Standards: Across the country, high school graduation rates have soared to levels never before seen. But even while millions more seniors have crossed the graduation stage over the last decade, fears have grown that many are being waived through without truly being prepared for college or the workforce. Now a study from the Center for American Progress shows that just four states — Louisiana, Michigan, South Dakota, and Tennessee — align high school graduation requirements with entrance eligibility for public colleges. That means that millions of students are finishing high school every year without realizing that they need additional course credits in math, science, and foreign languages before they can enroll in their state university systems. Many will begin college in remedial classes — a virtual guarantee that they won’t earn a college degree on time. Kevin Mahnken surveys the surprising findings.