Some researchers at the University of Mass, Amherst did a study that included as a typical exercise: “Write an equation using the variables S and P to represent the following statement: ‘There are six times as many students as professors at this university.’ Use S for the number of students and P for the number of professors.”
Error rates ranged from 12% to 67% in groups ranging from calculus students (37%) to high school and university faculty in various disciplines. I have given this exact problem on exams twice to a total of approximately 110 college students who are supposed to have HS algebra skills, with a consistent error rate of 43%.
I agree with WasachWriter. Something was being done that was not working. Now they are trying to do something else. Maybe it will work better, but it won’t if parents and students don’t give it a chance. We’ll just go back to what wasn’t working and everyone will be happy. Except of course those of us who have to try to get your kid through our class when he/she just wants to memorize the answers without grasping the concepts themselves.