Diplomas Without Proficiency

Across multiple states, official graduation rates are climbing even as students’ scores on state exams and college‑readiness tests fall. Schools are using policy and grading changes (standards‑based grading, credit recovery, rollback of retention) to boost diploma rates, producing cohorts that often require remedial college coursework. — If diplomas no longer reliably indicate learning, families, colleges, and the labor market will face growing mismatches and policy debates over standards, accountability, and funding.