Although I can't read this because I'm not a subscriber, I can offer an anecdotal perspective.<p>This isn't only Reading and Writing. I'm a Teaching Assistant at one of many college that claim to be the Harvard of the Midwest, and have been for a few years now. Most students coming in are placed into the Calculus for non-scientists/engineers and few even have the algebra skills to survive. I'm constantly reviewing how to add fractions, factor equations, and the like, before I begin to help them on the issues of Calculus. Even worse, more students are enrolling in the past few years and less seem to be adequately prepared.