when a measure becomes tied to your paycheck, you will do everything to inflate that measure as much as possible.

When a measure is used for a 100% target goal, sure.

Many measures, like food safety and reducing workplace accidents, are used as targets but not as 100% targets like with graduation. They set realistic goals.

Graduation being set at any target is counter productive because it never takes into account varying demographics or the fact that not all kids are able to graduate, yet the target is always 100%.

And by not all kids can graduate I mean the ones who could do the work, but cannot in the setting. A few friends from high school dropped out to work full time in tech or got their GED and went on to complete college. They just couldn't handle the restrictive and overbearing public education system.