Despite massive efforts to improve education nationally and cut dropout rates, about 25 percent of U.S. teens drop out before receiving their high school diplomas. That’s not to say there haven’t been improvements. According to research by the child advocacy group America’s Promise Alliance, more high schoolers are graduating now than in 2002. Twelve states have seen double-digit improvements in graduation rates during the past decade, and there are about 450 fewer so-called drop-out factories—schools that graduate 60 percent or less of their students—than in 2002. However, 1,550 schools still fail to graduate more than three-fifths of their students; and graduation rates have declined in 10 states. That’s bad news for America’s Promise Alliance, which is pushing for a 90 percent national graduation rate by 2020. “This year’s report proves struggling schools are not destined to fail,” says Education Secretary Ame Duncan. “The reality is that even one dropout factory is too many.” (New York Daily News)