Unfortunately, the adage figures don't lie, but liars figure appears to be the guiding principle. In the past graduation rates were calculated from those entering the 12th year and those receiving a diploma 9 months later. From earlier decades when there were less student movement from district to district to more homogenous communities, this process to calculate graduation rates was more acceptable, but still not accurate. However in the 21st century between the consistent movement of the students to the increase in drop out rates from earlier grades, using this formula for calculating high school graduation rates is no longer acceptable.

The importance of these results is two fold:

• First, taxpayers are not receiving a return on their investment. Currently, each publicly educated student costs taxpayers $10,000 a year. Using national figures provided by NCES, a student who drops out in 2006 after 10 years of education is an initial lost investment of over $60,000. This loss only continues to grow if the young person fails to become a positive contributor to society.

• Second, US public education is not achieving significant progress given the billions of dollars funded by the hard efforts of taxpayers. Since 1969, the National Assessment of Educational Progress has been a consistent monitor of student achievement. What is interesting to note is that despite all the increased in funding actual scores per subject and per age have remained relatively flat and not near the levels necessary for sustainable economic progress.

From 30 years from 1969 to 1999, in reading the results were:

• 9 year old students moved from 208 to 212 a growth of 4 points or less than 2%
• 13 year old students moved from 255 to 259 a growth of 4 points or less than 2%
• 17 year old students moved from 285 to 288 a growth of 3 points of less than 2%