assessments cannot be safely, equitably and fairly administered to students in schools across the state and, therefore, are seeking these waivers.” The board previously canceled the January Regents exams. Read the full story in the Times Union.