As long as the success of welfare reform is measured by politicians and pundits of both parties based on how many people are thrown off of assistance, expect more stories like this one: Internal government documents show that Washington state made an organized effort to kick families off welfare last year. State officials deny there was a directive. Department of Social and Health Services offices used parties and contests as incentives for workers to reduce caseloads, according to documents obtained by the Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition. Presumably, there would be some kind of outcry if we were to measure the success of the public school system by how many kids total were leaving it - whether by graduating, dropping out, or however else - each year.