Officials say it’s unclear what effect Regents exams cancellations had
Gary Stern
Rockland/Westchester Journal News | USA TODAY NETWORK
The statewide high school graduation rate inched up last year to 86.1%, but officials cannot determine the extent to which the cancellation of most Regents exams made it easier for some students to graduate.
• The overall graduation rate in 2021 increased by 1.3 percentage points over 2020, state education officials announced Wednesday. Graduation rates also rose for most student groups, including Hispanic students (3.4 percentage points), Black students (2.2 points), Asian students (1 point) and students with disabilities (2.3 points).
• The graduation rate for students learning English as a new language jumped by 14.5 percentage points, which officials attributed to an intensifying statewide focus on supporting these students.