That's a joke, right?
The whole system is rotten to the bone, and when it collapses, it will drag our nation, what's left of it, down with it.
Forced high school, at least an academic program including three years of math through Trig or Algebra II, three years of science including Bio/Chem/Physics, four of history, english, three or four of a foreign language, and a mix of writing, speaking/debate/logic, is so far beyond the ability of our median high school population that constant, sustained, and methodical lies and cheating are required to keep it going.
Successful mastery of this traditional American high school diploma program was achieved by 25% of the white population in 1941 (who were MUCH better prepared than the white population of today), this is probably close to the fraction of the white population that should go to high school for four years today.
And "are they at all prepared for college"?
No. They are not at all prepared for college. College is a dysfunctional stew of drug use, intoxication, sexual excess, and petty criminality. Less than 10% of "students" currently in college belong there. If 80% of the college seats vanished tomorrow, the nation would be much better off - except the first to go would be the small fraction who actually belong there.
Compulsory education, or at least its systematic implementation through popular democracy, will destroy our people. The first step to sanity is to end it at grade 8.
There's a reason most high schools look like prisons.
Agree. High Schools, like too much of local government, serve to enrich employees rather than serve the public.