Some great news on continued progress on NYC's rising graduation rate – tempered with sobering news about how few students are truly prepared for college. This has always been true, however, so increasing the graduation rate is an important step forward (which naysayers will, of course, deny):

The four-year graduation rate in New York City rose to a record 65% in 2010, Mayor Bloomberg announced Tuesday, touting the numbers as a sign his administration's reforms have boosted student success.

"This really is a great day for us to be happy with what we've accomplished," the mayor said at a news conference in Brooklyn.

The enthusiasm was damped somewhat by the state Department of Education, which pointed out that most of the graduates weren't ready for college. In New York City, only 35% of those who graduated were deemed prepared for college. The state defines college readiness as achieving a score of 80 or better on the state math Regents exam and 75 or better on the English Regents exam.

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