NEW YORK - After the Biden administration announced it would require states to give standardized tests this year, the New York Education Department says it will hold some Regents Exams, but that passing them won’t be required to graduate high school.

The policy shift comes after the U.S. Department of Education announced Monday evening it would not continue granting a blanket waiver allowing states to skip the exams, but would allow them to delay the tests to the fall, shorten the assessments, or give them remotely.

The federal department said the exams would not be used as an accountability measure for schools, but solely to measure to student learning. That comes as experts worry about how much learning children have missed out on during the last year, when the pandemic has kept many of them at home.

"The Department of Education is committed to supporting all states in assessing student learning during the pandemic to help target resources and support to the students with the greatest needs," Ian Rosenblum, acting assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education at the U.S. Department of Education, said.

New York normally tests students in grades three through eight in English language arts and math, and administers high school students subject-area tests known as the Regents Exams, a certain number of which students must pass to graduate high school.

But last year, the standardized tests were suspended when the pandemic hit in March, and the state allowed high school seniors to graduate without passing any Regents Exams they didn’t get the chance to take, as long as they passed the corresponding class. In addition to canceling last year's June exams, the state also canceled August and January sittings of the tests.

Now, they plan offer them again, but only those required by federal law, state Education Department spokeswoman Emily DeSantis said. The change will need to be voted on by the Board of Regents, which governs the state education department.

“Given these circumstances, the Department will propose a series of regulatory amendments at the March Board of Regents meeting so Regents Exams would not be required to meet graduation requirements and to cancel any Regents Exam that is not required by USDE to be held,” she said.

“We continue to have discussions with USDE regarding this matter to find a path forward that is best for the health and safety of all New York’s children.”

The statement offered no information on plans for testing students in grades three through eight, and the department did not immediately respond to questions.

The Biden administration’s move has already been met with criticism from some educators, experts and parents who argue that schools should not be spending time on standardized testing during the pandemic.