"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Striving Readers Act Introduced in the House: Act Mirrors Legislation Introduced in the Senate in March; (2) "Understanding High School Graduation Rates:" Alliance Analysis Highlights Discrepancies Between State-Reported Rates and Independent Estimates; (3) "Making Writing Instruction a Priority in America's Middle and High Schools:" New Alliance Policy Brief Highlights Students' Writing Deficiencies, Offers Recommendations to Policymakers; and (4) National Summit on America's Silent Epidemic: TIME Magazine, MTV, Gates Foundation, and Others Join Forces to Spotlight High Dropout Rates.