Proof it can be done.

ALBANY N.Y. — A new Regents exam scheduled for next week has been canceled because of potentially traumatizing content in the test in light of a mass shooting in Buffalo, the Department of Education wrote in a letter to school administrators Tuesday.

The new United States History and Government (Framework) Regents Exam was scheduled to be given for the first time on Wednesday, June 1. In the wake of the racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo that killed 10 people, the New York State Department of Education reviewed Regents exam content and found that this particular test, "has the potential to compound student trauma caused by the recent violence in Buffalo."

“While developed by NYS-certified social studies teachers more than two years ago and field-tested to confirm that the exam's content is educationally sound, the tragedy in Buffalo has created an unexpected and unintended context for the planned assessment. In the wake of the Buffalo tragedy, it is not appropriate to administer the exam with a question that could compound the grief and hardship faced by our school communities.” Emily K. DeSantis, Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs