Stagnation is not just about technology

According to data based on students who graduated in June, 2009, 5.1 percent of Rochester students who entered high school in the 2005-06 school year graduated school prepared for college or a career.

Rochester's graduation rate for that period was 46.6 percent, but because few of those graduates passed regents exams with scores of 80 or higher in math and 75 or higher in English, they were not deemed college or career ready.

The story is here.  In Syracuse and Buffalo, the readiness rate was a much higher fifteen percent.  Of course when it comes to gdp, all of these expenditures on their high schools are valued at cost.