If that’s your only yardstick, American education is a 50-year failure despite spending tripling in real terms. That's common knowledge, and you probably can't change that without having immigrant parents. But literally every completion/access metric has exploded since the Carter admin:

HS graduation: ~75 % → 87 % (94 % including GEDs)

BA or higher, age 25+: 17 % → 38 %

Some college or associate’s: ~30 % → >60 %

Immediate college enrollment: 49 % → ~70 %

Black BA attainment roughly 3×, Hispanic 4–5×

AP/IB exams: 400 k → 5 M+