"Estimates of how many middle school students own cell phones range from over 40% to 75%, with even higher rates for high school students."

I looked at the link you posted, Candace, and that quote is not at all backed up with where they got that information to make that estimate, doesn't say where the study was done - just NYC? The whole US? Somewhere else?

And there's a huge difference between 40 and 75% - I just do not trust un-cited data.

Did you try teaching the girl how to add without a calculator? She may have had a lousy teacher, but be capable of learning with the right instruction. One girl who interned with us at my last job had no idea what states were part of New England ... and she had lived in Massachusetts since the age of 4. She wasn't stupid, just got through school by goofing off and skating by. The last time I saw her, she was working as a paralegal and studying for the Bar Exam, having realized that she wanted more from life than being a cashier somewhere.