Bill Hammond says only 25 percent of Texas high school graduates are college ready

As the Texas Senate approved a bill to reduce state-mandated exams in public schools, business leader Bill Hammond decried the measure.

Hammond, president of the Texas Association of Business, said, “We already graduate only 25 percent of students who are career- or college-ready. I don’t understand why many of our lawmakers are dead set on running away from strong requirements meant to increase that number and put in place standards that will do just the opposite,” according to a May 6, 2013, Austin American-Statesman news story.

Are all but a quarter of Texas high school graduates unprepared for jobs or college?

Hammond had a basis for his figure. But we also identified other indicators of college readiness, one even suggesting that 52 percent of recent Texas graduates were college ready.

Mark this claim Mostly False–and read our full review to the right.