Sadly, though, this message is behind the reasoning of many high schools in the country, who set their graduation rates below 60 percent.

A study released last week by the Education Trust, a Washington-based group focusing on educational research, revealed schools are setting these low standards and accepting anything higher as acceptable improvement.

Federal No Child Left Behind law allows states to set their own standards for graduation. This includes setting an expected graduation rate as well as goals for improvement.

Because this requirement for states is so loosely written, it allows states to set standards that vary greatly. For example, Nevada’s graduation goal is 50 percent, while the goal for Iowa is 95 percent.

According to the report, these goals are “far too low to spur needed improvement.”

Students need to be motivated. And while the burden of this motivation does not rest solely on school administrations, their current practices are not helping.

One solution proposed by the Education Trust is for all states to set a goal for 90 percent of high school students to graduate within four years.

If schools failed to meet this goal, they would need to raise graduation rates by 5 percent every two years until they reached the 90 percent target.

A federal standard of graduation goals is a good idea. Currently, No Child Left Behind tests students on reading and math but has not achieved a significant increase in student graduation rates and expectations.

While the Education Trust’s plan is a good idea, future federal education policies must be sure to be accommodating to all students. There are, historically, differences and disparities in performance for many low-income and minority students.

The report indicates states are not doing enough to track the improvement among these groups.

No Child Left Behind succeeds in making education a political issue when it should not be viewed as one.

Education policy should focus on accommodating students and working to prepare them for the world.

A high school diploma is becoming increasingly less valuable to people looking to enter the work force. Trade schools, colleges and universities have become an integral requirement for many jobs. As a nation, we need to do as much as we can to provide adequate education for everyone.