Despite declining academic scores, graduation rates have remained steady or have increased. This discrepancy suggests that students may be graduating without mastering essential skills or meeting key educational benchmarks. If academic standards are not being upheld, we risk compromising the quality of education and the future success of our students. It is crucial to address this issue to ensure that a diploma genuinely reflects a student’s readiness for the next steps in life, whether that’s higher education, career opportunities, or other endeavors.