Here the conclusion is "Math education in this country does a disservice to our children." Math teachers emphasize "in higher grades the same narrow, skills-based approach that students learned in lower grades rather than the analytical tools they will need to solve complex math problems."To weaken this conclusion, we need some statement which shows this approach hasn't produce any negative effect on children's math skills.
The only option which support this is:
(C) This choice states that an increasing percentage of native first-year students qualify to take advanced math courses in college. This suggests that more children are prepared for advanced math than the past, thus weakening the conclusion of the argument.

IMO C. Agree with above user's explanation.

Math education in this country does a disservice to our children. In the lower grades, it should focus on the basic skills that students will need in higher grades to develop the ability to solve complex problems. Learning basic math skills is like learning the scales and chords that one will later use to master complicated concertos and symphonies. However, math educators in this country seem to have it backward, emphasizing in higher grades the same narrow, skills- based approach that students learned in lower grades rather than the analytical tools they will need to solve complex math problems. Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the conclusion drawn above?

a) While music is common in elementary school curriculums, it is rarely taught in high school.
b) On international tests of math skills, high-school students in this country performed no worse than did their counterparts from countries where problem-solving is emphasized in higher grades.
c) Universities in this country report a steady increase in the percentage of native first-year students who qualify to take advanced mathematics courses such as calculus.
d) When presented with a math problem to solve, students in higher grades are more likely to arrive at different answers than students in lowers grades are.
e) Older students tend to receive higher grades in math than do younger students.


Conclusion: Math education in this country does a disservice to our children.

Most Important Premise: math educators in this country seem to have it backward, emphasizing in higher grades the same narrow, skills- based approach that students learned in lower grades rather than the analytical tools they will need to solve complex math problems.



Weaken point: If the percentages are steadily increasing then everything is going on step by step and then the students go for the higher level maths. Hence this is the only answer that attaacks the premise and then weakens the conclusion


Option A: Out of scope

Option B: strengthens the argument somewhere as the students did not do well in the tests.

Option D: definitely strengthens the argument

Option E: out of scope


Hope this helped you
patanjali.purpose!

C.

B is close but it was a test of "math skills" rather than problem solving skills.

[email protected] wrote:Here the conclusion is "Math education in this country does a disservice to our children." Math teachers emphasize "in higher grades the same narrow, skills-based approach that students learned in lower grades rather than the analytical tools they will need to solve complex math problems."To weaken this conclusion, we need some statement which shows this approach hasn't produce any negative effect on children's math skills.
The only option which support this is:
(C) This choice states that an increasing percentage of native first-year students qualify to take advanced math courses in college. This suggests that more children are prepared for advanced math than the past, thus weakening the conclusion of the argument.

OA - C

Hi,

Thanks. Could you share your views on B as well?

regards,
Patanjali

Conc : Math education in this country does a disservice to our children

B is neutral note the words no worse than, it says the skill based approach is neither worse nor better in other countries. If it had been stated as better then the argument is weakened and if it had been stated as worse then the argument is strengthened.