Passing the Regents English exam is required for high school graduation. Beyond that, mastery of communication skills, including reading, writing, speaking and listening, is critical for success at college and in the workplace.

In 2019, 83% of students in our region passed the Common Core Regents exam in English, a 5 point increase from the previous year, and similar to the state. Wyoming had the highest passing rate in our region, at 93%, and 81% of Monroe County students passed. The state, region and all counties regained the ground lost in 2018 returning to near 2017 levels in 2019. Seneca County had the largest increase, rising 7 points to 82% in 2019. In the City of Rochester, 59% of Rochester School District students passed and 64% of charter school students passed.

Regents exams in several subjects have been revised to reflect Common Core standards. The Common Core was adopted in most states to better prepare students for success beyond high school by emphasizing problem solving, understanding and synthesis, comprehension of nonfiction text, and other higher-order thinking skills. 2016 was the first year that nearly all students took the Common Core version of the English exam. Students have to pass five Regents exams (math, English, global history, U.S. history and science) to graduate. Data for this indicator are expected to be released in the fourth quarter.