The U.S. Department of Education has released a first-ever list detailing state-by-state four-year high school graduation rates, the Huffington Post reports. The data reflects figures from the 2010-2011 academic year, the first year for which all states used a common, more rigorous measure. States last year dumped flawed measurement formulas [1] that often undercounted dropouts and produced inflated results, making cross-state comparisons inaccurate and volatile. The new rate calculation cannot be compared to previously reported graduation rates. So while 26 states reported lower graduation rates compared to previous years and 24 states showed unchanged or increased rates, the fluctuations should not be considered progress or regression, rather a more accurate snapshot calculation…