So, the truth about education REFORM? Graduation rates are up, but 40% cannot do the college work, and too few are prepared and skilled for the jobs that are out there. "Earlier this month, the Department of Education announced that the national graduation rate hit 82 percent in 2013-14, the highest on record. The most recent evaluation of 12th graders on a national test of reading and math found that fewer than 40 percent were ready for college level work. College remediation and dropout rates remain stubbornly high, particularly at two-year institutions, where fewer than a third who enroll complete a degree even within three years."