By Winnie Hu, The New York Times, October 24, 2008

High school graduation rates are universally seen as a barometer of success, or failure, in education. Parents, college admissions officers, even savvy real estate agents rely on that particular statistic to tell them if a school is any good.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/nyregion/new-jersey/26educnj.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin