High school graduation rates continue to climb, according to new figures released by the National Center for Education Statistics. About 81 percent of the class of 2012 graduated on time, according to the data—a record high—and the news could get better in the years to come. According to America’s Promise Alliance, the United States graduation rate could hit 90 percent by 2020.

Why the growing success? Experts say a lot of it can be attributed to the shuttering of so-called dropout-factory high schools, thanks to education reform. About 650 such schools were forced to close, and the students who attended these underperforming schools were transferred to better institutions. (Time)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and his two children. Follow him on Twitter.