When I was in school my particular city required students to get a 75 or better to "pass". We were amoung maybe 4 or 5 communities in the state that had that high a standard. Most of the others required a 70 or some even a 65 to be considered passing. Well the state decided that all the schools needed to be equal (after I'd graduated) and they leveled everyone off...to the lower expectations. Now the whole state requires a 70 to pass. I often ask why they didn't choose to raise everyone else up to the higher requirements and no one can provide an answer other than "it wouldn't be fair to all students". So we're allowing our children to get more stupid.