Is the phrase "make the grade" correctly used in this context?
I was interested in the following sentence which appeared in an article titled “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2012/05/09/how-my-child-skipped-the-state-tests">How My Child Skipped the State Tests</a>" by Robert Kulesz in The New York Times, School Book, (May 9, 2012).> To be fair, I’m sure she felt> she acted in the best interest of her school, given Mayor Michael R.> Bloomberg’s insatiable desire to shut down public schools if they fail> to “make the grade.” *[note that the double quotation marks are of the journalist, NOT MINE]* Can someone clarify if the idiom, or idiomatic phrase, "make the grade" is correctly used?I have found (The Free Dictionary) the below meanings for this phrase, **but no one is referred to academic grading**:> - **to be satisfactory; to be what is expected.** <br />I'm sorry, but your work doesn't exactly make the grade. This meal doesn't just make the grade.> It is excellent.<br />> *McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.*> > > - **to succeed at something, usually because your skills are good enough (often negative).** <br />He wanted to get into medical school but he failed to> make the grade.<br />> *Cambridge Idioms Dictionary, 2nd ed. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006.* > > - **to be good enough An excuse like “**<br />I didn't call because I couldn't find your number†doesn't make the grade for most women.<br />> *Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003.*(Apologize in advanced if the question is not good for this site or if it is a dupe of another question. If so, please delete rather than close. Thank you.)
