John Idler, President and General Manager of ABC 11 WTVD, is pleased that graduation rates have improved.  In a letter to the News & Observer, he writes,

It’s encouraging news to learn that high school graduation rates have improved in 2011, increasing to 77.7 percent, the highest four-year graduation rate ever reported by the State Board of Education. Equally encouraging is the fact that North Carolina today ranks 29th in the nation for the number of teens ages 16 to 19 who are not in school and not high school graduates when, just five years ago, we ranked 37th.

As Chairman of the Communities In Schools of North Carolina Board of Directors, Idler uses the above graduation rate data to promote Communities In Schools. I appreciate the work of CIS, but I worry about the low quality of our high school graduates.

During the 2009-2010 academic year, 64 percent of 2009 high school graduates needed to take one or more “Developmental” (remedial) courses at a North Carolina community college.  Nearly 60 percent took Developmental Math and 38 percent enrolled in Developmental English.  At minimum, a high school diploma should guarantee colleges and employers that the graduate has a decent grasp of English and math.  Most don’t.

North Carolina’s public schools may have increased the state graduation rate, but too many high school graduates lack core skills and knowledge.  As a state, we chose quantity over quality.