Why Students Can't Add or Subtract
Take a simple math problem, subject to 30 years of new, improved teaching methods, and deduce the formula to yield our average yearly drop in SAT scores.
In 1960: "A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of this price. What is his profit?"
In 1970 (traditional math): "A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of this price; in other words, $80. What is his profit?"
In 1970 ("new math"): ":A logger exchanges a set of L of lumber for a set M of money. The cardinality of set M is 100 and each element is worth $1. Make one hundred dots representing the elements of the set M. Represent the set C of costs of production contains 20 fewer points than set M, and answer the following question: what is the cardinality of the set P of profits?"
In 1980: "A logger sells a truckload of wood for $100. His cost of production is $80, and his profits $20. Your assignment: underline the number 20."
In 1990: "By cutting down beautiful forest trees, a logger makes $20. What do you think of this way of making money? (Topic for class participation: How did the forest birds and squirrels feel?)"
--Author Unknown
(Editor's note: The above article, though humorous and exaggerated, indicates a real trend in American education. It has been reprinted from resources provided by the Pennsylvania Parents' Commission, PO Box 73, Johnstown, PA 15907.)