NYSUT responds after news that standardized tests will continue for grades 3-8 and high schoolers Have a tip for the newsroom, press release, local event listing or digital content to share? Send it here. Support our mission by visiting patreon.com/fl1 and becoming a monthly subscriber. New York State United Teachers released the following statement today regarding the state’s plan for administration of standardized exams in grades 3–8 and high school if the U.S. Department of Education denies waivers of exam requirements: “In a year that has been anything but standard, forcing states to administer standardized exams is just plain poor federal policy,” NYSUT President Andy Pallotta said. “The state is making the most of a bad situation by scaling back this year’s testing requirements and limiting stress on students who already have gone through so much. Commissioner Rosa, Chancellor Young and the Board of Regents are doing what’s necessary to put students’ needs first in a frustratingly backward situation.”