[FRIAM] New Mexican's Sunday's story on education proficiency

[Tom Johnson]

Ms. O'Hara:

RE your story Sunday, "Does proficiency give full picture?"
>From your lede:
*"Pop quiz: What number is both a prime number and a factor or 56"?*

If I understand correctly, this is a question on an exam given to fourth
graders, 9- or 10-year-olds.
Could you please point me to some source in the city or state education
departments who can tell me what short- or long-term value this question
about mathematics -- NOT arithmetic -- has for students that age?

We live in a state where it is a rare cashier who can do the mental
arithmetic to make change from a $20 bill. Can we first find out if fourth
graders can do that before getting into primes and factorials?
-- 
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Tom Johnson - tom at jtjohnson.com
Institute for Analytic Journalism   --     Santa Fe, NM USA
505.577.6482(c)                                    505.473.9646(h)
*Visit Global Santa Fe
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