Texas higher education faces a crisis in standards. Students receive higher grades now than ever before, even though studies show that too many students (36%) learn little during their four years invested in college. Yet, in spite of inflated grades and a diluted, intellectually aimless curriculum, nearly 40% of students at Texas’ public four-year colleges fail to graduate within six years of enrollment. The fact that the higher education establishment now focuses on six-year rather than four-year graduation rates is another troubling sign.