"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) A Common Understanding: Final K-12 Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics Released on June 2; (2) "Diplomas Count": New Report Finds High School Students Today Graduate at About the Same Rate as in the Early 1960s; (3) Economic Imperative: Alliance Study Finds that Fewer Dropouts Means Higher Spending on Homes, Cars, and Investments; and (4) "Opportunity at the Top": New Report Finds that Concentrated Efforts to Retain and Expand the Reach of the Nation's Top Teachers Could Vastly Improve Education.