[markgall]

Yeah, I have been teaching calculus for ... several years, and it's very clear that the curriculum has been dumbed down over the years across the board. The last place I was at removed infinite series from the curriculum altogether. Epsilon/delta proofs were removed from the AP exam not so long ago. Some calculus classes don't use any transcendental functions because students can't handle it. At the same time grades have gone up, I suspect mostly because exams are usually weighted less than they were in the old days.

It is probably true however that there is more of a baseline expectation that you take it in high school. Whether this is sensible I do not know. It is also true that the very best students are better than ever, because the materials on the internet have gotten better and better over time.