It seems to me this is yet more silk on a pig. "Let's honor those who did well in our system that doesn't really provide even a most basic education. If we give them really important sounding awards, maybe people wont notice our graduates have trouble with math, proper grammar, understanding US history and the constitution, or even how to bake a pie, change the oil in a car, or balance a bank statement. Then, we can go back and ask for more taxpayer money." Sorry guys, it doesn't matter how many awards you give out when the race is to the bottom.