We're giving $20 (not the stack, just one bill) to the Lower Pottsgrove Elementary Band, courtesy of Jim Kaiser.

POTTSTOWN PA – If you were an 11th grader taking Pennsylvania standardized tests back in March and April (2010), and you failed to heed the directive to “show your work” in solving a math problem, you would have lost points. You might have even failed the exam. And that kind of oversight proved to be a problem in a high school challenge issued last week by The Post.

We asked readers on Friday (Sept. 24, 2010) to follow the directions and find the solutions to a two-part mathematics question. It was offered by the state as an example of what could appear on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests that Pottsgrove School District students take every year.

“Contest!,” our story proclaimed, and then asked, “Are You As Smart As A Pottsgrove Junior?” We offered to donate $20 to a school organization for a winning submission that correctly and completely answered both parts.

The questions, shown again above, dealt with determining percentages and profits, among other things. To solve them required not only the ability to calculate, but the ability to organize, reason, and think logically.

Providing solutions seemed easy for many readers who participated. Sadly, that’s all they provided: just two numbers, the answers “210″ and “200,” respectively. Far fewer did as the directions requested, and showed how they arrived at those numbers.

Our winning entrant, chosen randomly from among those received that were both correct and complete, is Jim Kaiser of Pottstown PA. The Post is sending $20 at his request to the Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School band. He, and all those who made the attempt, have our thanks for playing along.

Here are Kaiser’s answers to the two-parter:

• “Answer 1.  210 Students
• 60% of the 50 polled students say they will vote for Roy, so 60% of the student body of 350 equals 210 students.
• 350 * 0.6 = 210

• Answer 2.  200 Fruit Drinks
• Roy’s profit for each unit sold is $0.40 or $0.50 – $0.10.
• If he needs $80.00 in earnings, then divided the $80.00 by the profit from 1 sale $0.40 to determine the number of fruit drinks Roy needs to sell.
• $80.00 / $0.40 = 200″

Pottsgrove’s PSSA results, which were released at mid-month, are likely to be a topic of discussion in the near future during meetings of the district Board of School Directors. Its next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday (Sept. 28) in the administration building on Kaufman Road, Pottstown PA.

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