"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) "The Costs and Benefits of an Excellent Education": U.S. Could Net $45 Billion Annually if One Year's Worth of High School Dropouts Were Cut in Half, According to Leading Researchers in Education and Economics; (2) "Hidden Benefits:" Alliance Calculates that the U.S. Economy Could See $74 Billion in Wealth Accumulation by Raising the High School Graduation Rate; (3) Twelfth-Grade NAEP Math and Reading Scores Finally Released: 2005 Average Reading Score is a Disappointing Six Points Lower than 1992 Score; and (4) State of the States: North Carolina Governor Urges Expansion of Early-College High Schools.