ALBANY — State officials have canceled June's Regents exams and extended school closures through April 29, creating more uncertainty for high schoolers making college plans in the thick of New York's coronavirus outbreak.

Board of Regents Chancellor Betty Rosa announced the cancellations of the high school tests Monday morning as the board promised to give districts further guidance on Tuesday.

State education officials vowed at the Board of Regents' April meeting to “undertake a very thoughtful review” of the potential consequences of suspending the exams.

A decision has not been made about Regents exams scheduled for August, Rosa said.

The impact of the cancellation of tests on graduation requirements for high school seniors is unclear. Students must pass five subject matter exit exams to receive a "Regents" diploma and their scores are seen by college admissions counselors as an indicator of college readiness.

Most high school seniors have already received acceptance letters from college, but many are missing out on facetime with college admissions counselors.

Some higher education institutions, like Loudonville's Siena College, are hosting virtual tours and presentations through platforms like Zoom and Google Hangouts.

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Ned Jones, vice president of enrollment and marketing at Siena, said he anticipates that the Regents being canceled could be an advantage to some and a setback for others.

"For high school seniors, 98 percent have already been notified of their admission to college, so every organization under the sun is practicing maximum flexibility and extreme individualization," Jones said. "For sophomores and juniors, that's going to be one less thing in their arsenals. They won't have a test score for that one year, but everyone will understand why."

The state's Department of Education received a waiver last month from the federal government that allowed the suspension of state standardized testing for grades three through eight for the remainder of the school year.

A growing chorus of voices, including educators and students, had been calling for the cancellation of the Regents.

The COVID-19 crisis struck at a time when the state education officials were already reevaluating New York's graduation requirements, including potentially scrapping the exams, in part to address disparities in graduation rates among disadvantaged groups.

Some educational equity advocates say the state should not cancel the tests without producing meaningful alternative assessment measures and provide additional support to seniors graduating in the middle of the crisis.

"Students and families — and especially those who have been underserved by our education system — need to have confidence that they will be given meaningful and accurate information about how they are performing each year, receive the intensive academic and socio-emotional support to keep from falling behind, ultimately meet grade-level standards, and successfully transition to college and the workforce," said Ian Rosenblum, executive director of The Education Trust–New York, a New York City-based nonprofit.

The Board of Regents also adopted emergency regulations to provide more flexibility for educators, students and professionals impacted by the COVID-19 interruptions. One measure allows school districts more time to create a plan to deliver instruction to students with disabilities.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has put a tremendous burden on many New Yorkers and our schools and children are no exception,” Rosa said. “The regulations passed by the Board today will allow schools, students and professionals much-needed flexibility while they adapt to this rapidly evolving situation.”

Schools in much of the state closed early last month in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with students taking classes remotely. New York schools will remain closed through April 29, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Monday.

The state shuttered educational institutions throughout New York in mid-March, part of statewide social distancing measures intended to stem the spread of COVID-19. Initially, an executive order mandated that the closures last through the end of March, but that was extended until April 15 before Monday's further extension was announced.